Modern manufacturers of goods for children and child psychologists offer to engage in the development and education of a child almost immediately after his birth. What methods to use is up to parents to decide, but some basic concepts should be explained outside the main program. For kids, no less important are the colors and names of basic household items. How to properly introduce a child to circles and ovals?
Why do preschoolers need geometry?
The concept of shape and size helps to perceive the world and objects, compare them with each other. Without hesitation, you will say, when describing some unusual piece of furniture, that it looks like two rectangles with rounded edges. Now imagine how difficult it is to describe and compare some objects without knowing the names and concepts of simple forms. That is why it is useful to learn geometric shapes for kids as early as possible. By the age of 2-3 years, a child should know at least a circle, a square, a rectangle, a triangle, and a rhombus. Gradually you can add more complex shapes.
Let's go in search of figures!
The easiest way to teach a child something is through play. Try to interest the baby, serve new material in the original game form. For the little ones, you don’t even need to organize classes; you can study in between. Tell them that the cup is round and the book is rectangular. A visual aid that reveals the concept of “geometric shapes” for kids will be the most ordinary toys. Match cubes and balls together, complicate the task by adding dishes or fruits to play store. Older children can be occupied for a long time by asking them to find as many circles or triangles in the room as possible. Help show all your imagination and explain that figures can “hide” on fabric or wallpaper in the form of a pattern, represent a whole object or part of it.
Entertaining geometry
Learn 5 geometric shapes It's much easier if you draw them yourself. Offer your child a creative task, take a sheet of paper and paints, pencils and markers and draw a circle, rectangle, square, triangle and rhombus. A more interesting version of this game - the mother draws a geometric figure, and the child completes some elements, turning the form into an object or animal. You can also draw a rectangle on a piece of paper and hang it in a visible place. Of course, some of your guests will be surprised by such interior decoration, but you can always answer: “We teach geometric shapes with kids.” The next day, draw a circle and hang it next to the rectangle. And then offer to compare the figures with each other. Gradually add the remaining forms and be sure to devote a few minutes a day to such training.
Useful toys for learning shapes
A variety of games and toys will help you learn the basics of geometry. The easiest option is to purchase ready-made cards with images of figures. Typically, such sets are focused on studying shape and color. There can be many cards, the figures on them are repeated, but differ in size and shade. Play with this one board game maybe for hours. Ask them to collect all the same shapes, then arrange them according to size. Then mix the cards and ask them to find all the shapes of the same size or color. If you wish, you can make such a game with your own hands. A special children's lotto can also help in studying geometry. If you want, it’s not at all difficult to find such a game dedicated to figures. And yet, sorters remain the most popular geometric toys. Usually this is some kind of base (container, frame) with slots of different shapes. Colored geometric shapes are inserted into the holes. The child’s task is to select the appropriate slot on the base for each small object. Sorters come in different styles, but by choosing the simplest one - geometric, you get the opportunity to learn the names of the shapes while placing them in the base. Wooden or cardboard frames with inserts, made according to the principle of a sorter, can also help in studying forms. It is also useful to watch special educational cartoons about geometric shapes for kids. Combine all the proposed teaching options, and then your child will not have problems with geometry.
Geometry for kids is a controversial subject, because there are so many shapes, and even more ways to study them. Which ones should you take for work first and how to get your baby interested in them? Let's discuss approaches that can be used to teach new material.
First you need to study simple figures with your children that will be understandable to them.More complex concepts, such as trapezoid or rhombus, are best left for later. First, the baby needs to learn the simplest shapes: circle, triangle and square. Having mastered this simple science, you can begin to explore new horizons. Psychologists and teachers say that the circle is the easiest for children to memorize.
Time to study shapes
The first attempts to get acquainted with figures can begin almost from birth. A playful presentation of material will always be appropriate. Whether you show your child a picture of a ball or a cube, you can always, in addition, talk about their shape. Such an easy presentation will be perceived positively by the child.
A 2-year-old toddler should already be able to distinguish:
- triangle;
- circle;
- square.
A 3-year-old baby additionally knows:
- oval;
- rhombus;
- rectangle.
Following them, you can begin to introduce the child to the trapezoid, ellipse, etc. Don't forget to include games and fun moments in your activities with children.
To make classes interesting, you should choose exciting ones. didactic materials The principle of mastering figures
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Geometric figures are learned differently for children of different periods. Knowing age characteristics, it will be easier for you to choose the appropriate methodology and teach new concepts.
