Importance Of Classifying In Mathematics

According to the oxford dictionary, the word classify is defined as: to arrange (a group of people or things) into classes or categories according to shared qualities or characteristics. This essay will describe how sorting and classifying objects is related to the fundamental concepts in mathematics and how this process assists in learning and holistic development for the grade R child.

Classifying, in its early stages, according to Piaget, can be seen in a child believing that a cabbage and a ball belong together because they are the same shape, or thinking that a stop sign and a strawberry should be in the same category because of their colour. As the child develops they slowly learn more complex ways to classify objects. They begin to realise that the objects don’t have to look the same to be categorised together. For example, a piece of bread and an apple could be grouped together because they are both things that you can eat. So although they do not look alike, they belong in the same category. Learning to categorise can have very practical implications such as the child being able to sort his Lego from his blocks or keeping his clothes sorted in his cupboard. Already the child is being developed holistically. Classifying also helps to develop mathematical concepts that the child will use for the rest of their life.

Mathematics is essentially the study of patterns and relationships using numbers and symbols. Classification for mathematics starts with the ideas of making, describing and comparing of sets. By learning to follow the rules that have been set out to classify objects by their different attributes, the learners are beginning to understand the basics of some fundamental mathematical concepts. This process develops ...

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Finally, the first step in data handling is being able to sort your data into categories. Knowing how to sort and classify is obviously crucial to this process. Once the data has been sorted according to its different attributes it is then easy to represent it in a graph or table.

Another quote from Dr. Jean M. Shaw is this: “Sorting and classifying objects not only teaches children about attributes and relationships, but also promote thinking logically and applying rules. Sorting and classifying exercises can also provide children with models for organizing things in the real world, such as putting blocks away or setting the table for dinner.” This quote explains how sorting and classifying objects in the classroom can assist in holistic development and how the leaners can use what they have learnt through mathematics in other aspects of their daily lives.