Non-identical Animal Matching
- Grades
- Not Grade Specific
- Pages
- 6
- File type
- Preparation
- Print ready
- Subject
- Special Resources, ELA, Language Development, Pre-Reading, Special Education Needs (SEN)
- Topic
- autism, independent workstation activities
- Resource types
- Activities
- Preparation
- Print ready
About this resource
What's inside this resource
Matching games build visual discrimination, classification, and critical thinking skills in young learners. This set takes matching a step further by featuring non-identical images that must be sorted based on conceptual relationships. With an engaging farm animal theme, students will delight in making connections between like animals.
The materials include 6 base boards, each with 4-5 detailed farm animal pictures. Rather than matching identical pairs, students must categorize the animals by traits like species, color, or baby/adult. Sort pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, horses and more using visual cues like number of legs, color of fur, or size.
Because the images vary slightly, students must look beyond basic appearance to understand how the animals are related fundamentally. This challenges learners to classify concepts at a deeper level. Worksheets can be used independently, in small groups, or whole class.
The open-ended format allows for sorting by multiple attributes.
Laminated boards and animal cut-outs enable reuse for different categorization each time.
Activities build visual discrimination, flexible thinking, and vocabulary as students explain their sorting rationale. Moving the pieces enhances motor skills too. This engaging game delivers cognitive growth in a hands-on way.
This set comes with 6 base boards each with 4-5 farm animal pictures.
Clipart images courtesy of Kari Bolt Children's Illustrator:
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In the classroom
Teaching tips & learning objectives
Learning objectives
Sort non-identical animal pictures into the correct category by identifying the animal shown, rather than matching identical images.
Distinguish between six animal categories across three paired boards: cats vs. dogs, hens vs. horses, and pigs vs. cows.
Teaching tips
Laminate the sorting boards and attach velcro, then cut out, laminate and velcro-back the animal cards, exactly as the included teacher note describes, so the set can be reused activity after activity.
Introduce one board pair at a time (for example Cats and Dogs) before combining all three, since the boards are provided as three separate category pairs rather than one large sort.
Use this as an independent workstation task once students are familiar with the routine, since the laminated, velcro-backed pieces are designed for repeated self-directed use.
Skills covered
Visual classification — students sort animal picture cards into the correct category (cats vs. dogs, hens vs. horses, pigs vs. cows) based on which animal each card shows.
Fine-motor manipulation — students peel, place and reposition velcro-backed picture cards onto the laminated boards.
Independent task routine — the reusable, laminated design supports repeated use at a workstation without adult setup each time (page 2).
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Resource details
Concepts & topics
Core concepts
Core concepts
animal categories
visual classification
non-identical matching
Topics
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