Select the circle first to study. When the child understands it well, move on to the next stage. Play out the situation when a large circle came to visit the baby. Draw a circle with your child’s finger, touch it with your palm, and make an applique based on it, adding round eyes and a nose.
Three-dimensional figures will be quite appropriate when studying shapes. This way the child will use another sensory organ. The baby will always be able to touch the object, do some manipulations with it: build a tower, throw it, put it in a box. Such a multifaceted way of introducing a new concept will be very effective, because children at this age learn about the world around them through visual and effective thinking.
To begin with, it is advisable to choose the same color and size. Let all the concepts being studied be, for example, red, then the child will not have problems with the perception of new things, he will not be distracted by color and size differences.
It’s very interesting when figures are not just drawn on paper, but alive and three-dimensional
Features of training
Let's list the features child development, and in particular the perception of figures:
- At 1-2 years old, the baby compares them visually and learns to sort (we recommend reading:). The child begins to select the desired one from the available figures and insert it into the appropriate hole.
- A grown-up 2-year-old child is able to choose a called shape from a number of presented figures.
- The development of a 3-year-old child allows him to name some figures independently.
When playing and talking, always pay attention to the surrounding objects and compare them with already familiar geometric shapes. While walking in the park, you can also draw your little one’s attention to the appearance of triangles and circles, even outside the house. By constantly turning to this topic, you can easily find out what still needs elaboration and what the baby has already mastered well.
The study continues in the following vein:
- comparison of flat and three-dimensional figures with the specified samples;
- search for a volumetric body using an existing flat image;
- recreation of geometric bodies (sculpting, drawing, cutting);
- analysis of a picture with a complex object, identification of its components.
When walking and playing with your child, you need to draw his attention to things of different shapes
Let's study
Looking for geometry around
Children's development cannot be imagined without mastering geometric shapes, but familiarization must be carried out gradually. To start, select just one shape. Having finished mastering and consolidating it, move on to the next one. We recommend starting with a circle as the easiest and most memorable figure.
Print the forms using a printer or draw by hand on an A4 sheet. Let us repeat, all figures must be the same color and the same size. Take a few days to get to know the circle. On the first day, show your baby a circle and tell him what its features are. On the second day, start looking for objects that resemble a circle. Seeing that a child cannot cope due to his age, help him. Having found the desired object, let the little one draw along its edge to remember and secure this shape. Subsequent forms are entered in the same way. For an example of such a lesson, watch a video on the Internet.
Thinking that your child is still too young to memorize names, still don’t stop studying. Your efforts will ultimately be crowned with victory, because all activities are stored in the child’s head. Even before the toddler reaches one year of age, you can show and name the basic concepts of geometry, namely square, circle and triangle. To do this, you should use special video tutorials.
Shape recognition games
To play, you will need a small bag in which you need to put the already known shapes. Show your child, for example, a triangle, and then ask him to find the same one in the bag. A little later, having realized the relationship between flat and volumetric bodies, show flat images, asking to find the corresponding volumetric body, for example, a ball is a circle, a cube is a square. Having mastered this exercise, the child will eventually learn to show not figures, but real objects.
Lotto is a unique game that allows you to explore anything you want. We also easily teach figures using lotto. For the game, make cards with images of the concepts being studied (for toddlers, you should start with 3-4 forms) in duplicate. We cut one of them into separate picture cards. To begin with, make a lotto with figures of the same color and size, and as the little one grows up, the variety of sizes and colors will increase. It is more difficult to find different colored pictures.
Basic figures on cards:
Sorting method
The sorter toy will be an excellent assistant in studying geometry. Closer to one year, the baby, playing with this toy, discovers that each part has its own unique hole. Help your child with hints: “You found a square, and this hole is round. Doesn't fit here. Let's look for a square hole? You can make a simple sorter yourself. Take two boxes, make a round hole in one, and a square hole in the other. Invite your child to sort the blocks and balls into boxes. Accompany the toddler's actions with comments and the name of the correct figure. In this simple way the baby will master all the concepts. There are sorters with partitions that prevent parts from mixing inside the cube. Such sorters are perfect for children who have trouble recognizing shapes.
A sorter is perfect for an interesting, active study of shapes.
Insert frames come in a variety of directions, including geometry. Frames with basic shapes require inserting a suitable part into the desired compartment. The exercise game is reminiscent of a sorter. Video examples are widely available on the Internet.
