[kids-lib] Storytime idea: 3D Shapes!

Tue Aug 8 08:36:00 PDT 2017

I thought many of you might be interested in the following idea for exploring 3D shapes in storytimes.—Katie

From: noreply+feedproxy at google.com [mailto:noreply+feedproxy at google.com]
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2017 4:25 PM
To: Katie Anderson <KatieAnderson at oslmail.osl.state.or.us>
Subject: ALSC Blog

________________________________

Exploring 3D Shapes in Early Math Programming<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlscBlog/~3/rOD5gmjq4Jo/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email>

Posted: 06 Aug 2017 09:01 PM PDT

As children’s librarians, we are pros at introducing shapes to even the youngest of customers in our libraries. How many times have we pointed to a circle in baby time, made triangles with our fingers in toddler time, or sang a shapes song in preschool story time? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands?

Introducing the concept of 3-Dimensional shapes can be just as easy and is just as important for young learners. As a friend once told me “2D shapes are flat and 3D shapes are fat.” I use this saying frequently in my story times when we look at 3D shapes, such as building blocks, Legos, and various shapes I use on our light table or projector. Introducing 3D shapes to toddlers and preschoolers involves 1. Sharing their correct name 2. Having children use the accurate mathematical term and 3. Giving them time to build with and explore the shape. Youth at these ages do not need to know how many vertices each have, but you can introduce their number of sides. A great chart is shown below:
[Information about 3D shapes]<http://lilcountrykindergarten.blogspot.com>Source: lilcountrykindergarten.blogspot.com

I frequently use 3-dimensional geometry in early childhood library programs through block play, engineering challenges (especially Lego Challenges), and flannel board instruction during story time. I also love to make 3D blocks available for exploration on my light table. My favorite blocks for this purpose are from Amazon:

[Junior Rainbow Blocks]<https://www.amazon.com/Guidecraft-Jr-Rainbow-Block-Piece/dp/B006QB4QJI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1500737740&sr=8-2&keywords=light+table+blocks>[Geometric Solids toy]<https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-View-Thru-Geometric-Solids/dp/B0034IX85O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1500737740&sr=8-3&keywords=light+table+blocks>

 There are a number of picture book titles that can be paired with 3-D geometry. Some of these titles include:
§ Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building by Christy Hale
§ Changes Changes by Pat Hutchins
§ Block City by Robert Louis Stevenson
§ Cubes, Cones, Cylinders, and Spheres by Tona Hoban
§ Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

I’d love to hear other ways that you are incorporating 3D Geometry into your programming. Let me know in the comments!

***********************************************************************************************

[Headshot of guest blogger, JoAnna Schofield]Today’s guest blogger is Jo Schofield. Jo is a children’s librarian at the Warrensville Heights Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library (OH). She is passionate about exciting youth, families, and coworkers about mathematics. She is the mother of three beautiful children: Jackson (7), Parker (6), and Amelia Jane (4). When not chasing her kids, she can be found painting, reading, and evaluating materials for the 2018 Schneider Family Book Award.  Email her at jschofield at cuyahogalibrary.org.<mailto:jschofield at cuyahogalibrary.org>

Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.

If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at alscblog at gmail.com<mailto:alscblog at gmail.com>.

The post Exploring 3D Shapes in Early Math Programming<http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2017/08/exploring-3d-shapes-in-early-math-programming/> appeared first on ALSC Blog<http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog>.

Katie Anderson
Youth Services Consultant
katie.anderson at state.or.us<mailto:katie.anderson at state.or.us> | 503-378-2528 | www.oregon.gov/osl/ld<http://www.oregon.gov/osl/ld>
Follow us: Facebook<http://fb.me/orlibsupport> | Twitter<https://twitter.com/ORLibSupport> | Tumblr<http://www.statelibraryor.tumblr.com/> | Pinterest<https://pinterest.com/statelibraryor/>

[cid:image003.png at 01D31021.5C5E1070]

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/kids-lib/attachments/20170808/c1f0eaea/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image003.png
Type: image/png
Size: 22469 bytes
Desc: image003.png
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/kids-lib/attachments/20170808/c1f0eaea/attachment.png>