Summer Block 3: Manipulating, Composing and Decomposing Shapes

In Summer Block 3, pupils will develop their spatial reasoning skills through hands-on exploration of shapes. They will learn to recognise, manipulate, and describe 2-D and 3-D shapes, building a strong foundation for future geometry learning. By selecting, rotating, composing, and decomposing shapes, pupils will deepen their understanding of how shapes fit together and how they can be combined to form new shapes.

This block encourages pupils to think critically about shapes in their environment, strengthening their problem-solving skills and ability to describe what they see. Through practical activities and guided play, they will develop confidence in working with both 2-D and 3-D shapes.

Week 4: Small Steps in Learning

• Select shapes – Pupils will identify and choose shapes based on their properties, such as the number of sides or corners. They will begin to describe why they have selected a particular shape and how it can be used.
• Rotate shapes – Pupils will explore how shapes look when turned in different ways. This helps develop spatial awareness and an understanding that shapes remain the same even when rotated.
• Manipulate shapes – Pupils will experiment with moving and adjusting shapes to fit specific spaces or patterns. This hands-on approach encourages problem-solving and fine motor skills.
• Explain how shapes are arranged – Pupils will learn to describe how shapes fit together, whether in repeating patterns, tessellations, or larger composite shapes. This step supports mathematical language development and logical thinking.

Week 5: Small Steps in Learning

• Compose shapes – Pupils will combine smaller shapes to create larger ones. This helps them understand how different shapes can be used to form new structures.
• Decompose shapes – Pupils will take apart larger shapes to see the smaller shapes within them. This activity strengthens their understanding of how shapes relate to one another.
• Copy 2-D shape pictures – Pupils will practise recreating simple images made from shapes, reinforcing their recognition and manipulation skills.
• Find 2-D shapes within 3-D shapes – Pupils will explore the flat faces of 3-D objects, learning to recognise squares, rectangles, circles, and triangles within everyday items.

This block provides plenty of opportunities for hands-on exploration, encouraging pupils to experiment with different shapes and arrangements. By the end of the unit, they will have a stronger grasp of how shapes can be manipulated and combined, setting the stage for more advanced geometry concepts in the future.