Everything we can see or touch has a shape. Mostly these shapes are 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 for practitioners to make available a variety of 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.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here