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Skills Covered

Tell flat shapes from solid shapes
Sort flat shapes by their number of sides
Sort solid shapes by whether they roll, stack or both

Tell how two shapes are alike and different
Place shapes above, under, next to, on top of and between
Name circles, triangles, squares, rectangles, spheres, cubes, cones and cylinders

How to Use This Pack

Three sorting pages and two position pages, all cut and glue. On pages 1 to 3 students cut out ten shape cards and glue each one in its tray: flat or solid on page 1, 3 sides, 4 sides or round on page 2, and rolls, stacks or both on page 3 (spheres and cones roll, cubes stack, cylinders do both). The shapes come in different sizes and turns, so a long thin rectangle and a tipped square still count, and every card fits exactly one tray. A talk-about-it question under the trays asks how two shapes are alike and how they are different. On page 4 students cut out flat shapes and glue them in a park where five clues say: above the box, next to the box, on top of the square, under the tree, between the box and the tree. Page 5 does the same with solid shapes in a room with a table. The keys show one right way to place each shape.

In the Classroom

Bring a ball, a block, a party hat and a can, and sort them together: which roll? which stack? Then hold up a paper circle and the ball: how are they alike? How are they different? For the position pages, read each clue aloud and act it out with a real box and a toy before students glue.

At Home

Go on a shape hunt and sort what you find: flat things (a coaster, a card) and solid things (a ball, a can). Try rolling and stacking each one. Then play "Where is it?": hide a toy and give clues like "It is under the table, next to the chair."

Tips for Success

Flat shapes lie flat on the paper; solid shapes have depth
Count the sides with your finger, not the size
A shape that is turned is still the same shape
Try it: can it roll? can you stack another on it?
Read each clue twice before gluing

Common Core Standards Alignment

This pack supports the following Common Core State Standards for Mathematics:

K.MD.B.3 Sort objects into named groups, count each group (up to 10), and order the groups by how many they hold.
K.G.A.1 Use shape names for everyday objects, and tell where things are with position words like over, under, next to and behind.
K.G.A.2 Name shapes correctly even when they are turned, tilted, bigger or smaller.
K.G.A.3 Tell whether a shape is flat (two-dimensional) or solid (three-dimensional).
K.G.B.4 Compare flat and solid shapes of any size or position, using everyday words for their sides, corners and other features.

Shape Sort and Position Words

Kindergarten

A 5-page cut-and-glue shapes pack for kindergarten. Sort ten shape cards into trays: flat or solid, 3 sides, 4 sides or round, and solid shapes that roll, stack or do both, with a talk-about-it question on how two shapes are alike and different. Then cut out shapes and glue them where the clues say: a circle above the box, a triangle on top of a square, a sphere under the table, a cylinder next to it. Every page comes in color and in black and white. Answer keys included.

Download PDF

What’s Included

5 cut-and-glue worksheets in color and in black and white, with answer keys (15 pages)
Three sorts: flat or solid, number of sides, roll or stack
A talk-about-it question on every sort page
Two scenes to fill from position clues: a park and a room

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