FM.H.69 PUTS A TRIANGLE IN THE FORMBOARD, CHOICE OF 3

In these three items, the child has 2 problems to solve: how to get the shapes into the hole and which hole to choose. All 3 items can be assessed together.

How to Assess

Materials: A formboard showing a circle, a square and a triangle. Any other shapes should be covered.

Method: Remove all 3 shapes from the formboard, and give one shape to your child. Say ‘Put the . . . in the . . . .

Repeat, giving 3 tries for each shape, and turning the board between tries.

If your child loses attention after a few tries, assess shapes on different days.

Score plus for an item if your child places that shape in the formboard, without assistance, in at least 2 out of 3 tries.

How to Teach

Begin teaching with the circle, which is the easiest shape to move into the hole.

Give your child a choice of 2 shapes, say the circle and the square. If your child goes to put the circle into the other hole, say: ‘Doesn’t fit. Try another hole.’ If necessary, point to the round hole, saying ‘Look, circle goes in circle’. Avoid moving the circle for your child.

Turn the board around so that the circle is in a different position, and repeat.

When your child has mastered this challenge, go on to offer other shapes, still with a choice of 2.

Lastly, offer a choice of 3, again beginning with the circle.

Playtime and Round-the-house Activities

Your child’s posting box will provide a good backup activity. If you have a toy library nearby, look for different formboards, or vary your own by sticking different pictures in the holes.

If your child seems to tire of formboard activities at any stage during teaching, put the board away for a few days and go on with items from other sequences. Don’t feel you have to rush through these items; they should be interspersed with a variety of other activities.

Remembering and Extending

Once your child has mastered these skills, he will be ready to go on to one-piece puzzles (FM.H.72). These puzzles will allow him to use all the skills he has learned with his formboard. There is no need for him to use the formboard again unless he has difficulty with the next task and needs more practice with regular shapes,