Sorting - Hot/Cold

I recently read another blog which outlined the importance of not only sorting but also using different sensory skills to sort (because we use/exercise different regions of our brains for different types of sorting i.e. sight vs feeling). One idea that particularily caught my attention in the post that I'd never thought of before, was the idea of sorting hot and cold. Besides being different, and therefore fun, I thought it might be a more obvious thing for Jackson to try and sort on his own. He enjoyed playing with the hot and cold stones but didn't necessarily sort them in any order. We'll have to try this activity a couple more times before making an official assessment of its teaching effectiveness. Reagan decided she wanted to check out Jackson's hot/cold sorting game as wellJackson decided he wanted to try again since Reagan was interested (this is typical). Reagan wasn't appreciative of the assistance at first and Jackson didn't like Reagan's sorting process. I suggested to Reagan she work with Jackson and try to explain her process for sorting as well as helping Jackson make decisions on where the stones should be placed. She liked the idea of teaching him and they began to work together. This was both sweet and probably the best instruction we received from this sorting project during our first attempt with this activity. As I've found is often the case (and one of the beauties of homeschooling) the best learning frequently occurs in ways you didn't intend or expect during any given project. Great teamwork Reagan and Jackson! :)