You know the circle, the square and the triangle. Now meet their friends! Stretch a square and it becomes a rectangle. Stretch a circle and it becomes an oval, like an egg.
Key idea
A rectangle has 2 long sides and 2 short sides. An oval is a stretched circle. Diamonds, stars, hearts and half circles are shapes too.
Why it works
The more shapes you know, the more things you can draw. A door is a rectangle. An egg is an oval. A kite is a diamond.
Common mistake
Many children call every shape with four sides a square. Look at the sides: in a square they are all the same length. A rectangle has two long sides and two short sides.
Worked example: Let's look
A book has two long sides and two short sides. What shape is it?
- Count the sides: 4.
- Two are long and two are short.
- That is a rectangle.
Answer: A rectangle.
For the grown-up. Hunt for rectangles and ovals at home: a phone, a rug, a mirror, a plate seen from the side. Ask, "Are all the sides the same, or are two of them longer?" The Math Ladder's What Makes a Shape a Shape goes further.