October 2018

The children at preschool have been exploring shapes this term, completing activities that promote shape recognition, building with shapes and going on shape hunts. Lots of the children have enjoyed creating dinosaurs out of different shapes, exploring the qualities of each shape while sticking them down to create a fun outcome!!.
From an early age, children notice different shapes even if they do not yet know that the shapes have names. It takes longer for young children to learn the specific properties of each shape, such as the number of sides it has or what colour it is. Giving children lots of practice with shapes helps them solidify their understanding of the two-dimensional structures.
Learning the differences in shapes requires children to focus on the specific characteristics. Children learn to use observational skills to identify the different shapes. They also learn how to compare different shapes and group similar shapes together.
Shape activities can also help children develop problem-solving skills. Shape sorting toys are one example. When a child recognizes the characteristics of a square, he can match it with the square hole on the toy. Shape recognition can also help when putting together puzzles. If he pays attention to the shapes of the pieces and the shapes of the openings in the puzzle, he can determine the correct spot for each piece.
Children have also really enjoyed playing with and exploring dinosaurs. They have been creating and exploring dinosaur swamps, adding water and leaves to a tuff spot to create the habitat that dinosaurs lived in. This has supported children to explore textures and ask further questions relating to dinosaurs such as the things that they eat and their names.