How to introduce a child to geometry?

Geometry- a science that can and should be taught to children from a very early age.

This page presents a selection of materials - cards, coloring pages, topics for assignments, games, with the help of which you can easily introduce your child to basic geometric shapes and figures.
You can open, download and print all materials using direct links.

Cards with geometric shapes and shapes

Bright cards with the most basic geometric shapes and shapes. Cards can be used as a visual aid in the first lesson.

Geometry for children - coloring pages, copybooks, workbook

1. Coloring book for children 3-5 years old. Each page of the notebook contains simple graphic exercises and tasks.
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2. Workbook in 2 parts with clear and interesting tasks for children 3-4 years old. By completing tasks, the child will get acquainted with geometry and learn the names of geometric figures and shapes.
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3. Another very good notebook for introductory lessons with geometry for children 4-5 years old. The notebook contains many exciting and funny tasks, by completing which the child will easily learn the basic basics and concepts of geometry.

4. A notebook with educational and developmental tasks for children 6-7 years old.
In the notebook, the child is asked to complete simple graphic tasks. The child learns to work with a ruler and compass.
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Books about geometry for children

1. An entertaining book in verse “Fun geometry for the little ones” - author Alexander Timofeevsky.

Funny and playful poems will help kids quickly get to know and remember a lot of important information about geometric shapes and the scale of objects.
In the cheerful poems of A. Timofeevsky, humor and jokes will help the little reader relate still incomprehensible geometric concepts with long-familiar everyday objects. Children will see a trapezoid in a skirt, a circle in a plate, and a cylinder in a pipe. And, as the poet said, “school science will be given into your hands.”
The book can be downloaded and printed, but it is better, of course, to purchase the original.

Knowledge begins with the perception of objects and phenomena of the surrounding world. In preschool age, the development of perception occurs very intensively. In the process of perceiving the geometric shapes of objects, analyzers such as visual, tactile, speech motor. Having seen, for example, an object of one shape or another, a child can correlate it with the basic shapes known to him, note the similarities and differences: “This looks like a circle, and this looks like a square.” The process of children’s perception of geometric shapes begins to form in early preschool age and goes through the following stages:

• At the first stage, geometric figures are perceived as a whole, the child does not know how to identify individual elements in it, does not notice the similarities and differences between the figures.
• At the second stage, the child already analyzes the perceived geometric shapes and establishes relationships between them. as a result of which their properties are revealed.
• At the third stage, the child is able to establish connections between the properties and shape of figures.

The transition from one stage to another occurs under the influence of targeted learning.

The methodological manuals for teachers state that the introduction of geometry elements into the course of preschool education is of a propaedeutic nature - introductory in nature. Geometric material is studied at the level of knowledge-familiarity. No rules or definitions are memorized with preschoolers; children practically distinguish between geometric shapes, compare them, and draw them on paper.

In the process of forming geometric concepts, children develop:

Geometric material in the preschool education program is not allocated as a separate section, it is included in the program of each year of study. The study of geometric figures takes place in close connection with other academic subjects: drawing and the initial elements of drawing, work and getting to know the world around us.

Study of geometric shapes

Educational: show the differences and similarities and differences in the geometric shapes being studied, develop the skill of identifying shapes by sides and angles, teach how to build shapes using a stencil and a ruler.

Developmental: develop spatial skills, counting skills, thinking, attention, memory.

On the first poster, children compare the number of squares, size, write 4 = 4.

On the second poster, a large number of geometric shapes are drawn, the children name them, and then “lay them out” in two bags.

On the third poster, the number of circles on the caterpillar is counted, and in the notebook they draw a caterpillar with fewer circles.

In the preschool education program, when studying geometric material, the deepest connection with arithmetic can be traced. At the heart of this integration lies the possibility of establishing relationships between number and geometric figure, which allows the use of figures in the formation of concepts of number, properties of numbers and operations on them. And, conversely, use numbers to study the properties of geometric shapes.

Geometric shapes (circle, oval, polygons) and shape elements (sides, angles, vertices of polygons) are used as objects for recalculation - as counting material.

