Children need to learn the names of two-dimensional and three-dimensional geometric shapes. Start with basic two-dimensional shapes, such as circles, triangles, rectangles and squares. When she masters these shapes, add other two-dimensional shapes and progress to three-dimensional shapes. Make sets of cards for each geometric shape, one set with the shape and the other with the names of the shapes. Have her match the shape to its name and award points for correct answers.
As a child learns a two-dimensional shape and its name, have her go on a hunt for objects in the room, her home or school that are in that shape. Tell her to trace the shape on a piece of paper and write what the shape was, such as a triangle made by tracing the top of a wedge of cheese before it was removed from the wheel or a circle that was traced using a glass. Set a time limit and award points for each tracing of the assigned shape she finishes in the time allotted.
Make pairs of shape cards including congruent shapes (same shape and size), similar shapes (same shape, but different size) and some that do not fit in either category. To make the game more challenging for older students, use rotation, translation or reflection so the shapes can’t be classified immediately. Shuffle the cards, deal each player five cards and put the rest of the cards in a pile. Take turns trying to find matched pairs by taking a card from the pile and putting a matched pair face up if they find one. If a player can’t find a matched pair during her turn, she should put one of her cards into the discard pile. At the end of the game, award points for each matched pair and subtract points for unmatched cards left in a player’s hand.
Learning three-dimensional shapes is important, but recognizing how these shapes appear in the environment allows a child to describe real objects using geometric shapes. Prepare a list of three-dimensional shapes. She should take a digital picture of objects she finds that are in the shapes on the list, such as a soft drink can that is a cylinder or a facial tissue box that is a rectangular prism.