Unit 1 Concept Sorts for Vocabulary Development - Sort 1 Around Town

Sep 28, 2026

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Unit 1 provides teacher guidance for using concept sorts to develop vocabulary and critical thinking in English learning. It explains how to conduct closed sorting by categorizing pictures or words with shared attributes, and how to observe students’ ability to follow directions and describe work in Spanish or English. Standard weekly routines cover learning unknown vocabulary, repeated picture practice, picture hunts and dictionaries, and games. Sort 1 Around Town offers model instructions to group places versus non-places, followed by checking, reflection, and student practice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Unit 1 Concept Sorts for Vocabulary Development

NOTES FOR THE TEACHER

Standard Weekly Routines for Use with Sorts 1–5

Sort 1 Around Town

Demonstrate, Sort, Check, and Reflect

Beginning of Around Town Concept Sort

Extend

Literature Connection

Unit 1 Concept Sorts for Vocabulary Development NOTES FOR THE TEACHER A concept sort is an activity in which pictures, objects, or words are grouped by shared attributes. These five picture sorts are designed to build vocabulary and critical thinking skills and teach the process of sorting. These sorts are especially useful at the beginning of the school year so that you can informally assess your students’ oral language skills in English. Watch to see if students understand your directions for doing a closed sort in which you name the categories, and then categorize the pictures appropriately. Note how they sort the items when they have an opportunity to do a sort of their own categorizing. Are students able to describe their work in Spanish, or in English using single words or phrases, or in complete sentences? Which words do students know, and which will they need instruction to learn? Use these sorts to support your vocabulary instruction and to create other language-rich activities to get your students talking. Standard Weekly Routines for Use with Sorts 1–5 1. Learn and Practice Unknown Vocabulary. Preview the pictures from the sort with your students. Name each picture, and have students repeat the name. Next, ask students to name the pictures. Set aside words that are unknown so they can be practiced. Select up to 10 of the unknown pictures for vocabulary study. Talk about the pictures with students, clarify their meanings, and invite students to use them in simple sentences. If possible, have students share the names of the pictures in Spanish. 2. Repeated Work with the Pictures. Students should repeat the sort several times after it has been modeled and discussed under your directions. Make a copy of the black line master for each student, enlarging it to reduce paper waste and increase the size. Provide opportunities for them to create their own categories for the sort, and to share their ideas with others. After cutting out the pictures and using them for individual practice, the pieces can be stored in an envelope or plastic bag to sort again several times on other days. See WTW EL for tips on managing picture sorting. 3. Picture Hunts and Picture Dictionaries. Students can look through magazines, catalogs, and newspaper ads for pictures of things to add to their concept sorts. Encourage students to share their findings and create personal picture dictionaries so they can reference the vocabulary in the future. 4. Games and Other Activities. Many games such as Concentration, I Spy, Charades, and Bingo are outlined in WTW EL. These will help you use the concept sort cards for vocabulary and language development activities. 6 UNIT 1 CONCEPT SORTS FOR VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT Sort 1 Around Town | Items in the Around Town Concept Sort | | | | --- | --- | --- | | (store) | (parking lot) | (office building) | | (post office) | (park) | (school) | | (street) | (sidewalk) | (parking meter) | | (mailbox) | (restaurant) | (flag) | | (stoplight) | (bus stop) | (gas station) | | (neighborhood) | (zoo) | (movie theater) | Demonstrate, Sort, Check, and Reflect (See page 13.) 1. Prepare a set of pictures for teacher-directed modeling. Practice the vocabulary with students as described in the standard weekly routines on page 5. 2. Begin a concept sort by stating your thinking aloud as you model for your students: There are lots of pictures here of things I see around town. Some of these pictures are of places I can go into, others are not places. Let’s make two groups—places I can go into, and things that are not places. Hold up the picture of a school. This is a picture of a ? School, yes. A school is a place I go into in town. I am going to put the school at the top so we can put other pictures of places underneath. What about a store? Is a store a place I can go into? Yes, I will put the store underneath the picture of the school. Now pick up something that is not a place, such as a parking meter.

FAQs

What is a concept sort and how does it help vocabulary development?

A concept sort groups pictures, objects, or words by shared attributes. It builds vocabulary and critical thinking while teaching the sorting process.

How should teachers conduct weekly routines for concept sorts 1–5?

Teachers preview unknown vocabulary, repeat sort activities after modeling, use picture hunts and dictionaries, and apply games and other activities to practice language with the sort cards.

How do students sort items in Sort 1 Around Town?

Teachers model thinking aloud by grouping places they can go into versus things that are not places. Students then repeat the sort or create new ways to categorize the items, followed by checking and reflecting.

Sep 28, 2026

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