Sorting by attributes: the child must learn the differences in manipulating shapes, for example, one object rolls and another does not, or with the help of some you can make a tower, while others are not suitable for this, etc. By the age of 5 years, a child will be able to sort objects according to two criteria: they can be rolled but cannot be built into a tower (ball), they cannot be rolled but can be stacked on top of each other (cylinder), they cannot be rolled (cube). At the preschool age of 6-7 years, the future first-grader must perfectly master the initial primitive knowledge of geometry.
Applications
Doing applications will help you learn new concepts. Use different geometric solids to plan your future appliqué. The first tests should be made as simple as possible, for example, only triangles are glued to a triangular sheet, and only squares to a square sheet. Let the baby decide for himself which figure to glue where.
Purchased or homemade applications are great for helping you understand geometry.
Future applique details can be cut from various materials: felt, cardboard, velvet paper, etc. By about one and a half years, the baby will have mastered the process of gluing parts to the required places according to a template and will be ready for the new stage. Now you can start making the most primitive compositional appliqué. The basis for the exercises can be taken from the following manuals:
- Series "School of the Seven Dwarfs 1+".
- Educational stickers for kids.
- Wonderful stickers. Fun geometry.
Tactile creativity
Tactile work with geometric bodies allows you to remember them faster. Any creative activity (drawing, sculpting, cutting) will become a help in mastering new concepts. Print or draw large shapes on an A4 sheet of paper. Show your child how to draw some of them with pencils, markers or paints. Draw hand in hand so that the child understands the principle. Over time, he will begin to cope without your help. Most often, the easiest thing for children to draw is a circle.
Don't limit young children's creativity to just drawing. Figures can be laid out from threads, folded from toothpicks, the ends of which can be fastened with plasticine for fixation, sculpted from dough and plasticine, created from mosaics, etc. Also combine street games with learning: draw shapes on the asphalt with crayons, sticks on the ground, collect acorns and pebbles, and then lay out squares and circles. You can get inspired with the help of a large number of photos and videos of classes presented on the Internet.
You can even train on asphalt using colored crayons
Using Doman cards
Many people rightly consider Doman’s method to be the most effective in studying geometric shapes. With a minimum of effort, the child masters new concepts in the shortest possible time. Let us clarify one point: when we study new concepts with a child, this knowledge requires consolidation. This is possible through a variety of exercise games, which we discussed above. Unreinforced knowledge will be forgotten very quickly, almost as quickly as it was acquired. Most often you can hear recommendations that it is better to postpone the start of classes using Doman cards until the age of 1 year. During this period, the child is already willing to work with sorters, appliqués, and insert frames. This method is often used in kindergartens.
For children with a need to understand the world around them through movement, it will be useful to offer games in which they need to move along a certain trajectory. The game track or path imitates one or another figure. This exercise will allow kinesthetic learners preschool age learn new concepts faster. Game complexes and towns also help.
You can include elements of getting to know geometry in any active game.
The game-exercise “Go around the figure” will be appropriate for children from one to two years old. A baby who has mastered walking well is ready to take part in the game. Using chalk or string, mark the shape, mark the start and finish, which are one point. Play some funny songs for the background. As a task, ask the children to walk around the image by walking, jumping, crawling, etc. As the baby gets older, the tasks become more complicated: you can ask him to go around by tossing a ball or carrying a spoon with a ball in his hand.
A good game for three-year-olds is catch-up using figure houses. Mark houses on the floor or ground. These can be pre-cut large figures, or they can be simply houses drawn with chalk or houses made of sticks. In such houses (circles, squares and triangles) a child can hide from the driver only if he names the shape correctly.
When we teach the basics of geometry, we can use modern tools. Educational videos and cartoons telling about various geometric shapes will be useful. Pay attention to such cartoons as: “Little Babies” and “Chuk-Chuk the Little Engine”.
There are a lot of techniques for children representing geometric shapes on the modern market. Below are the main ones, as well as games that develop a child.
Nowadays, great importance is attached to the early development of a child. Children begin to be taught almost from the maternity hospital. There are many games, books, video and audio materials that help children quickly master such simple - at first glance - topics as letters, numbers, shapes, colors. Cards showing geometric shapes are especially popular for kids. This guide is clear and concise. It allows the child to quickly and easily master the necessary knowledge.
When should I start learning geometric shapes?
In general, you can introduce your child to shapes from the first months. There is nothing wrong if you show him pictures or toys in a playful way, without annoying your baby, clearly pronouncing the name of the shape (circle, square, etc.).
Thus, by the age of two years, the child should know three forms well:
- triangle;
- circle;
- square.
