Mathematics in the EYFS: Shape - Square up

Shapes of things we can see or touch are mostly too complex to describe, except very roughly: the shell is a bit round; the stairs are straight and they go up at an angle. Some objects have particular names to describe their shape. It is important to make available examples of different 2D and 3D shapes, such as equilateral triangles and tetrahedrons, squares and cubes, so that children can generalise their properties. It is also important to explore the relationship between 3D and 2D shapes and to look at how the shapes of some faces of an object determine the shape of the other faces.

SOLID AND FLAT SHAPES

How children learn

• Children learn about the differences between shapes by playing with them, building with them, drawing around them, combining them, making pictures with them, printing with them and rolling with them, and by talking about their experiences with adults, who can help put these experiences into words.

• They need to investigate shapes, large and small, manufactured and natural, and get a feel for the properties of these shapes. Rather than just learning the names of shapes, children need to learn about what shapes can and can't do; and which shapes fit together and which shapes don't.

Helping children learn

• Spend time opening out and remaking shapes with children, demonstrating and talking about how a 3D shape unfolds into a 2D shape that looks quite different.

• Use blocks to construct different shapes and draw them to show how they fit together. Describe what they look like so children hear words such as straight, round, corner and flat.

• Provide children with an extensive collection of 2D and 3D materials for exploring and building with. Include large objects, such as blocks, cardboard boxes and crates, and smaller ones, such as sets of small bricks, construction kits and shaped blocks.

• Introduce tetrahedrons with triangular prisms, squares with cubes, circles with cylinders, so that children can generalise ideas and properties about 2D and 3D shapes.

• Provide equipment for climbing inside, and for sliding, rolling and stacking.

• Provide modelling materials such as damp sand, dough, clay and modelling clay.

• Post shapes into posting boxes, either bought or home-made ones.

• Search for corners and put a teddy in every corner.

• Sort out the pasta and find all the spirals, then look for some more spirals in shells and sunflowers.

• Provide playmats marked out with various shapes for children to fill.

• Use chalk to draw shapes in the outdoor area and play hop round the lines or jumping inside the shapes.

• Fill plastic water bottles and squirt the water using big circular hand movements, or draw shapes on the outdoor walls with a bucket of water and a large brush.

• Walk along in straight-line crocodiles and then in a curve or zigzag.

Progression in describing shape

• Plays with and builds with a variety of 3D shapes

• Uses 2D shape material to make pictures

• Begins to show a sense of what shapes will and won't fit or balance when constructing towers, bridges or houses, or doing jigsaw puzzles

• Can hold an object and describe features such as smooth, pointy, round

• Can make a collection of objects and say why one in particular can't be part of the collection by referring to aspects of shape

• Can find another shape like this when asked

• Uses shapes appropriately for tasks

• Begins to talk about the shapes of everyday objects

• Recognises simple shapes (cubes, squares, circles) by sight and begins to name them

• Matches some shapes by recognising similarities and orientation

• Can select a particular shape by name

CHILD-INITIATED PLAY

Box-packing firm

Set up a role-play area as a box-packing station. Resource with cardboard boxes of different shapes and sizes and objects that need to be packed. Provide address labels and a wheeled cart for delivering the parcels. Display some large maps of the area and a list of charges for delivering different sized packages. Provide the packers with overalls and caps. Vary the play by setting up a small packing firm, with small boxes and tiny objects to pack.

The torch light museum

Develop a role-play area as an Unusual Objects Museum by covering a space with a thick blanket and, underneath, resourcing with different objects, such as a broom-head, a rugby ball, a saucepan. Provide torches for children to view shadows that the objects make.

Architect's office

Turn the construction area into an architect's office. Display pictures of building exteriors and interiors, plans and elevations. Include a list of requests from clients - an office block, a bungalow, a school - for children to build. Extend the play by providing easels and paper for children to draw the buildings and the plans and elevations.

ADULT-LED ACTIVITIES

Look for the shape

Show a small group a collection of round things, such as lids, counters, wheels, play biscuits. Discuss the features of each and then ask the children to find another round object they can add to the collection. Extend the activity by giving each child a paper circle and some bingo dabbers to use to print circles inside the circle. Ask: 'I wonder if the base of this tin is a circle? Can you find any nearly-circles, not quite circles?'

