305219 RGTG
1/6/12
10:36 AM
Page 1
Little Pocket Sorts™: Plural Nouns
Congratulations on your purchase of the Really Good
Stuff® Little Pocket Sorts™: Plural Nouns, a hands-on
activity that strengthens your students’ ability to
recognize plural-noun spelling patterns. Should you
need this or any other Really Good Stuff® Teaching
Guides, download them from our Web site at
www.reallygoodstuff.com.
Cards have 40 exemplars of singular nouns on the
front (border) side. The answer is printed on the back
of each card as an equation involving the noun and
its plural ending, reflecting the pluralization rule.
The Category Cards fit neatly into the slots of each
pocket in the Pocket Folder. You can opt to start with
fewer than four categories, adding the others later.
Objective
Distinguish among nouns that take common plural
endings.
Before using the sorts, discuss what students already
know about plural nouns. First review the common -s
ending, then -es, before introducing rules that involve
changing the base word. Have students practice using
plurals in the context of sentences. Provide classwork
that gives students a chance to distinguish between
singular and plural nouns. Discuss exceptions to the
rules and provide examples.
Common Core State Standard
Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns.
This Really Good Stuff® product includes:
• 2 Four-Pocket Folders
• 40 Two-Sided Sort Cards
• 5 Sorting Envelopes
• 8 Category Cards
• 1 Storage Bag with Handle
• This Really Good Stuff® Teaching Guide
Common Plural-Noun Forms
Add s (chicken/chickens)
Add es (witch/witches)
Drop y/add ies (party/parties)
Drop f/add ves (calf/calves)
Whole word change (child/children)
No change (sheep/sheep)
This sorting activity offers practice of the spelling
patterns applied to plural nouns. The sorting
categories include the rules for regular plural nouns
(add s) and irregular plural forms (add es, drop y/add
ies and drop f/add ves). Students, especially English
language learners, often make mistakes with plural
nouns, especially irregular plurals. With repeated
exposure and memorization, students apply the rules
with greater ease.
Model the Activity
Begin by modeling the activity, discussing each step
with students. Place the Category Cards into the
slots of each pocket in a 4-Pocket Folder. Place the
Sort Cards, border-side up, in a stack in front of you.
Explain to students that each card has a noun, and
they will need to determine what rule they must use to
make the noun plural. If the card has a noun that gets
an -s ending, place it in the add s pocket, and so on.
Managing Little Pocket Sorts™: Plural Nouns
• Photocopy and laminate the Little Pocket Sorts™
instructions.
• Separate the Sort Cards by their colors, and
store them in the Sorting Envelopes.
• Label the envelope tabs according to colored
sets, for example: Plural Nouns: Pink.
• Slide the Category Cards into the slots of
the folder.
• When finished, place all the materials in the
Storage Bag.
Take the top Sort Card and read the noun. Ask the
group what they do to make the noun plural. Place the
card in the corresponding pocket. Continue sorting all
of the cards. (You may want to place one or two cards
in the wrong pocket so that you can model how to
correct misplaced cards.)
Introducing Little Pocket Sorts™: Plural Nouns
Little Pocket Sorts™: Plural Nouns provides a fun
setting for students to practice applying plural-noun
spelling rules in a closed sort that is easy to manage
and check. The two-sided Sort Cards have either blue
or pink borders on the front, which provides an easy
way to split them for two separate centers. The Sort
All teaching guides can be found online:
Helping Teachers Make A Difference®
© 2012 Really Good Stuff
®
1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com Made in Guangzhou, China #305219A
305219 RGTG
1/6/12
10:36 AM
Page 2
Little Pocket Sorts™: Plural Nouns
Once all of the cards are sorted, take them out and
review each category separately. Show students that
the back of each card has an equation that indicates
its category. Together, decide if the cards have been
placed in the correct pockets. Model by thinking aloud
as you re-sort any cards that were incorrectly placed.
After modeling, demonstrate the proper way to store
the materials in the Storage Bag. Then have students
sort independently, either in pairs or individually.
Suggested Prerequisite Training
• Train students to work in pairs, taking turns sorting
and checking sorts.
• Train students to use their inside voice as they read
and sort nouns.
• Train students to politely provide corrective feedback
to their partner.
• Train students to carefully handle and manage
materials.
Instructions
Little Pocket Sorts™: Plural Nouns
One to four students
Object: Distinguish among nouns that take common
plural endings.
Materials: Sort Cards, Category Cards, one 4-Pocket
Folder
1. Open the Pocket Folder in front of you.
2. Place the cards border-side up in front of you.
3. Take one of the Sort Cards and read the noun.
Decide which spelling rule is used to the noun plural.
4. Place the card in the correct pocket.
5. Continue sorting all the cards.
6. Remove the cards from each pocket and read them,
one category at a time.
7. Turn the card over to check your work.
8. Re-sort any incorrectly placed cards.
Related Really Good Stuff® Products:
Little Pocket Sorts™: Contractions (#305229)
Little Pocket Sorts™: Drop the e, Double the
Consonant (#305280)
Little Pocket Sorts™: Irregular Past-Tense Verbs
(#305218)
Little Pocket Sorts™: Parts of Speech (#305282)
Little Pocket Sorts™ Envelopes (#304780)
Little Pocket Sorts™ Envelope Storage Box (#304821)
Sort Cards
Helping Teachers Make A Difference®
© 2012 Really Good Stuff® 1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com Made in Guangzhou, China #305219A