Doreen Minard,

First-Grade Teacher

Carrie Echeita,

Math Intervention Specialist

We will focus on building math vocabulary and skills for 6- 7-year-olds this week. Shapes are everywhere around us. When your child plays, he uses sorting and classifying skills as he observes similarities/differences and makes comparisons. These simple tasks prepare our children for daily activities such as sorting the laundry, searching for a book at the library or finding items in the grocery store. These are foundational skills needed for math, reading and writing.

Getting in Shape

Skills: Identify, create, name and take apart shapes, comparing shapes, classifying, sorting, text features (labeling)

You will need:

Objects from around the house in a variety of shapes

Pencil and paper

2D (flat) shapes: half/quarter circle, square, triangle, rectangle, trapezoid, hexagon

3D (solid) shapes: cube, rectangular prism, cone, cylinder, sphere

Activities:

Trace an object on paper to see what shape one side makes.

Repeat with different sides of the same object.

Put two or more objects together to build a new shape.

Try stacking or rolling some of your objects and observe what happens.

Sort all your objects into 2-4 piles using the characteristics of each shape.

Draw a picture using only shapes and label each shape.

Possible questions to stimulate conversation and build vocabulary!

• How are the shapes in your piles the same/different?

• Why did you choose to sort the shapes the way you did?

• What makes an object stackable or able to roll?

• What’s the difference between a cube and a rectangular prism/a circle and a sphere?

Be sure to visit Forks Elementary School’s Parent Zone for more math activities!

Next Week: Ideas for 7 -8-year-olds