Shape Up! - teaching shapes to your Toddler

Shape Up!

Two-year-olds often enjoy manipulating shape toys. The process of learning shapes takes time– kids don’t just “get” that a triangle has three sides and three points from the beginning. With a two-year-old, the first stage in the task of learning shapes is beginning to recognize similar or matching shape. The best way to teach your toddler about shapes is to look at the environment he is in and encouraging het through repetitive practice to see the world as being made up of the wonderful shapes! Have children make shapes with their body and see if you can make shapes as a family. Pose questions such as "How can we....?"or "What if we...?" and let them go! You don't need to buy expensive things, use cups, bowls and Tupperware.

These simple shape activities will help your child shape up her shape recognition skills:

Shape Sort.

 Have your child help you clean out your food storage container collection. Ask her to help you match the lids to the appropriate container. Start by putting all the containers and lids into groups by shape and then match up the lids according to size. Discuss the shapes as you match each pair and toss out the mismatched containers. As an added bonus, you get a clean cabinet!

Shape sorter toys available in the market or made at home with cardboard box go a long way in teaching the skills of sorting, categorizing and shape recognition. This is how you can engage your toddler with the shape sorter

Step 1

Sit with your little one with the manipulative toys on the floor. Hold up one shape from the shape sorter–the circle, perhaps–and name it for your child.

Step 2

Ask your child to find another circle and encourage her to look through the other shapes available to find one that matches. If she has trouble finding a matching shape, remove some of the choices so its easier to find a match. Keep removing the options until she finds a matching shape.

Step 3

Provide lots of positive feedback after she finds the match and show her again how both shapes match. Say the names again, too.

Step 4

Choose another shape–this time a square, maybe–and repeat the same process. Keep going in the same way for as long as your two-year-old enjoys the game and performs well. When she tires and begins to have trouble, wrap it up for the day. Provide daily opportunities for your two-year-old to match shapes using the shape sorter.

Shape Search.  – around the House

Buy your child an inexpensive magnifying glass or make one out of paper. Have her become a shape detective, searching the house for items of a particular shape. She might find rectangle doors, circle rugs or squarebooks. You can also engage your toddler with shapes around the house in the following way

Step 1

Spread out the balls, blocks, large box and large bowl for a categorizing activity with your toddler.

Step 2

Ask your toddler to find all the round shapes and place them into the bowl. Give him time and plenty of encouragement while he huntsfor all the round shapes. Next, ask him to find all the square shapes and place them into the box. Give help if your little genius gets stuck, but you might be amazed how a little one can successfully categorize shapes of different sizes.

Step 3

Count each round shape in the big bowl and then each square shape in the big box together for even more categorizing and counting fun. The more your little genius sees these lessons reinforced in a fun and enjoyable way, the faster he'll learn.

Sensory Shapes.

Help your child practice drawing shapes in finger-paint or even shaving foam.This fun sensory experience will help your child get the feel for drawing the shapes without the “right or wrong”experience of drawing it on paper. If it doesn’t come out quite right, simply smooth it over and try again.

Shape Stories. Here are a few favorites to get you off to a good start:Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh, The Shape of Me and Other Stuff by Dr. Seuss, Baby Einstein: See and Spy Shapes by Julie Aigner-Clark, and Icky Bug Shapes by Jerry Pallotta.

Look at the world through your child’s eyes and you will see it in a whole new light and shapes!

Shapes at Meal Time

Step 1

Use a square or circle cookie cutter to cut toast into shapes before serving breakfast to your toddler. Make pancakes and cut them into geometric shapes and ask him to identify each one.

Step 2

Serve triangle- or circle-shaped sandwiches to a toddler for lunch. Cut pizza into triangle wedges for lunch. Serve triangle-shaped or square-shaped crackers for a snack.

Step 3

Roll out cookie dough and make shaped cookies with your toddler. As you cut circles, squares, triangles and rectangles, identify each shape. After baking the cookies and while the cookies are cooling, point to the different shapes and name them with your toddler. Let your toddler choose a cookie by asking her to point to a circle cookie.

Tip

As your child progresses and nears age 3, start encouraging him to find shapes that you identify. For example, place various shapes in front of him and ask him to find a circle, a square or a triangle. Identifying shapes is the next skill little ones learn in the process of shape recognition. The final skill in this skill set is the ability to name shapes. Match shapes and then identify them on a daily basis to progress to this last skill.