Maryland Math K.DS.A.1
The Standard
Organize data by classifying objects into given categories and counting the number of objects in each category (Limit the total in any one category to maximum of 20).
Maryland College and Career Ready Standards for Mathematics (2025) · CLASSIFY OBJECTS INTO CATEGORIES TO REPRESENT DATA.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students sort objects into groups named by the teacher, such as red and blue. They count how many objects are in each group.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student places each object in the right group without leaving any out. They touch each object once as they count and give the correct total for each group.
Common Misconceptions
- Some children sort by size when the labels say red and blue. Others count the whole pile instead of each group, or count an object twice.
How to Assess It
- Give each student a picture of 6 red pencils and 4 blue pencils. Ask them to circle the pencils by color and write how many are in each group.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs 15 mixed red and blue counters, two labeled cups, and a recording sheet; have them sort and count each cup.
Show 5 circles and 4 triangles, then ask, “Why does each shape belong in its group?”
Play a sorting relay with 12 shape cards: place each card on a circle or triangle mat, then count both piles.
At cleanup, sort 8 glue sticks and 10 crayons into labeled supply bins, then count and post each bin's total.
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Printable K.DS.A.1 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to K.DS.A.1, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
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Related Standards
- K.DS.A.2
Analyze data sets by ordering the categories by count.
- 1.DS.A.1.b
Collect and organize categorical data (into up to three categories) using surveys or observations.
- K.NOS.A.5
Represent a number of objects with a written numeral within 20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects).
- K.NOS.B.6
Use the relationship between numbers and quantities within 20 to count objects with one-to-one correspondence (arranged in a line, a rectangular array, a circle...
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