Construction of geometric shapes - polygons (quadrangles, pentagons, hexagons, heptagons) according to given parameters

Educational: to cultivate love for the subject, a sense of cooperation, accuracy.

Development of spatial relationships.

Comparisons by strip length. Overlay method.

It is important for the teacher to provide a variety of objects offered, which will differ in color, size, material, and location on the plane. As a result, children will be able to concentrate their attention on the essential features of objects, on the basis of which ideas about geometric shapes are formed.

What methods can be used when studying geometric material with preschoolers?

1. Visualization method (drawings, posters, tables).

The purpose of the visualization method is to enrich and expand the direct perception of geometric objects, study the specific properties of objects, create conditions for the transition to abstract thinking and generalization.

2. Practical work of students (modeling, drawing, measuring, designing, cutting, working with templates)

Work according to the template. Modeling.

Construction. Didactic game “Tangram”.

Making a square from a set of geometric shapes.

Design skills include: the ability to assemble a simple figure from ready-made parts;

Recreating figures using contour samples

Didactic game - task. “How many squares?”

By completing such tasks, the child learns to analyze simple images, visually break an entire object into parts and vice versa, compose a given model from individual elements, identify and name geometric shapes.

3. Observation method.

Developmental exercises are accompanied by the study of the properties of geometric shapes: sides, angles. Angles: (straight, obtuse, acute).

4. Comparison method: straight line and segment; straight and curved line; oval and circle; right angle and indirect, square and rectangle.

Introduction to Line Measurement allows you to clearly illustrate ideas about natural numbers, the decimal number system (centimeter - unit), about operations on numbers (a scale ruler as a number beam, as a calculating device).

When studying a topic “Segment length” The children learn to work with a ruler, get acquainted with the measure of length - the centimeter, learn to compare the lengths of segments, and establish connections between a segment and a number.

Drawing segments of a given length and measuring the segments using a ruler.

“The process of studying geometric material should be active, concrete, and visual from beginning to end” - this is how it is formulated in the program when studying geometric material. This is correct, because the second signaling system develops on the basis of the first, therefore, when working with geometric material, children create and reproduce the geometric shapes being studied.

Display

The acquired knowledge and skills help children correctly analyze the various shapes of objects and then reproduce them in drawings and creative constructions.

To consolidate knowledge and control over the studied material, I use didactic games, for example the game “Finish the definition and show the figure”

2. A quadrilateral with all sides equal... (square).

3. What figure do we call a triangle... (there are three angles).

4. This figure has no corners (circle, oval).

Practical task. Construction of a triangle.

Children, point by point, using a ruler, build triangles. Then, according to the model (on the board) they divide into parts with lines. Next, the guys should see the number of resulting triangles, explain and show clearly. This task is of a control nature - how students have acquired knowledge.

Conclusion

As a result of studying geometric material in children:

1. They accumulate a stock of geometric ideas and concepts and master geometric terminology.
2. Acquire skills in working with tools (ruler, polygon stencil, “geometric lotto” set)
3. The formation of geometric concepts is an important section of mental education, polytechnic education, and is of broad importance in all human cognitive activity.

The result of the work on studying geometric material should be the ability to recognize and name geometric figures in the environment, in a drawing, and to correctly find a given figure in a set of geometric figures.

Observations, practical and independent work - all this should lead to the accumulation of facts and generalizations. The knowledge gained in preschool age will be continued at school, in classes in technical circles: elementary modeling, aircraft modeling, ship modeling.

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.

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:

1. triangle;
2. circle;
3. 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.

The principle of mastering figures

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Geometric figures are learned differently for children of different periods. Knowing the 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 us list the features of 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 overcome 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 out 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 of preschool age to quickly learn new concepts. Playgrounds 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 simply be houses drawn with chalk or houses made of sticks. A child can hide from the driver in such houses (circles, squares and triangles) 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”.

Voskobovich's method has been widely known to people associated with pedagogy since the collapse of the Soviet Union. One of his popular toys is Voskobovich’s “Square”, or, as it is also called, a game square. We will tell you what kind of toy this is, how to play the Voskobovich square and how you can make it with your own hands in this article.

