A laundry treating apparatus include a tub, a water supply, a drum, and a rotator including a bottom portion positioned on a bottom surface of the drum, and a pillar protruding upward from the bottom portion, and a blade disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the pillar. The controller controls a driver such that the rotator performs a distribution motion after a water supply process and a washing motion after the distribution motion. An amount of rotation of the rotator in the distribution motion is less than an amount of rotation of the rotator in the washing motion. A driving load of the driver is reduced by reducing a moment of inertia acting on the rotator by separating laundry from the rotator. With the reduced driving load, the driver may be easily controlled, and a water flow for washing may be efficiently formed.