Children begin to develop geometric and spatial knowledge before beginning school, stimulated by the exploration of figures and structures in their environment. Geometric ideas help children systematically represent and describe their world as they learn to represent plane and solid figures through drawing, block constructions, dramatization, and verbal language.
The focus of instruction at this level is on
· observing, identifying, describing, comparing, contrasting, and investigating solid objects and their faces;
· sorting objects and ordering them directly by comparing them one to the other;
· describing, comparing, contrasting, sorting, and classifying figures; and
· exploring symmetry, congruence, and transformation.
In the primary grades, children begin to develop basic vocabulary related to figures but do not develop precise meanings for many of the terms they use until they are thinking beyond Level 2 of the van Hiele theory (see below).
The van Hiele theory of geometric understanding describes how students learn geometry and provides a framework for structuring student experiences that should lead to conceptual growth and understanding.
· Level 0: Pre-recognition. Geometric figures are not recognized. For example, students cannot differentiate between three-sided and four-sided polygons.
· Level 1: Visualization. Geometric figures are recognized as entities, without any awareness of parts of figures or relationships between components of a figure. Students should recognize and name figures and distinguish a given figure from others that look somewhat the same. (This is the expected level of student performance during grades K and 1.)
· Level 2: Analysis. Properties are perceived but are isolated and unrelated. Students should recognize and name properties of geometric figures. (Students are expected to transition to this level during grades 2 and 3.
Virginia Mathematics Standards of Learning
Computation & Estimation
K.11 The student will
a) identify, describe, and trace plane geometric figures (circle, triangle, square, and rectangle); and
b) compare the size (larger, smaller) and shape of plane geometric figures (circle, triangle, square, and rectangle).
K.12 The student will describe the location of one object relative to another (above, below, next to) and identify representations of plane geometric figures (circle, triangle, square, and rectangle) regardless of their positions and orientations in space.
The focus of instruction at this level is on
· observing, identifying, describing, comparing, contrasting, and investigating solid objects and their faces;
· sorting objects and ordering them directly by comparing them one to the other;
· describing, comparing, contrasting, sorting, and classifying figures; and
· exploring symmetry, congruence, and transformation.
In the primary grades, children begin to develop basic vocabulary related to figures but do not develop precise meanings for many of the terms they use until they are thinking beyond Level 2 of the van Hiele theory (see below).
The van Hiele theory of geometric understanding describes how students learn geometry and provides a framework for structuring student experiences that should lead to conceptual growth and understanding.
· Level 0: Pre-recognition. Geometric figures are not recognized. For example, students cannot differentiate between three-sided and four-sided polygons.
· Level 1: Visualization. Geometric figures are recognized as entities, without any awareness of parts of figures or relationships between components of a figure. Students should recognize and name figures and distinguish a given figure from others that look somewhat the same. (This is the expected level of student performance during grades K and 1.)
· Level 2: Analysis. Properties are perceived but are isolated and unrelated. Students should recognize and name properties of geometric figures. (Students are expected to transition to this level during grades 2 and 3.
Virginia Mathematics Standards of Learning
Computation & Estimation
K.11 The student will
a) identify, describe, and trace plane geometric figures (circle, triangle, square, and rectangle); and
b) compare the size (larger, smaller) and shape of plane geometric figures (circle, triangle, square, and rectangle).
K.12 The student will describe the location of one object relative to another (above, below, next to) and identify representations of plane geometric figures (circle, triangle, square, and rectangle) regardless of their positions and orientations in space.