Voskobovich square - what kind of toy is it?

This game will be interesting not only for children of different ages, but also for adults playing with them. It is made in the shape of a square, which consists of 16 isosceles triangles. Between the triangles that make up the square there is a space 0.5 - 1 cm wide. The standard dimensions of triangles are 4.5 * 4.5 * 6 cm. A well-bending material is chosen as the base of the toy, most often fabric. The standard size of the square base is from 14 to 15 cm.

The planes of each triangle are painted in contrasting colors. For example, on one side, all the triangles that make up the square are red, but if we expand the square, we will see that they are green.

The number of colors presented in a square depends on the age of the child who will play with it. You can find two-color and four-color squares. The two-color one is intended for children aged 2 to 5 years; a child aged 3 to 8 years and older can handle the folding patterns of a four-color square. Often for a four-color square, red and blue triangles are used on one side, yellow and green on the other side.

Along with the game, the kit includes instructions that offer a fairy-tale plot for the games and addition diagrams of different levels of complexity.

Benefits for a child from playing with Square

The play square will greatly help in the development of your child.

While playing with it, the child will:

• learn to name and distinguish different shapes of geometric figures;
• navigate the sizes – large, medium, small;
• form first ideas about spatial relationships and spatial modeling;
• be able to use the proposed diagrams or come up with your own for constructing planar and three-dimensional figures;
• remember colors;
• develop attentiveness, thought processes, logic, memory;
• develop imagination, creative data, creativity;
• fine motor skills.

How to play

It must be remembered that an adult is a full partner in playing with a child. You can easily take this toy on your trip; it will keep your child occupied for a long time and takes up minimal space in your luggage.

To play with Voskobovich's magic square, you can use the book “Square Fun,” which is included in the package and offers a fairy tale story with 18 color addition patterns. The fairy tale “The Mystery of the Raven Meter” with its main characters mom Trapezium, dad Rectangle, baby Square, grandfather Quadrangle and other characters will captivate your child into the world of adventure. He will happily agree to help overcome the difficulties that stand in the way of the heroes.

You can turn on your imagination and dream up with your child. Come up with your own fairy tale and your own schemes. You can create your own book in which your fairy tales will be written down and pictures drawn up together with your child, from which he can recreate the figures again. This game will be even more interesting for him.

Play the game "Guess what happened." To do this, fold some shape and ask your child to guess what happened. If the child already knows how to fold figures independently, then switch roles. Now he will put together a figure for you, and you guess.

Try to put together letters, numbers or symbols familiar to your baby. Let him try to do it on his own. This way, you will not only spend quality time together, but also reinforce the material previously studied with your baby.

You can create an unusual finger theater by playing only individual parts of the square. Let the child lift up the upper left corner with his finger, the lower left corner, the upper right, the lower, and now, lifting the center of the square from below with his finger, he will get a pyramid. This game will be fun to play with musical accompaniment.

The square can be cut in certain places. For example, by cutting a square with a cross, you will discover new possibilities for folding unusual three-dimensional shapes.

Fantasize with your baby and you will be able to discover new games with this wonderful square.

Master class on making a Voskobovich square with your own hands

There are several options for how to make a square yourself. More details about each.

Option 1

How to do:

1. Choose contrasting colors for the triangles. If you are making a two-color square, then red and green sheets of cardboard will be enough. If you decide to make a four-color square, you will need red, green, blue and yellow sheets.
2. Draw the required number of triangles on the cardboard. For two-color you need 16 pieces of each color, for four-color - 8 pieces. You can use standard triangle sizes (6*4.5*4.5 cm), or you can make your own.
3. Cut out the triangles.
4. Based on the size of the triangles, decide on the size of the base. For standard sizes, the base will be 15*15 cm. If you use a different size of triangles, then take into account the distance between them of 0.5-1 cm.
5. Glue the triangles together in pairs with contrasting colors: blue-yellow, red-green. There should be 16 triangles in total.
6. Next, if you use tape, glue the triangles together on both sides, according to the number of colors chosen for the square.
7. If you use film, first measure the dimensions of the base of the square. On the base, arrange the squares in the required sequence. Fold the film along the top border and carefully glue the squares on the other side. You will have a solid base for your square. If you use tape, there will be many connection points.

