Shape and Space

1
Shape and Space

• Qualifying to Teach standard2.1b

2
Introduction
Young children's daily experiences at home and in
pre-school surroundings provide a valuable basis
for developing understanding of shape and space.
Children are surrounded by shapes of all types
that they see, pick up and turn around, climb,
sit or sleep on.
Young children tend to use everyday rather than
mathematical language to describe these objects.
They might say 'bigger' when they mean taller,
wider, thicker or heavier. In the context of
their play and exploration, children may often be
clear about what they mean, but sometimes their
ideas are confused by imprecise use of
vocabulary. For example, when they talk about the
'round' shape, do they mean a sphere or a circle?
At this early age, building up correct vocabulary
is vital. In pre-school and reception provision,
and throughout Key Stage 1, you should help
children to make the gradual transition from
using everyday words such as round, fatter,
corner ... to the more precise mathematical
vocabulary circular, wider, angle ...
3
The key objectives in the Framework emphasise the
development in the use of the language of shape
and space.
Reception -

• Use language such as circle or bigger to
  describe the shape and size of solids and flat
  shapes.

• Use everyday words to describe position.

Year 1 -

• Use everyday language to describe features of
  familiar 3-D and 2-D shapes (for example, the
  shapes of flat faces, the number of corners or
  sides ...).

Year 2 -

• Use the mathematical names for common 3-D and
  2-D shapes and describe some of their features.

• Use mathematical vocabulary to describe
  position, direction and movement.

4
Remember

• There are good opportunities in primary for
  cross-curricular development of this language,
  for example, in PE, art and design and
  technology.

But in the daily mathematics lesson, aim to focus
on the development of mathematical understanding
rather than the skills of art or technology.
5
3-D and 2-D Shape
Much of the initial work in Key Stage 1 comes
from

• the children's exploration of shapes in a wide
  variety of circumstances

• discussing these everyday, practical experiences
  with adults.

When you talk to the children about their work,
use appropriate mathematical vocabulary so that
they gain confidence in the use of terms such as
edge, face, angle and so on. This is more
valuable and less time-consuming than asking them
to draw round and colour geometrical shapes! Aim
to refine their use of everyday words such as
large, bigger and smallest and help them to
understand and use descriptions such as
different, the same as or the same in the context
of work on shape. For example, help them to
specify the property they are talking about and
to use phrases such as different height, same
shape.
6
Mental Oral Idea
The reinforcement of the vocabulary of shape can
form a useful mental and oral starter, for
example, when you gradually reveal bits of a card
shape placed in a big envelope, so children can
predict what the whole shape will be.
This shape keeps popping out from behind the big
envelope. What do you think the whole shape looks
like?
7
Once children are familiar with the names and
simple properties of 3-D shapes, they should
begin to describe and identify individual faces,
developing more precise language for 2-D shapes.
Alongside this work, help them to interpret 2-D
representations of 3-D objects by making sense of
photographs and diagrams. For example, they could
use construction kits to build models shown in
drawings or photos.
8
Mental Oral Idea
Collect a range of 3-D shapes and put them in a
bag or under a cover. Without looking, feel the
shapes individually and consider which of their
attributes you use to distinguish between them.
This can make an interesting activity for
children. Some children may need to point to a
copy of the shape on display, if they are not
familiar with the names.
9
Summary
Young children develop an understanding of 3-D
and 2-D shapes through

• practical exploration of shapes and their
  properties

• use of everyday language to identify and
  describe these shapes

• increasingly precise use of mathematical
  language.

10
Shape in Key Stage 2
In Key Stage 1, children will have had practical
experience of a variety of 3-D and 2-D shapes.
Often the 2-D shapes will have been introduced by
studying the faces of 3-D shapes in and around
the school. Children should be able to recognise
and name common shapes, identifying their
distinguishing features.
In Key Stage 2, work on 3-D and 2-D shapes should
be more than drawing and labelling shapes. It
should include

• handling and constructing shapes

• using different construction materials,
  including interlocking cubes

• exploring simple nets of solids.

11
Draw, Definition and Properties

• quadrilateral

• square

• triangle

• heptagon

• parallelogram

• oblong

• isosceles triangle

• pentagon

• rhombus

• kite

• equilateral triangle

• hexagon

• rectangle

• trapezium

• scalene triangle

• octagon

12
Quadrilaterals
13
Polygons
Polygons are closed plane shapes with straight
sides. Regular polygons have all their sides and
all their angles equal.
14
Vocabulary Shape KS1
15
Vocabulary Shape KS2
16
Reading

• Chapters 16 and 18 from Mathematical Knowledge
  for Primary Teachers by J. Suggate, A. Davis and
  M. Goulding.

• Chapter 25 from Mathematics Explained for
  Primary Teachers by D. Haylock.