Reception Maths Shapes and position: check-up and practice test questions

Key words. A triangle is a shape with its own name.

Method. Look at the shape. Think about its sides and corners, or whether it is round.

1. Look at the shape. Notice whether it is round or has straight sides.
   It has three straight sides.
2. Find its name. Each shape has its own name.
   The name is triangle.
3. Write the answer.
   triangle

Check. Point to the triangle in the picture and say its name. ✓

Watch out. Round means no straight sides. Straight sides and corners mean a shape with a name like square.

Key words. A side is one straight edge. A corner is where two sides meet.

Method. Touch each side once, one at a time. The number of sides is how many you touched.

1. Touch the sides of the square. Touch each straight side once.
   1, 2, 3, 4
2. Count the sides. The last number is how many sides there are.
   4 sides
3. Write the answer.
   4

Check. Count again from the other side. You get 4 again. ✓

Watch out. Touch each side once. Do not count a corner as a side.

Method. Touch each corner once. A corner is a point where two sides meet.

1. Touch the corners of the triangle. Touch each corner once.
   1, 2, 3
2. Count the corners. The last number is how many corners there are.
   3 corners
3. Write the answer.
   3

Check. Count the corners again: the answer is 3. ✓

Watch out. Do not count the same corner twice.

Key words. A cone is a shape with its own name.

Method. Look at the shape. Think about its sides and corners, or whether it is round.

1. Look at the shape. Notice whether it is round or has straight sides.
   It has a point and a round base.
2. Find its name. Each shape has its own name.
   The name is cone.
3. Write the answer.
   cone

Check. Point to the cone in the picture and say its name. ✓

Watch out. Round means no straight sides. Straight sides and corners mean a shape with a name like square.

Key words. A cylinder is a shape with its own name.

Method. Look at the shape. Think about its sides and corners, or whether it is round.

1. Look at the shape. Notice whether it is round or has straight sides.
   It has two round ends.
2. Find its name. Each shape has its own name.
   The name is cylinder.
3. Write the answer.
   cylinder

Check. Point to the cylinder in the picture and say its name. ✓

Watch out. Round means no straight sides. Straight sides and corners mean a shape with a name like square.

Key words. A sphere is a shape with its own name.

Method. Look at the shape. Think about its sides and corners, or whether it is round.

1. Look at the shape. Notice whether it is round or has straight sides.
   It is round all over.
2. Find its name. Each shape has its own name.
   The name is sphere.
3. Write the answer.
   sphere

Check. Point to the sphere in the picture and say its name. ✓

Watch out. Round means no straight sides. Straight sides and corners mean a shape with a name like square.

Key words. Behind tells where a thing is compared with another thing.

Method. Look at where the shapes are. Find the shape that is behind the other shape.

1. Look at the picture. Find the shape that the question talks about.
   The circle is further back.
2. Find the shape that is behind. Check where it is compared with the other shape.
   behind
3. Write the answer.
   circle

Check. Point to the circle, then to the shape it is behind. ✓

Watch out. Check the position, not the size of the shapes.

Key words. Next to tells where a thing is compared with another thing.

Method. Look at where the shapes are. Find the shape that is next to the other shape.

1. Look at the picture. Find the shape that the question talks about.
   The circle is beside the square.
2. Find the shape that is next to. Check where it is compared with the other shape.
   next to
3. Write the answer.
   circle

Check. Point to the circle, then to the shape it is next to. ✓

Watch out. Check the position, not the size of the shapes.

Key words. On top of tells where a thing is compared with another thing.

Method. Look at where the shapes are. Find the shape that is on top of the other shape.

1. Look at the picture. Find the shape that the question talks about.
   The circle sits on top.
2. Find the shape that is on top of. Check where it is compared with the other shape.
   on top of
3. Write the answer.
   circle

Check. Point to the circle, then to the shape it is on top of. ✓

Watch out. Check the position, not the size of the shapes.

Method. Think about what a corner is.

1. Corners are where sides meet. A circle has no straight sides.
   no straight sides
2. Look at the circle. It is round all the way round.
   round
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any answer: a circle is round, with no straight sides meeting.

