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When working on math, we often forget about teaching 2D shapes, but it’s an integral part of the math standards for kids to learn shapes. It helps with their visual skills and vocabulary and builds the foundations of geometry skills. So keep reading to learn my tips and tricks for teaching 2D shapes.
Full disclosure I’m not the most confident at teaching math, which is why I’m always writing about reading so much. Thank goodness shapes exist.
Teaching 2D shapes is a great way to start off math because it’s fun, engaging, and relatively easy.
Plus, it will build kiddos’ vocabulary, memory, and ability to look for features.
So read on to learn some fun no-prep activities to teach kids 2D shapes!
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Start with a Mini-Lesson
Whenever I’m teaching 2D shapes, I always start off with a mini-lesson where we go over what each shape is and a short true or false statement about which each one is.
I break it up into days.
Day 1-3: Straight-line Shapes
Day 4: Rounded Shapes
Day 5: Other
Make sure to include lots of engaging questions to help your kiddos with their memories and improve their performance later on.
But Sarah, I have no prep time!
I know what you’re thinking, you, like me, have no prep time! That is why I premade all of my lessons in the form of this fun interactive slide show.
It’s premade and broken up into days already, with true or false questions after every shape.
Students find the clip art super engaging, and if your kiddos are good readers, you can even assign it to them to do independently on Google Classroom.
Practice, Practice, and then Practice!
After you’ve taught kids the vocabulary and features, it’s important that they have lots of chances to practice.
I like to give them computer assignments to practice and worksheets too. That way, they have lots of different mediums to show what they’ve learned.
That is why my 2D Shapes Mini Unit includes a practice session in the interactive slide show, as well as worksheets!
Click here to buy and save tons of prep time!
Assessment Time
Finally, the last and most important part is the assessment, so your students can show off what they’ve learned.
Also, they come in handy come IEP season to prove what your students are capable of and for data-taking purposes. These are all super important things when you’re a teacher.
However, there’s no need for you to rush off and spend lots of your valuable time creating an assessment from scratch.
I have included one in my 2D Shape Mini Unit Bundle, which can be used for a pre or post-assessment.
The assessment asks kids to draw lines from the name of the shape to the picture. It’s easy to read aloud to your kids who are struggling readers and accessible to students with poor fine motor skills.
Click here to purchase and start collecting all that awesome data!
Final Thoughts
We’re all very busy people, and creating a unit that is accessible and engaging for our kids can be incredibly difficult and time-consuming.
That is why I premade all the lessons and materials for you, so all you have to do is download, print, and go!
It can be used again and again through the years and will save you tons of prep time every year!