SETS

Collections into Sets 

Within the Big Ideas of Early Mathematics, "Sets, then, are basic to children's thinking and learning. However, they are also basic to our number system. One of the most important jobs of each number is to describe "how many" there are in a set of things-be it one, seven, or three hundred and nineteen. Before we can figure out how many apples there are, we have to decide which things are apples, and which are not. Once we've created the set of things that are apples, perhaps by separating them from the oranges, then we can count them. Counting requires a set, and as a result, the properties of sets have a large influence on the number system, and on mathematics" (Pearson 2014, 13). 

Here is the link for the original for the pom pom sets activity for more information. 

Shapes Sorting 

According to the Big Ideas of Early Mathematics, "Young children who understand the first Big Idea, that attributes can be used to sort collections into sets, have a working knowledge of what a set is and how it is constructed. Experiences with attributes are central to developing this Big Idea, as they give a solid understanding of how we define collections of things" (Pearson 2014, 14). 

The original post for a broader display for this activity as well as other great ideas can be found here.