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A round moon in the big sky
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The concept of space and multi-dimensional shapes can be gently introduced to a child by citing examples from the real world, says ANAND NAIR in this series on maths.
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AS THE tiny tot becomes familiar with numbers, simple shapes and the concept of space can be introduced to them gently.
Beginning Shape and Space
The learning about Shape and Space, like learning a mother tongue, begins unconsciously, at home, right from the moment a child is born.Schools put this into a framework and structure the process of learning.
The intuitive learning that takes place at home can be greatly assisted by aware and enthusiastic parents who use opportunities at home and around the compound to build on the child's initial encounters with shape and space at home. The interaction between parent and child can start as early as two to three years old. Shapes and space can be made familiar to them as early as that.
Space
The parents' initial objective is to draw attention to the attributes of space. Space can be vast as in the sky or cramped as in a small box. It can be enough or insufficient or generous. Examples of the kind of dialogue to be used are many:
`Look at the sky. It is huge. There are many stars in it'
`That box is too small. It is too small to put so many things.'
`The chair is too small for two of you to sit in it. It is too cramped.'
`If you spread that big mat on the floor I am sure all three of you can sleep on it.'
Questions:
`Can you put all your toys in the carton? Is there enough space?'
`Is there enough space on the line to hang your dress?'
`Look at the maidan. Is it bigger than our garden?'
Shape
Learning about shapes is a practical activity and it is important that the experience is tactile. Talking about it is simply not enough.
The most elementary shapes that a child comes across are box shapes. So this is where the child has to begin. Assemble a lot of boxes, small and big: cigarette boxes, matchboxes, cartons of various sizes etc. Let the child play with them, put small boxes into larger ones, build pyramids etc. At this point there is no need to mention the technical name, cuboid. The word `box' is quite enough.
The next shape is the ball or round shape. Again assemble objects that are round or almost round: oranges, lemons, balls, marbles etc. Let the child roll the balls on the floor, throw them about and play with them. Ask the child to identify ball shapes in the house such as dough shaped into balls for chappathi.
The third shape is the cone. Call it the hill shape. This shape can be shown using sand or paper rolled into the shape of a cone, the way peanut vendors in the park do.
Activities:
Let the child make round, box and cone or hill shapes with wet sand. Encourage the child to name the shapes as they play with them.
Encourage children to play with the three shapes mentioned as well as other irregular shapes such as keys, flowers, fruit, vegetables etc. This helps the child to recognise that some shapes are regular whereas others are not.
We have started with three-dimensional shapes because the real world is full of these and the child's first encounters must be with these.
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