Shapes and Sizes - Recognizing Rectangles

by Thomas, May 19 2022

How can we teach children to recognize rectangles at a glance? As they grow, children become better and better at discerning which shapes are which, and learn to do so faster, too. Here are three activities that can help you teach your child to identify shapes. Take a look!

Brick by Brick, Square by Square

First, guide your child to compare the differences and similarities between a square and a rectangle. By comparing these shapes to each other, the differences and specific attributes of a rectangle stand out and become more apparent. For example, you can provide your child with a square and a rectangle, and ask them to compare the width of the rectangle to the width of the square.

Then it's time to look at the sides and angles of each shape. Let your child count and write down the number of sides and angles of the square and the rectangle together, then ask them if the number is the same or different. They'll see right away that both shapes have four sides and four angles. If your child can independently say that their sides are not the same length, then the parent should further ask, "How many sides do a square and a rectangle have?"

If your child still struggles to recognize the difference between a square and a rectangle, get creative! Guide your child to place a square on top of a rectangle, or to measure it with his or her fingers or with a ruler. Allowing them to take multiple approaches to problem-solving helps to develop their critical thinking skills, too.

Real-Life Examples

This is an activity you can practice at home, school, or even at the supermarket. Just point at any appropriate object and ask your child, "Is this a square, or a rectangle?" Over time, they will come to recognize that the books on the shelf, the fridge in the kitchen, and the bed in their bedroom are rectangles.

You can take this further by playing a game of "I Spy," too. While with your child, say, "I spy with my little eye, something that looks like a rectangle." Have them look around the area and identify an appropriate item. You can raise or lower the difficulty of this game by making the area for them to search bigger, or including more objects that aren't squares or rectangles.

Build It, Learn It

We are big supporters of learning through play and leveraging the natural curiosity and creativity of young children. Why not take some of the work off your shoulders while also providing a great learning opportunity for your little one?

You can provide some simple tools and materials for your child to examine, handle, and use to consolidate their understanding of squares and rectangles. For example: On a rainy day, you can let your child make clay and knead a pie that looks like a rectangle. You can also provide children with some paper and pens to draw, fold and (with your supervision) use scissors to cut out each shape. You can also provide your child with some wooden sticks they can use to make models of the shapes, or with pegboards and floss to design wire models of them instead.