Naming and describing shapes (kindergarten) · lesson

Flat shapes

💡 We name flat shapes by their sides and corners.

A circle is round. A triangle has 3 sides. A square has 4 sides that match.

A rectangle has 4 sides, 2 long and 2 short. A hexagon has 6 sides.

🧠 How to think about it

Count the sides first. 3 sides is a triangle. 6 sides is a hexagon. No sides is a circle.

circle: a round flat shape
hexagon: a flat shape with 6 sides
rectangle: a flat shape with 4 sides and square corners

🏡 Try it at home

Hunt for shapes at home. A plate is a circle. A door is a rectangle.

Flat and solid

💡 Flat shapes lie on paper. Solid shapes you can hold.

A square is flat. A cube is solid, like a box or a block.

A sphere is like a ball. A cone is like a party hat. A cylinder is like a can.

🧠 How to think about it

Can you pick it up and turn it? Then it is solid. A can rolls on its side and stacks on its ends.

solid: a shape you can hold, not flat
cylinder: a solid shape like a can
sphere: a solid shape like a ball

🏡 Try it at home

Find a can, a ball, and a box. Which ones roll? Which ones stack?

Turned or small, still the same shape

💡 Turning a shape or making it bigger does not change its name.

A square turned on its corner is still a square.

A big triangle and a tiny triangle both have 3 sides. Both are triangles.

🧠 How to think about it

Count the sides. If the count is the same, the name is the same. It does not matter which way it points.

turn: move it around so it points a new way

🏡 Try it at home

Cut a square from paper. Turn it. Ask, "Is it still a square?"

Sides and corners

💡 Count the sides and corners to learn about a shape.

A side is a straight edge. A corner is where two sides meet.

A rectangle has 4 sides and 4 corners. A triangle has 3 of each.

🧠 How to think about it

Put your finger on one side. Go around the shape and count each side once.

side: a straight edge of a shape
corner: where two sides meet

🏡 Try it at home

Trace a book with your finger. Count the sides. Count the corners.

Where is it?

💡 Words like above, below, next to, and behind tell where things are.

A bird over a tree is above it. A cat under a chair is below it.

The cat is next to the dog. It is next to the mouse too.

🧠 How to think about it

Find the thing you know first. Then look up, down, or beside it.

above: higher than
below: lower than
next to: right beside

🏡 Try it at home

Play hide the sock. Give clues: "It is under the bed. It is next to a shoe."

Put shapes together

💡 Small shapes can join to make a new, bigger shape.

Cut bread from corner to corner. You get 2 triangles. Put them back. It is one shape again.

6 triangles can fit to make a hexagon.

🧠 How to think about it

Turn and slide the parts. Then look at the new edge all the way around.

join: put together

🏡 Try it at home

Cut a slice of bread corner to corner. Then put the two triangles back together.