Children discover that shapes have lines and angels. They see how 2 dimensional objects have width and height, and 3 dimensional objects have width, height, and depth. Learning the mathematical terms and calculating numbers will come much later, but understanding how an object looks and feels will establish a mental picture. This mental picture will prove to be very important in the future as children are introduced to more abstract concepts because they have developed real-world connections.
In Tana Hoban’s wordless book Shapes, Shapes, Shapes, children observe shapes hidden in plain sight. This book is a perfect leap into how shapes exist in the world around us. Find shapes around your house or in your backyard and play a game of eye-spy, or take pictures to create your own shapes book. Talk about the difference between a 2D and 3D shape. How are they alike? How are they different?
At this stage of development, emphasize hands-on learning. Build your own 3D shapes from marshmallows and pretzel sticks, or playdough and toothpicks. Find more creative hands-on activities in these math blogs:
Tie three subjects together, Math, Science, and Art, in this cross-curricular activity from the Artful Parent .
The Artful Parent: How to Make Paper Shapes
Discover ways to bring this first grade standard to life by exploring the activities in the following blogs.
The Owl Teacher: 10 Ways to Review the Attributes of Geometric Shapes
Easy Teaching Tools: The Perfect Activity for your Geometry Unit
Tumble Math has a library packed with titles to teach any math concept, including geometry. You can access Tumble Math for free with your Richland Library card.
The titles below will help you and your child discuss shapes and patterns . Want us to pull books for you? Contact us at 803-799-9084 and request to have books sent to your nearest Richland Library location.