We asked how you explore and teach shape. Here are some of your recommendations:
Making Connections to our World
Making connections to our world was a very popular way to teach shape, as Kim explains: “We discuss shapes we see all around us daily in the world, our community, the play environment”. Looking for shapes on buildings and signs, as well in the clouds, was suggested and Jennifer urges us to have fun on a “shape scavenger hunt”.
Songs
Ivy likes to teach the sides of a shape and then sing about it. We would love to hear your song Ivy!
Art
Kimberlee likes to “make pictures using shapes”. The Coloured Flat Wooden Shapes featured above are lovely to work with and solid enough to use many times and draw around. For a take home craft, the Pound of Foam is perfect to use for collage, as are Fabulous Foam Shapes.
Sorting and Matching
There are many ways we can encourage shape sorting and matching but brightly coloured and fun manipulatives definitely provide an incentive. These bug shapes Sorting Stones are engraved and a lovely weight to practice sorting and matching. New Lacing Shape Beads are printed on one side so patterns can be set up and used by teachers for assessment,
Food
Esther likes to “sing about shapes, eat shapes, draw shapes, cut out shapes, build with shapes, sort them, play games with them…..”. Who doesn’t like to eat their learning? Simple cookie cutters can cut food into shapes for recognition.
Games
“I spy” seems to be a favourite with our community and its versatility means we can use it for many concepts including shape: “I spy a red triangle”.
Play
Lisa likes to use invitations to play and loose parts while Shanlee sets up her invitation with a light panel/table: “See-thru sand trays with shapes underneath for the kids to find. Then we talk about them.” The Light Panel Fun with Shapes set has a great selection of shapes and sorting mats.
Anne-Marie Yaworski teaches at the school for the blind in Montreal: “I use a variety of translucent shapes on a light board to teach shapes to my low vision student.” She also uses magnetic foam shapes and “Wikki Stix so my blind and low vision students can draw shapes, too.”
Thank you to our wonderful Quality Classrooms Community for sharing their knowledgeable and inspirational ideas on how to teach shape!