By three years, the following should be added to this list:
- oval;
- rhombus;
- rectangle.
By the way, much attention is paid to the study of geometric shapes in the Maria Montessori method. Her materials include several games that help a child quickly learn to identify the shapes of objects. We will talk about them further.
Why should a child learn geometric shapes?
About the benefits early development Much has already been said. It is the active learning of a child in the period from birth to three years that shapes his creativity and fluency of thinking, diligence and love of knowledge, and the ability to quickly assimilate information.
The study of forms is necessary for several other reasons.
- The whole world around consists of figures (a circle is a car wheel, a plate, the sun; a square is a window, a chair seat, etc.).
- Preparing for school - the sooner the child masters simple knowledge, the easier it will be for him to study at school.
- Studying shapes will allow the child to play those games that are inaccessible to children who do not know what a circle, square, etc. are.
- By studying geometric shapes, a child expands his horizons, trains his brain, and increases his vocabulary.
5 rules for teaching geometric shapes
It is worth remembering that all information that seems elementary to us is new and often incomprehensible to children. This rule almost always works with geometric shapes. Therefore, if a child confuses a circle with a square and does not want to correct himself, be patient and do not scold the baby for his mistakes.
For faster and easier learning by your little one, follow these simple tips.
- Point out geometric shapes to your baby in everyday life. Show your child the book and tell him that it is rectangular. Show him the saucer and give him the definition of “circle.”
- Try to get feedback. Ask your child what category the house, table, pillow belong to. Watch the educational video and ask your child to tell you what he saw.
- Use toys of the correct geometric shapes. Buy round and triangular molds, cubes, and a ball for your baby.
- Play games that require knowledge of the names of the pieces (see below).
- Watch videos and cartoons that talk about shapes (like Baby Einstein).
Games "Geometric shapes" for children
Sorter
This is one of the baby's first educational toys, allowing him to learn about the properties of different shapes. The essence of the sorter is that for a certain hole you need to select a toy of the appropriate shape (ball, cube, etc.). The child very quickly begins to understand what's what.
Such a toy not only teaches the little one to quickly distinguish between figures of different geometric shapes, but also trains fine motor skills fingers, and also develops logical thinking.
Games using the Montessori method
Maria Montessori, as mentioned above, attached great importance to geometric shapes in the baby's educational games. In her methodology, there are several ways to introduce a child to geometry in a playful way. For example:
- Place the shapes in an opaque bag or bag. Let the baby take one toy at a time and, without taking it out, determine what shape it is.
- For an older child, you can come up with the following task: say a definition word, for example, “they are riding.” The child must name the forms that have this property.
- You can invite the baby to name all the shapes with or without corners, with or without edges.
- A creative version of the game with figures. Ask your child to imagine and say what a circle, square, or triangle looks like.
In the Montessori method, there is a special device called “Frames and Liners”. This is a kind of analogue of the sorter that we talked about above.
Drawings and stencils
If your child likes to draw, then use this to teach him to recognize shapes. Draw a house together. Say all the details: The windows are square, the roof is a triangle, etc.
You can also offer your child stencils. You can cut them yourself from thick paper or purchase ready-made ones.
By tracing this or that figure, the child will learn to draw them (“teach his hand”), and your comments (this is a circle, this is a triangle) will help your child remember their names faster.
Doman cards
The Doman method is very popular among parents interested in the early development of their child. It involves the use of visual cards to better assimilate the acquired knowledge by the child. Doman has a separate set of cards dedicated to geometric shapes. You can buy or download it on the Internet (you can also find a video about this technique there).
Literature and teaching material
Below are the most popular and effective methods and materials for introducing children to geometric shapes.
- "School of the Seven Dwarfs"
In the series of books for the early development of children “School of the Seven Dwarfs” there are two dedicated to shapes: “Square and Circle” (for children from birth to one year), “Shape. Color" (for children from 1 to 2 years old). The books present the main figures in a large and clear manner.
- Geometric figures. Soft mosaic
A very convenient and bright way to introduce your child to shapes. The mosaic is made of safe soft material. It will be interesting for the baby to look at its details and collect pictures from them.
- Coloring pages
There are a lot of such educational books on the modern market. You can highlight “Smart Coloring. Smeshariki" with children's favorite characters from the cartoon of the same name.
- Stickers
Reusable stickers will also be very useful when your child is learning “geometry for the little ones.” These stickers can be placed anywhere! In the bathroom, in the children's room, in the kitchen. Offer your baby a game: you need to find objects of one kind or another in the environment.
