Belong / Not Belong Fun Themed Math Activities

Definition

Belong / Not Belong is a basic classification skill in which learners decide whether an object, number, shape, or other item is a member of a particular group based on a given rule or shared characteristic. An item belongs when it satisfies the rule used to define the group, while an item does not belong when it does not satisfy that rule.

For example, if the group is even numbers, then 2, 6, and 10 belong to the group, while 3 and 7 do not belong.

Belong / Not Belong activities help children develop classification, comparison, pattern recognition, and logical reasoning skills. Learners examine the characteristics of different items and determine which ones share a particular attribute. The attribute may involve color, size, shape, number, quantity, or another observable or mathematical property.

For example, students may be shown a group consisting of a triangle, square, rectangle, and circle and asked which shape does not belong. Depending on the rule, the circle may not belong because it does not have straight sides or vertices. More advanced activities can involve numbers, such as identifying which numbers belong to a group of multiples of 5.

These activities are especially valuable because they encourage students not only to identify an answer but also to explain the rule used to classify the items. In some cases, more than one answer may be reasonable if the learner can clearly justify the classification.

Activities involving sorting, classifying, and determining whether objects belong to a category can support several early-grade U.S. Common Core State Standards (CCSS), particularly:

• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.MD.B.3 – Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count.
• Belong / Not Belong activities directly support this standard when kindergarten students classify objects according to shared attributes or categories.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.B.4 – Analyze and compare two- and three-dimensional shapes, in different sizes and orientations, using informal language to describe their similarities, differences, parts, and other attributes.
• When students determine whether shapes belong to a group based on their properties, they practice observing and comparing attributes.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.1 – Students distinguish between defining attributes and non-defining attributes of shapes and build or draw shapes possessing defining attributes.

Belong / Not Belong exercises can reinforce this skill by asking students to classify shapes according to properties such as the number of sides, vertices, or other defining characteristics.

Belong / Not Belong Themed Activities

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Belong / Not Belong across 14 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Common core aligned Kindergarten Math worksheets.

Each ready to use worksheet collection includes 10 activities and an answer guide. Not teaching common core standards? Don’t worry! All our worksheets are completely editable so can be tailored for your curriculum and target audience.

Resource Examples

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Worksheets Activities Included

• Toy Box Mix-Up
• Yummy Snack Sort
• Balloon Color Party
• Playground Pick
• Silly Shape Show
• Dress-Up Dash
• Animal Parade
• Fun Fair Sorting
• Mystery Party Bags
• Super Sort Challenge

Frequently Asked Questions