Category sorting mat maker

Read the card, then put it where it belongs

Make a read and sort set. Pick two or three groups, such as animals and food. The mat has a box for each group. The cards show one of our hand-drawn pictures with its word. Your child reads the card, says what it is, and puts it in the right box.

Pick a design

Now: . Hundreds of designs to choose from.

Choose each part yourself

To keep a copy, choose “Save as PDF” as the printer. What you type stays on your device: it is not sent to us and not saved.

Your worksheet:

How to make your worksheet

  1. Pick two or three groups.
  2. Choose a picture and the word on each card, or the word only.
  3. Print the mat and the cards. Cut the cards apart.
  4. Read each card and put it in its box.

The reading skill

Each card is a word to read, and sorting shows the word was understood. Talking about why a card belongs in a box builds the words a child knows.

Word only cards

For a child who is sounding out words, choose “The word only”. Those cards use only words from our checked word sets, such as cat, hen, jam and bus.

The names on the boxes

The name of each group is for the grown-up to read out loud. It is not a word the child is asked to read.

Good questions

Which groups are there?

Animals, food, things to wear, things that go, things at home, my body and outside.

Is there an answer key?

Yes. Turn on “Answer key page”.

Can I use my own groups?

Not yet. The groups are built from our own picture library.

Can I print in black and white?

Yes. Choose “Black and white” under “Print in”. Every picture becomes a line drawing your child can color in.

Is it free?

Yes, with no sign-up and no limit.

Make another kind of sheet

Free · 2 minutes

Is reading hard for your child, and you are not sure why?

“Behind in reading” can mean ten different things, and each one needs different help. Check off what is true for your child. You will see the one thing to work on first, and what can wait.

Find where to start