Cartoons about geometric shapes
Conclusion
Teaching and introducing your child to geometric shapes is not only important, but also very interesting! Show your imagination, come up with your own games and tasks for your child, show interesting videos, and he will answer you with love and gratitude.
Little children are ready to learn everywhere and always. Their young brain is able to capture, analyze and remember so much information that is difficult even for an adult. What parents should teach their children has generally accepted age limits.
Children should learn basic geometric shapes and their names between the ages of 3 and 5 years.
Since all children are learning differently, these boundaries are only conditionally accepted in our country.
Geometry is the science of shapes, sizes and arrangement of figures in space. It may seem like it's difficult for kids. However, the objects of study of this science are all around us. This is why having basic knowledge in this area is important for both children and elders.
To get children interested in learning geometry, you can use funny pictures. Additionally, it would be nice to have manuals that the child can touch, feel, trace, color, learn about. eyes closed. The main principle of any activities with children is to keep their attention and develop a craving for the subject using game techniques and a relaxed, fun atmosphere.
The combination of several means of perception will do its job very quickly. Use our mini-tutorial to teach your child to distinguish geometric shapes and know their names.
The circle is the very first of all shapes. There is a lot in nature around us round shape: our planet, the sun, the moon, the core of a flower, many fruits and vegetables, the pupils of the eyes. A volumetric circle is a ball (ball, ball)
It is better to start studying the shape of a circle with your child by looking at drawings, and then reinforce the theory with practice by letting the child hold something round in his hands.
A square is a shape in which all sides have the same height and width. Square objects - cubes, boxes, house, window, pillow, stool, etc.
It is very easy to build all sorts of houses from square cubes. It’s easier to draw a square on a checkered piece of paper.
A rectangle is a relative of a square, which differs in that it has equal opposite sides. Just like a square, a rectangle's angles are all 90 degrees.
You can find many objects shaped like a rectangle: cabinets, household appliances, doors, furniture.
In nature, mountains and some trees have a triangle shape. From the immediate environment of children, we can cite as an example the triangular roof of a house and various road signs.
Some ancient structures, such as temples and pyramids, were built in the shape of a triangle.
An oval is a circle elongated on both sides. For example, eggs, nuts, many vegetables and fruits, a human face, galaxies, etc. have an oval shape.
An oval in volume is called an ellipse. Even the Earth is flattened at the poles - elliptical.
Rhombus
A rhombus is the same square, only elongated, that is, it has two obtuse angles and a pair of acute ones.
You can study a rhombus with the help of visual aids - a drawn picture or a three-dimensional object.
Memorization techniques
Geometric shapes are easy to remember by name. You can turn their study into a game for children by applying the following ideas:
- Buy a children's picture book that has fun and colorful drawings of shapes and their analogies from the world around them.
- Cut out a lot of different figures from multi-colored cardboard, laminate them with tape and use them as construction sets - a lot interesting combinations can be laid out by combining different figures.
- Buy a ruler with holes in the shape of a circle, square, triangle and others - for children who are already familiar with pencils, drawing with such a ruler is a very interesting activity.
You can think of many ways to teach kids to know the names of geometric shapes. All methods are good: drawings, toys, observations of surrounding objects. Start small, gradually increasing the complexity of the information and tasks. You will not feel how time flies, and the baby will definitely please you with success in the near future.
Teaching your child to identify different shapes by eye and be able to draw them correctly is very important. Learn shapes with your kids using our materials.
Why is it important to study geometric shapes with kids?
Each of the objects around us has its own shape. Look around. When you are driving in a car or shopping, walking in the yard or outside the city, show your child in the form of a game how many round, triangular and square objects there are around. Studying geometric shapes with kids will simplify their understanding at school. Show and explain to the child that, for example, the ball is round, the window is square, and so on. When you are walking with your child and are really not in a hurry, look around and you will find all the geometric shapes in the surrounding objects.
How to properly use materials to study shapes with children?
Children will be able to learn the names of geometric shapes and understand what they really are if they not only look at them, but can also touch them. That is, educational materials should offer to draw a figure and recognize it among others.
Begin giving your child materials that require circling each picture. Ask your child to trace the lines of the shape with their finger on the picture. In addition, let your child say the name of a geometric figure out loud every time he finds it among others or traces it with a pencil.
Children grasp everything on the fly if learning is carried out in the form of a game rather than a boring lesson. That is why we have prepared colorful materials for studying shapes with children to help you.
