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How to Get Kids to Remember Shapes

Shapes are everywhere in our environment and serve as the foundation for more complex structures. Children learn through repetition, so they tend to remember shapes through repeated exposure to them. Eventually, children learn to recognize them in familiar objects and as parts of their surroundings. Studying shapes can be a fun process that incorporates many techniques and common items, such as posters, books, flashcards, songs, worksheets, art activities and games, that all work to strengthen shape recognition.

Things You'll Need

  • Felt
  • Scissors
  • Poster board
  • Children's books
  • Card stock
  • Felt tip marker
  • Shape songs
  • Compact disc player
  • Computer with Internet access
  • Printer paper
  • Printer
  • Sponge
  • Tempura paint
  • Art paper
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Instructions

    • 1

      Create a chart that will serve as a visual aide for the child. Cut out the shapes of your choice from felt. Glue the felt shapes to a large piece of poster board. Hang the poster on the wall at the eye-level of the child. Point to each shape and ask the child to say the name of the shape. Review the poster regularly.

    • 2

      Go the library or bookstore. Select books with children that feature the shapes you want the child to remember. Choose books that are age-appropriate. Some examples of books for children that teach and review shapes are "I Spy Shapes in Art" by Lucy Micklethwait and "Shapes, Shapes, Shapes" by Tana Hoban. Let children explore the books and then ask them to name the shapes in the books.

    • 3

      Create or buy flashcards with shapes on them. Fold a piece of card stock in half to create each flashcard. On the outside of the card, draw a shape. On the inside of the card, write the name of the shape. Review the flashcards with children by showing them the front of the flash card and asking them to say the name of the shape. Flip the card open to reveal the name of the shape. Review the flashcards often.

    • 4

      Share songs with children that repeat shapes and their characteristics. Play the songs on a compact disk player and encourage children to sing with the music. Alternatively create your own songs by singing the names of shapes and descriptions of shapes to familiar tunes such as "The Farmer in the Dell" or "Frere Jacques."

    • 5

      Use a computer with Internet access to navigate to a website that offer free shape worksheets for children. Print out the worksheets. Hand out the worksheets to children and encourage them to practice drawing, coloring and identifying shapes. Complete the worksheets regularly.

    • 6

      Set up a shape scavenger hunt at home or in the classroom. Assign each child to a particular shape. Encourage the children to locate shapes around the house or classroom like the shape they were assigned. Review and count the number of shapes they are able to locate.

    • 7

      Give the child a sponge that is shaped like the shape you want the child to remember. Provide a shallow dish of tempura paint and art paper. Encourage the children to create a picture by dipping the sponge in the paint and stamping it on the paper.

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