I spy

Collect together some flat and solid shapes, including everyday objects, and ask the children which object you have spied. Keep adding information about the object until someone guesses. Extend the activity by showing part of a shape and see if children can say what it is by looking. 'I spy something without any corners and it rolls very easily ... How did you work out it was the ball?'

PROVISION

Sand tray

Provide shallow tray of damp sand, five plastic 3D shapes, collection of hollow containers.

Use three different shapes from a collection to make an imprint in the damp sand. Now decide which three shapes they were.

Make lots of sand pies from hollow containers and arrange them on a tray. Discuss which container must have been used for each one. 'Can you show me how to make a print like yours? Do you think that this shape will fit over this sand pie?'

Science area

Provide an overhead projector, sheets of paper taped to the wall, 2D shapes, pens. Invite the children to choose a shape to place on the OHP. Project this on to the paper and discuss with the children what they can see there. Discuss corners and sides and compare with the original. Draw around the outline of the projected shape and cut it out. Try fitting the smaller shape inside the larger one.

Enlarge shapes on the photocopier, cut out and compare. "What happens when you put two shapes together? I wonder if you'll make a different shape next time?'

IMPORTANT WORDS AND PHRASES

shape, round, flat, straight, curved

roll, stack, slide, pile

2D, flat shape, circle, triangle, rectangle, square

3D, solid shape, cube, cuboid, sphere, pyramid, cone

corner, face, side, edge, end

ASSESSING CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT

If a child

- Makes an arrangement with flat shapes

- Comments that the pictures of the sun and moon are alike

- Matches identical shapes when they are in the same orientation and the same size: points to the two shapes in a row that are both squares standing on their bases

- Points to big ball in a picture of two different sized balls if asked to

then they may be on this step

- Show interest in shape by playing with shapes or making arrangements with objects

- Show awareness of similarities in shapes in the environment

- Have a strong exploratory impulse

IF A CHILD

- Chooses blocks according to their shape when building towers

- Talks about their construction when it is finished

- Separates out a set of shapes that is mixed up with others

- Talks about shapes of kitchen rolls, ice cream cones, balls, hoops (not always with the correct words)

- Chooses a round shape to roll down a ramp

THEN THEY MAY BE ON THIS STEP

- Show interest by sustained construction activity or by talking about shapes or arrangements

- Begin to talk about the shapes of everyday objects

- Show increasing independence in selecting and carrying out activities

IF A CHILD

- Says what they plan to make, then keeps to the plan

- Chooses appropriate shapes when making constructions and pictures and talks about their choice

- Matches identical shapes even when they are in a different orientation: for example, finds the two half-moons

- Matches the same shapes in different sizes, for example, finds the three circles of different sizes

- Uses shape terms such as pointy, slopey, flat, round, straight

THEN THEY MAY BE ON THIS STEP

- Show curiosity about and observation of shapes by talking about how they are the same or different

- Match some shapes by similarities and orientation

- Begin to use mathematical names for solid 3D shapes and flat 2D shapes

- Select a particular named shape

- Persist for extended periods of time at a chosen activity

IF A CHILD

- Puts together all the shapes with corners or ones that roll

- Can talk about flat or solid shapes, or everyday objects, using words such as flat, curved, circle, straight, square, corner, end and slide

THEN THEY MAY BE ON THIS STEP

- Use language such as circle or bigger to describe the shape and size of solid and flat shapes

- Be confident to try new activities, initiate ideas and speak in a familiar group

IF A CHILD

- Sorts a set of flat or solid shapes talking about what they are doing

- Can sort shapes by what they are not, such as all those that are not triangles

- Can point to common flat and solid objects by shape

- Can tell you which flat or solid shape you are thinking about when you describe one of a collection visible to you both

THEN THEY MAY BE ON THIS STEP

- Use mathematical language to describe solid 3D objects and flat 2D shapes

- Sustain involvement and persevere, particularly when trying to solve a problem or reach a satisfactory conclusion

ABOUT THIS SERIES

This series aims to:

- build on practitioners' knowledge of how children acquire numeracy skills

- offer ideas on how to help children develop these skills.

Each part will focus on an aspect of numeracy included within the 'problem-solving, reasoning and numeracy' area of learning in the EYFS.

Authors Sheila Ebbutt and Carole Skinner are managing director and product development manager respectively of BEAM, which is dedicated to promoting excellence in mathematics education.