Check. Point around the circle: no corners. ✓

Watch out. Corners need two straight sides.

Key words. A star is a shape with its own name.

Method. Look at the shape. Think about its sides and corners, or whether it is round.

1. Look at the shape. Notice whether it is round or has straight sides.
   It has points all around.
2. Find its name. Each shape has its own name.
   The name is star.
3. Write the answer.
   star

Check. Point to the star in the picture and say its name. ✓

Watch out. Round means no straight sides. Straight sides and corners mean a shape with a name like square.

Key words. A side is one straight edge. A corner is where two sides meet.

Method. Touch each side once, one at a time. The number of sides is how many you touched.

1. Touch the sides of the rectangle. Touch each straight side once.
   1, 2, 3, 4
2. Count the sides. The last number is how many sides there are.
   4 sides
3. Write the answer.
   4

Check. Count again from the other side. You get 4 again. ✓

Watch out. Touch each side once. Do not count a corner as a side.

Key words. Above tells where a thing is compared with another thing.

Method. Look at where the shapes are. Find the shape that is above the other shape.

1. Look at the picture. Find the shape that the question talks about.
   The circle is at the top.
2. Find the shape that is above. Check where it is compared with the other shape.
   above
3. Write the answer.
   circle

Check. Point to the circle, then to the shape it is above. ✓

Watch out. Check the position, not the size of the shapes.

Key words. Between tells where a thing is compared with another thing.

Method. Look at where the shapes are. Find the shape that is between the other shape.

1. Look at the picture. Find the shape that the question talks about.
   The square is in the middle.
2. Find the shape that is between. Check where it is compared with the other shape.
   between
3. Write the answer.
   square

Check. Point to the square, then to the shape it is between. ✓

Watch out. Check the position, not the size of the shapes.

Key words. Under tells where a thing is compared with another thing.

Method. Look at where the shapes are. Find the shape that is under the other shape.

1. Look at the picture. Find the shape that the question talks about.
   The circle is under the table.
2. Find the shape that is under. Check where it is compared with the other shape.
   under
3. Write the answer.
   circle

Check. Point to the circle, then to the shape it is under. ✓

Watch out. Check the position, not the size of the shapes.

Method. Look at each shape.

1. Look at the sphere. A sphere is round all over, with no point.
   no point
2. Look at the cube. A cube has flat faces and no round base.
   flat faces
3. Look at the cone. A cone has a point and a round base.
   a point and a round base
4. Write the answer.
   cone

Check. A cone is like a party hat. ✓

Watch out. Look for the point and the round base.

Method. Look where each shape is.

1. Find the square. The square is on the right.
   square on right
2. Find the other shape. The circle is on the left, beside the square.
   circle on left
3. Write the answer.
   circle. It is on the left, beside the square.

Check. The circle and the square are side by side. ✓

Watch out. Next to means beside.

Method. Look at the tin.

1. Name the tin. A tin has two round ends and straight sides.
   cylinder
2. Compare it with a sphere. A sphere is round all over, like a ball.
   round all over
3. Write the answer.
   cylinder. A tin has flat round ends and straight sides, but a sphere is round all over.

Check. A tin cannot roll like a ball. ✓

Watch out. A cylinder has straight sides, a sphere does not.

Method. Think about round shapes.

1. Name a flat round shape. A circle has no straight sides.
   circle
2. Name a solid round shape. A sphere has no straight sides.
   sphere
3. Write the answer.
   circle and sphere. Both are round, with no straight sides.

Check. Both shapes are round. ✓

Watch out. Round shapes have no straight sides.

Method. Count the corners on each shape.

1. Count the square. A square has four corners.
   4 corners
2. Count the rectangle. A rectangle has four corners too.
   4 corners
3. Compare them. They both have four corners.
   4 = 4
4. Write the answer.
   Yes. Both have four corners, because each has four sides that meet.

Check. Count each shape: 4 corners each. ✓

Watch out. A square and a rectangle both have four corners.