Get Ready With Words: Shapes
Shapes not only can be a lot of fun to read about, but they also provide a great opportunity for children to learn new vocabulary.
Shapes are so much fun to build and play with! They can also be a lot of fun to read about and provide a great opportunity for children to learn new vocabulary. This month the Get Ready With Words’ weekly vocabulary words are focused on shapes. Everyone knows “square” and “circle” but don’t underestimate your child. Give them as many words for shapes as you can and watch them soak them up like a sponge. When children know many words it’s easier for them to learn to read because it’s easier to sound out and read words that you already know.
Below are some of the upcoming words of the week and books you can read to go along with them to help you and your child play with language!
Hexagon and Octagon
Color Farm by Lois Ehlert. In this book farm animals are made up of colorful shapes such as octagons and hexagons. Challenge your child to name as many shapes and colors in the book as he or she can. As a fun extension activity provide your child with construction paper shapes and encourage them to use the shapes to make animals of their own. Their creativity will astound you!
Additional titles
When a Line Bends . . . A Shape Begins by Rhonda Gowler Greene
Shapes, Shapes, Shapes by Tana Hoban
Skippyjon Jones Shape Up by Judy Schachner (board book)
Sphere and Cube
Cubes, Cones, Cylinders and Spheres by Tana Hoban. This wordless picture book has photographs of cubes, cones, cylinders and spheres that can be found all around us such as bubbles, party hats and dice. See if you can find all the shapes hidden in the pictures and then look for more in your home, the store, or wherever you happen to be. If you take pictures of the shapes you find you can make your own book!
Additional titles
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
So Many Circles, So Many Squares by Tana Hoban
Rectangle and Oval
Mouse Shapes by Ellen Walsh. Three little mice are running away from the cat when they find a pile of shapes. What can they do with these shapes? Build with them of course! After you read the book together see if you can find different shaped blocks or objects to build your own creations.
Additional Titles
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
Shape by Shape by Suse McDonald
A Circle Here, A Square There by David Diehl (board book)
Get Ready With Words is a collaboration between Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Discovery Place and Community School of the Arts, which focuses on vocabulary building activities for children 18 months to 5 years. The program, which is funded through PNC's Grow Up Great initiative, has multiple community components including the Words of the Week which can be found in select storytimes and displays at local libraries.
