Classification
Grouping things according to common traits is a basic operation in mathematics and science. Teachers provide and label material to sort and match. They encourage children to collect and sort things e.g. in the school, around the neighbourhood and at tidy-up time.
Seriation
Seriation orders objects by difference (e.g. smallest to largest) or a repeating sequence or pattern (e.g. alternating red and blues beads) Teachers promote this by providing materials whose attributes can be easily compared. Children read and act out stories that feature graduated qualities. For example after reading The Three Bears children may choose objects for Mama, Papa and Baby Bear based on variations of size, pitch or loudness.
