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The following activities are designed to assist your child in developing an understanding of basic shapes, colors, numbers, and size proportions.
Preparation
Obtain five different colors of construction paper, and draw a different shape (square, triangle, rectangle, circle, and diamond) in the upper left-hand corner of each piece. Set those five pieces aside. These pieces will be referred to as work mats from this point forward. Grab extra pieces of construction paper that are the same colors as the work mats. Then draw and cut out a large shape and a small shape for each shape represented on the work mats; color doesn't matter. For example, if you initially drew a circle on a blue paper then draw and cut out a large red circle and a small yellow circle. They don't necessarily need to be red and yellow, just as long as they are a different color from the work mat. Also cut out at least two sizes of each shape.
Activities- Color Sort - Lay out the work mats and place the cutout shapes in a pile in front of your child. Ask your child to sort the shapes by color. How many of each color?
- Shape Sort - Encourage your child to sort the cutout shapes by placing them on their corresponding work mat. How many of each shape?
- Size Sort - Place the work mats to the side. Encourage your child to make a pile of big shapes and a pile of small shapes. How many of each size?
- Counting - As an extension, number the work mats from one to five using a marker. Mix up the work mats and ask your child to put them in number order. Consider placing dots on each work mat that represent each number so your child can count the dots for addition support.
- More Counting with Stickers - When you are finished with the work mats, give your child a small package of sticker shapes. Sticker shapes can be purchased very inexpensively at your local craft store and/or dollar store. Write one number (six, seven, eight, nine, or ten) on each of the five work mats. If you have numbered your work mat, turn your work mat over, redraw the shape, and add a number. Encourage your child to fit and stick the appropriate number of sticker shapes to the work mat which represents that shape. If the mat shows a circle and the number eight, then he will find eight circles and stick them to the work mat. When your child is finished he, can line the work mats up in order from smallest to biggest.
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