Mini Geometric Solids
A detailed guide to understanding the Mini Geometric Solids material and how it is used within the Early Years curriculum.
How does it work?
Guidepost’s Mini Geometric Solids are perfect for home use in their scale and precision. This set of 10 solids has a clear finish and includes 3 stands for keeping the curvy solids upright.
Children gain lasting familiarity with the various three-dimensional solids by learning to recognize them by sight as well as by feel (hands only – no peeking!). The names for each solid are reinforced with 3-period lessons and distance games. All of this practice lays a strong foundation for the child’s work with solids in the elementary years, when they are key to studies of in-depth geometric vocabulary, relationships, and explorations of volume.
Work with the geometric solids promotes a child’s stereognostic sense, their ability to use their hands to recognize shapes and objects.
Prerequisite Skills - It is a good idea for the child to know their basic shape names before working with the geometric solids: circle, triangle, square, rectangle, oval, and ellipse. That said, the main prerequisite for introducing this material is the child’s ability to inhibit their movements; that is, to resist touching when they are instructed to use their eyes, or to resist looking when they are instructed to feel with their hands.
Sample lesson
Start by watching this sample lesson from our Guidepost Homeschool platform that will familiarize you to the Mini Geometric Solids and their use.
If you are already subscribed to Guidepost Homeschool, scroll down to see all the corresponding lessons where this material is used in our curriculum. To unlock more than 2,000+ lessons subscribe to Guidepost Homeschool today.
How to set up
Setup - Carefully remove all packaging material. You will need a small basket or box to hold the seven straight-sided solids for storage at the shelf alongside other Sensorial materials and for stereognostic games. The curvy solids can be stored on their stands beside the basket/box.
You will also need an opaque / not see-through square cloth of about 12” to cover the solids in their container during games. When not in use, store the Mini Geometric Solids alongside other Sensorial materials at the shelf.
Usage Tips - The Mini Geometric Solids are suitable for use either on a work rug on the floor or at a child-height table.
For Guidepost Homeschool subscribers
If you are already subscribed to Guidepost Homeschool, start in the order below to navigate to the corresponding lesson plans using the Mini Geometric Solids in our Altitude learning platform.
Wondering about supplies used in particular lessons? Detailed materials lists can be found at the beginning of each lesson in Guidepost’s Altitude system, as well as on the materials cards at the beginning of each unit.
- Corresponding Altitude lessons
Lessons where the Mini Geometric Solids are used
Sensorial: (2-4) Stereognostic Sense
- Introducing the Geometric Solids
- Follow Up: Naming Solids Under the Cloth
- Follow Up: Finding a Specific Shape Under the Cloth
- Follow Up: Matching with Bases
- Follow Up: Exploring Bases
- Follow Up: Matching to the Environment
Geometry: (5 -12) Introductory Lessons
- Getting to Know Geometric Solids! Part 1
- Solids All Around You! Part 1
- Getting to Know Geometric Solids! Part 2
- Solids All Around You! Part 2
- Getting to Know Geometric Solids! Part 3
- Solids All Around You! Part 3
Geometry: (10-12) Solid Geometry
- Comparing Solids
- Comparing Nomenclature
- Parts of a Solid
- Parts of the Solids Nomenclature
- Special Parts of a Sphere Nomenclature
- Making Solid Figures
- Make Your Own Solids
- Draw Your Own Solids
Geometry (11-12) Surface Area
- Rectangular Prism Surface Area
- Triangular Prism Surface Area
- Cylinder Surface Area
- Pyramid Surface Area
- Cone Surface Area
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