Mathematics is the language that we use to talk about quantities, shapes, and patterns.
Knowing the names of common shapes is typically a child’s first experience with geometry, but it’s just the beginning. Children should learn to identify and describe the characteristics of those shapes and to recognize them in the world around them. These are aspects of what mathematics educators call spatial sense, that is, recognizing how objects relate to each other and to the viewer in terms of shape, size, location, and position.
Spatial sense includes being able to identify when two objects that are different sizes have the same shape, and knowing when a puzzle piece will fit into place without having to try it first.
Children develop spatial sense mainly through experience, but it can also be strengthened through the types of books, games, and puzzles that are available at ABCmouse.com.