Manipulatives
Attribute Blocks
Attribute blocks are a fantastic resource to use when teaching shapes in children's early learning years. They can be used for shape identification, sorting, classifying and to create patterns. The variety of colour, size, thickness and shape make them a great tool for creating games to encourage understanding of shape on a deeper level than simply being able to recognise and name shapes.
Image Sourced: teaching.com.au Polydron Maths Set |
Polydron Math Set's are a great way to introduce 3-dimensional shapes to young children. Children have the ability to see what 2-dimensional shapes make up the structure of 3-dimensional shapes. Children can play with the shapes and clip them together to make 3-dimensional shapes f various sizes and dimensions. Polydron Math Set's are also great for teachers to use to demonstrate the creation of 3-dimensional shapes and to explain and describe the features of each.
Image Sourced: teaching.com.au GeoboardsGeoboards allow children to create shapes using different angles and sizes. Geoboards are good for identifying and describing the features of basic 2-dimensional shapes. These will enable children to see how different angles create different shapes and help them to identify the number of edges and corners each shape has.
Image Sourced: illuminations.nctm.org |
Blocks
“Every early childhood classroom needs blocks” (Taylor-Cox, 2009, p. 463) . The possibilities for student learning utilising blocks are endless, as they are able to be as creative as they so desire. Blocks afford children the ability to "recognise, name, build, draw, compare, and sort two-and-three-dimensional shapes" (NCTM, 2000, p. 96, as cited in Taylor-Cox, 2009, p.462).