The guide is ready. You can start folding.

Option 2

You will need:

• plain, easily folded fabric for the base;
• colored self-adhesive paper;
• scissors;
• ruler:
• pencil.

How to do:

1. Prepare the base of the required size. Please note that the edges of the fabric should not fray. Treat them if necessary.
2. Cut isosceles triangles from self-adhesive paper.
3. Place the triangles on the base to avoid mistakes when gluing.
4. Now gradually separate the protective paper layer from each triangle and glue it to the base.

The dimensions of the triangles and the base, the color combination are described in detail in option 1.

Option 3

How to do:

1. Prepare the base. If necessary, trim the edges of the fabric.
2. Cut out the required number of triangles from colored fabric.
3. You need to cut out 32 triangles, slightly smaller in size, from cardboard.
4. Assembling a square. We glue cardboard triangles onto the base using a glue gun, and glue fabric triangles on top of them.
5. To add strength, sew the edges of the triangles using a sewing machine.

All the necessary sizes and color selection can be seen in the first version of the Voskobovich square.

In addition to games with such a square, Voskobovich offers another game “Transparent Square”.

Transparent square

With the help of this game the child will develop:

• thought processes;
• logics;
• design skills;
• fine motor skills.

In addition, the baby will learn to name and distinguish geometric shapes and learn about their peculiarities.

The set includes 30 transparent square-shaped plates. One of them is entirely blue, the other plates are colored blue only by individual particles of the square.

The set offers detailed guidance on game actions. It contains a fairy tale about the unusual non-melting ice floes of Lake Ice. According to the plot of the tale, the raven Mater competed with the guardian of Lake Ice for three days. All these days he performed various tasks. In the manual they are divided into 3 groups.

• Day one offers tasks that require the analysis of geometric shapes and part-whole relationships.
• Day 2 is devoted to collecting squares and other various shapes from particles.
• The third day involves playing vertical dominoes.

All these days the child assists him in completing tasks, receiving a reward in the form of non-melting pieces of ice. From these he will be able to put together the figures offered in the album or create his own.

On the final third day, you can help the raven with your whole family by playing “vertical dominoes” with your child. The rules of the game are very simple. The players, in turn, draw out plates with parts and together begin to build a square from them. When the plate that you pulled out is not suitable for building a square, then you need to put it aside and start building another square from it.

The player who has completed the construction of the square takes it for himself, and he is awarded the number of points corresponding to the particles of the square. The winner is the player who has the most points at the end of the game.

The fairytale story “The melting ice floes of Ice Lake, or the tale of a transparent square” will tell the little one about what happened to the Master and the ice floes in the continuation of the story. This fairy tale is a continuation of the series of fairy tales about baby Geo, Uncle Slava and the crow. If you are not familiar with them, you can read their summary, which is at the beginning of the book. After Geo takes the magic pieces of ice from the Master, he begins to search for a way out of the Violet Forest. Invisible Vse, who accompanies him on the road - a prankster and a mischief - is trying in every way to prevent him from doing this. However, your baby's participation and magical ice cubes will not allow him to do this. Your child will help Geo by collecting various figures from non-melting pieces of ice while reading the fairy tale.

The compactness of this game makes it very convenient. When you go on the road, you will know how to keep your child occupied for a long time.

The game is suitable for children from 3 to 9 years old. The set includes various diagrams for adding figures.

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:

1. triangle;
2. circle;
3. 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?

Much has already been said about the benefits of early development. 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 baby 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.

1. 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.”
2. 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.
3. Use toys of the correct geometric shapes. Buy round and triangular molds, cubes, and a ball for your baby.
4. Play games that require knowledge of the names of the pieces (see below).
5. 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 of the 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. Talk through 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 the child quickly remember their names.

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 large and clearly.

• Geometric figures. Soft mosaic

A very convenient and bright way to introduce your child to shapes. The mosaic is made of safe soft material. The baby will be interested in looking at its details and collecting 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.