Have you found yourself looking for a classroom activity that’s not too long, not too boring, but still reinforcing whatever skill you’re focused on? I did too. The first set of sorting cards I ever made was my Author’s Purpose Sorting Cards. I was sitting in my 8th grade ELA classroom trying to figure out how I could reinforce author’s purpose without requiring my kids to read four different comprehension passages. We had just finished reading our class novel and I knew they were tired of reading. I scoured the internet looking for a solution and couldn’t find one…so I just made my own. And it stuck! I now use sorting cards for EVERYTHING!

My Author’s Purpose Sorting Cards consist of 3 small passages for each major author’s purpose (to persuade, to inform, and to instruct). Each passage is designed to look like a mini news article. Students read each pretend news article and figure out what the author’s purpose is. Then, they sort them into categories. I love to laminate my cards so kids can use expo markers to annotate for any key words that hint towards the purpose (it also helps to keep the cards safe and reusable for years to come).

While these Author’s Purpose Sorting Cards are one of my best-selling products, my other sorting cards have also begun to gain popularity as well.

So, Why Do Sorting Cards Work?

Sorting cards solve a problem. They engage multiple learning styles all at the same time. This activity requires students to use visual, kinesthetic, and verbal skills. In addition, our brains naturally try to categorize new information to make sense of it. Sorting requires students to group concepts based on shared characteristics.

Students love this activity because they aren’t stuck to a computer or feel like they’re doing busy work on a worksheet. I always word it to make it sound like a game. “Today you will be racing! You and your teammates will divide and conquer to read each news article and decide which ones fall under each author’s purpose category. The first group to correctly sort the cards WINS!”

Honestly, you can make anything sound like a game with enough enthusiasm…

I am always looking for ways to get my students to use their hands. At the beginning of each school year I have them take a survey to figure out what type of learner they are (this survey is FREE in my TPT store by the way…). SO many students find out they’re kinesthetic learners. I find that this type of learner is often overlooked in the traditional classroom, so I always vow to my students to teach to EVERY type of learner.

What’s In It For You?

Students are not the only ones enjoying these sorting cards. These cards are low prep and reusable. Print and laminate them once, and you’ve got yourself a tried and true lesson for years to come. These cards are SO easy to differentiate. For my advanced learners, I don’t tell them when they’ve got a card in the wrong spot. I just tell them they’re wrong and need to figure out which one is wrong on their own. For my kids that need a little support, I allow them to ask for a “check” every so many minutes. If they have any cards in the wrong spot, I quietly flip them upside down so they can try again. 

I find that the best part about this activity is that you have an easy formative assessment OR pre-assessment that allows you to see exactly where your students are at. If you walk around and see that every group is struggling, they’re going to need some more review before you put it to the actual test. If they’ve got it down before you even taught them anything? Their previous teacher must’ve done a pretty good job on this concept!

Save Yourself a Headache

These cards are effective, engaging, and flexible. If you’re looking for a fresh way to tackle an ELA concept this year, look no further. Browse my collection and stay tuned for more sorting cards to come!

Thanks for reading!
Miss B