Looking for ways to get a math conversation started? Wiki Stix shapes is perfect! All you need is a sheet of paper with a large shape outline drawn on it and some wiki stix. Unfamiliar with wiki stix? You gotta try them; they're awesome tools! "Simply stated…they stick! No glue, no paste, no mess. Just press them down with light fingertip pressure on virtually any smooth surface and they will stick." (from the official wiki stix website). Love it!
Where's the math? You (or you and your child) draw a large shape on a sheet of paper. In this video, I drew a rectangle on one side and a triangle on the other. I slid my paper into a sheet protector so I could get a few more uses out of it. Then have your child use the wiki stix to cover the shape outline. Encourage your child to tell you what they notice about the shape as they're doing this. Reinforce language such as sides, corners, vertices, long, short, equal, and straight.
It might be fun to make lots of different versions of the same shape (like triangles) and ask your child to compare and contrast them. They all look different, but they're all triangles because they have 3 sides. To learn more about how to help your child progress in their thinking about shapes, check out this blog post.
https://www.carriecutler.com/post/it-s-a-triangle-because-it-looks-like-a-triangle
If you like this idea, you'll love the bunches of lessons, games, and teaching tips in my new book Math-Positive Mindsets: Growing a Child's Mind without Losing Yours published by Math Solutions and available on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/Math-Positive-Mindsets-Growing-Childs-without/dp/1935099841/ref=sr_1_1?dchild....
My website
https://www.carriecutler.com/ also has dozens of ideas for teachers and parents of PreK to Grade 5. Check it out!
