Mathematics 

2D Shapes

From octagonal stop signs and rectangular doors, to triangular roofs and circular wheels—shapes are everywhere.

Learning about shapes helps children identify and organise information visually, recognise signs and symbols and develop an awareness of the relationship between people, objects and the space around them.

Recognising and using shapes in the everyday and describing them, using everyday language, is foundational in developing the concepts required for measurement and geometry. Children demonstrate their growing understanding of these concepts through opportunities to organise shapes to create patterns, structures and artworks.

Learning about shapes supports children to:

• Communicate by using mathematical language to describe the different features of 2D and 3D. shapes.
• Reason in order to predict the building, stacking and organisational skills of 2D and 3D objects.
• Problem solve by using objects to determine which objects roll, slide, lay flat.

Some ideas for learning at home

• Identify shapes that surround you every day. What shapes can you see?
• Look at how different shapes used together can make new shapes.
• Create a shape scavenger hunt. Use a magnifying glass to find shapes around the house or outdoors.
• Stacking shelves after grocery shopping.
• Draw, trace and cut out different shapes.
• Baking different shapes.
• Use water and a paintbrush to draw different shapes on the ground.

Below we can see the Infants children learning about 2D shapes in class.

Stage 1

Kindy