By the time most kids are four, they are able to recognize and accurately name basic geometric shapes (circle, square, rectangle, triangle, oval, diamond...). But why? Are they memorizing them? Do they associate the shapes with things they see everyday? Do they understand why a triangle isn't a square?
We take the opportunity to broaden a child's vocabulary every time they go to a new place, experience a new toy, or eat a new food. So why not when they see a new shape? I know as a parent I have been guilty of asking the question "what shape is this?". When my kid said the right answer, I moved on to the next shape. Instead, let's focus on the process of determining the shape. Use the opportunity to describe the shape and it's properties. Why is a triangle a triangle (three corners, three sides)? How do you know this triangle is not a square (properties of the square)? What other things start with "tri" (tricycle)? What do they have in common with this triangle (unit of three)? Questions like this will allow the child to discover the shape instead of memorize it, and it will incorporate math vocabulary into their daily life.
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