First the elephants form a circle, then the monkeys make a square. Circus shapes are everywhere! Can you find all the circles, squares, triangles and rectangles?
Recognizing shapes is the beginning of geometric thinking.
Illustrated by Edward Miller.
Encourage your child to retell the story using the names of the shapes: "circle," "triangle," "square," and "rectangle."
Look for things around the house such as the faces of watches or clocks; buttons on a sweater; books, tiles, rugs, kitchen towels, and windows. Which are triangles? circles? squares? rectangles?
Go on a "Shape Hunt" in your neighborhood. Create a chart with each different shape—circle, triangle, square and rectangle—drawn at the top of its own column. Encourage your child or students to make a mark for each shape "sighting." Then add up all the marks and see how times each shape was found.
Using construction paper, cut out circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles and mix them all up. Together sort them by shape, asking the children to say the names of the shapes. Ask them to draw the shapes and then tell you what they are.
