LET US MAKE SHAPES

Many of you might be working on teaching shapes to your children.  This particular blog is appropriate 
for children between 3-5 years. By now, most of them can recognize shapes. I am trying to develop 
greater understanding in Utkarsh about the concept of squares and rectangles. I have always wondered if he
really understood the difference between the two. 

My aim right now is to make him understand that square has all sides of equal size and that a rectangle 
has opposite sides of equal size. For this, I wanted to work on

• The concept of opposite 

• The concept of equal

I gave Utkarsh two pairs of blocks.  One pair of block is longer than the other pair of block. First, I 
encouraged him to set aside blocks of equal length. 

Then I asked him to place them opposite to one 
another.  We made a rectangle with these. Needless to say, he needed some help. Though we keep using the term equal and opposite on a daily basis, it didn't mean that Utkarsh could immediately set aside equal blocks. Even more complex for him was to understand the concept of opposite sides. Also even though our children might be recognizing shapes very well, this activity takes this comprehension to  a higher level. Here they are translating their abstract understanding into concrete learning. 

Next we made a square.  For this I gave two pair of blocks which are all of equal length. We discussed
how all sides are equal.

Encourage your child to make different shapes.  Encourage them to count the sides, place equal sides opposite to one another, make one side longer than other and other similar activities.

You can do this activity with pencil and crayons, straws or even used popsicle sticks.

Another ancillary activity that we can do when working with blocks is  to make unequal towers. 
Encourage your child to make them equal or to make one tower taller or shorter than other.