Kindergarten Mathematics: Chapter 7 | Shapes, Position, Sorting and Numbers
Student reading chapter, five days. Read every lesson with a teacher or parent and study the worked example before opening the matching practice. This is one chapter, not a complete grade-level annual textbook.
Day 1: Describe Flat Shapes
Read and learn
A flat, or two-dimensional, shape has length and width. A triangle has three straight sides and three corners. A rectangle has four sides and four right-angle corners. A square is a rectangle whose four sides are equal. A circle has no straight sides or corners. When we turn or slide a shape, its number of sides does not change.
Worked example
Show a triangle cut from paper, count three sides, and turn it. Explain why it remains a triangle.
Check understanding
- How many straight sides does a triangle have?
- How many corners does a rectangle have?
- Which has no corners, a circle or square?
Next, complete Day 1 of Chapter 7 in the separate practice workbook.
Day 2: Describe Solid Shapes
Read and learn
A solid, or three-dimensional, object has length, width and height. A cube has flat square faces; a ball is shaped like a sphere, which has a curved surface. A can is close to a cylinder, which has two circular faces and a curved side. Real objects may resemble shapes without matching perfect mathematical models.
Worked example
Compare a dice-shaped cube with a ball. The ball rolls smoothly; a cube has flat faces and edges.
Check understanding
- Which solid resembles a ball?
- Which solid resembles a dice?
- What shape resembles a can?
Next, complete Day 2 of Chapter 7 in the separate practice workbook.
Day 3: Use Position Words
Read and learn
Position words explain where an object is relative to another. Place a block above a book, below a table, beside a cup, or between two pencils. Left and right depend on a viewer’s orientation. Give directions clearly so a partner can repeat them with the same objects.
Worked example
Put a cube between two blocks and describe its location aloud.
Check understanding
- Where is an object placed between two chairs?
- What word means next to?
- What is the opposite of above?
Next, complete Day 3 of Chapter 7 in the separate practice workbook.
Day 4: Sort and Count Objects
Read and learn
We can classify objects by color, shape, size or other visible attributes. State a rule before sorting. For example, put all triangles in one group and all circles in another. Count each group carefully. The same objects could be sorted by color instead, but a new sorting rule creates new groups.
Worked example
Sort a collection of red and blue buttons by color, then count each group without guessing.
Check understanding
- Name one attribute used to sort.
- If there are four red buttons and three blue, how many buttons in all?
- Can objects be sorted by shape?
Next, complete Day 4 of Chapter 7 in the separate practice workbook.
Day 5: Chapter 7 Independent Check
Read and learn
Review flat shapes, solid shapes, position and sorting. Make a labeled drawing or use safe manipulatives before choosing an answer. Correct work uses the shape’s properties, not its size, color or orientation.
Worked example
A cylinder has a curved surface and two circular faces. A triangle has three sides. Compare objects using those properties.
Check understanding
- Which flat shape has three straight sides?
- Which solid resembles a ball?
- How many corners in a square?
Next, complete Day 5 of Chapter 7 in the separate practice workbook.
Review and next steps
Revisit the five readings and explain each example before proceeding to the next chapter.