suggestions on how to get a 3 year old to learn shapes and colors?

Question

I have been working with my three year old on his color and shapes for a while now and he just doesn't seem to grasp it. I have an 8 year old and a 5 year old that took on to knowing their colors and shapes really quickly.
So I was just wondering if you had any suggestion as to what I could to get, him to be intersted in learning.
Thanks so much!

Answer 1

Get the 5 and 8 years olds to do it. They will make it a game and it will be fun not a chore for the little baby. I am sure he will know all his colours and shapes by the time he is 20 anyway. And even if he doesnt its not fatal. Enjoy him dont torment him.

Answer 2

How about playing school with all the kids? Draw shapes and colors on the easel or on paper and have them raise their hands and say what each thing is. The 3 year old will probably want to play in this new game and will start yelling out answers.

You have 2 older kids, so you probably already know this, but keep it fun. I'm teaching my 2 year old daughter colors and shapes a little at a time, screaming out the names of crayons in funny voices and tickling her---and it's working! She gets confused sometimes, but she can find yellow socks or a green shirt, and repeats the funny voices with the colors. Whatever works, right? As far as shapes, I drew different shapes in the colors and I'll say, "Look, a purple star!" She knows purple....so she can find the purple star....and hopefully she'll make the connection that it's a star shape, too. I put the drawings up on the fridge and she points at it and plays with it while I make dinner (along with all the magnets on the fridge). Don't worry, he'll figure it out. He might already know his colors and shapes but he's being stubborn and doesn't want to name them. Kids are funny. :) Good luck!

Answer 3

Can he sort things by color even if he can't name the colors? Like, if you take a bunch of red blocks and blue blocks that are all the same shape (or red and green apples, or whatever) and start putting them into piles and ask him to help you, can he put things in the right pile? If not, you might want to check if he's color blind. No amount of practice is going to help with that.

Otherwise, I'd just play lots of sorting games and color with him a lot. Maybe a shape sorter for the shapes? Make sure it's always part of a game.

Answer 4

I once heard one of the pediatricians tell a mom that teaching preschoolers is far more effective if you can teach them with out them knowing they are learning. If they feel like you are pushing at them, they will back away. On the other hand, if you add in learning colors and shapes into every day occurances, you may have more success. For instance, if you are playing trucks together, you can refer to the trucks by their colors or " Look at those big, round tires!". That way he is learning with out acutally sitting down with a preschool book etc. You can, in fact, use those books but kids his age won't like to use those for any extended period of time.

I hope this helps! Have fun!

Answer 5

I'm sure you've already tried several things since you have two other children. All I know is that my son loves to really be part of the learning. We draw on a dry-erase board and paint on the wall (I put paper up first). As we draw, I say, "Look Gabriel, that's a circle. Can you draw one too?" After a few weeks of it, he really had it down pat. We sing a lot of songs too. He knows all the primary shapes (circle, square, triangle...), all his primary colors, can count to 10 and can sing his ABC's. Its all because we just "play" until he really learns it.

He's 3, by the way.

Answer 6

If he joins in more with his elder brothers then he may take more of an interest. when my 2 eldest were much smaller i bought little foam letters that they could play in the bath with. They come in multi colours and are great for teaching colour and shapes. I only just saw them in a shop last week {the works} I don't know if you will have the same shop where you are but they were a bargain at just £1.99 for a good sized box. x

Answer 7

Do a color at bedtime each night. Say lets do yellow, and talk about things that are yellow. Like lemons, the sun, butter. And get him to visualize it. That gets the gears in his brain turning.

Also go check out a book at the library by a Dr. Perlmutter, it has ideas on activities for toddlers. The title is something about raising your childs IQ by kindergarten.

Answer 8

In that situation i think the best learning method is, for the child that knows all these stuff be around and do everything along with the other, kids love doing what other kids do. let the count together,play together whenever u teaching teach them all at once trust i have done it before with my neice and a child i care for 2 years apart from eachother and they are almost on the same paste

Answer 9

Don't waste your money on lots of toys, use what is around you. We played lots of games esp in the car to see who could find the most red cars or who could spot the most circles. Or play I spy and keep it simple.

Answer 10

Shapes:

Things You'll Need
Watercolor Paintbrushes
Watercolors
Elmer's Glue-All
Plastic Containers
Scissors
Construction Paper
Different Shaped Toy Blocks

Steps
1. Read. Buy and read books that focus on shapes. Your child should be able to recognize shape differences by the age of 18 months. The more you show your toddler shapes, the faster your child will comprehend the differences in shapes.
2. Buy toys that are different shapes or that teach shapes. There are many shape-sorter toys available that will teach your child shapes as well as colors. Buy foam floor mats that promote shape learning.
3. Talk to your child about shapes. There are numerous examples in your daily routine where color will come into play. Say things like, "I see you have a square or rectangle book. You like eating that triangle sandwich, don't you. Do you want me to make triangles or squares for you to eat?" You will be teaching your child valuable language skills as well as shape differences.
4. Point out shapes while you are out of the house. Again, the world is full of shapes for you to show your toddler. Show your child the round fruits at the grocery store. Let you child hold the rectangular and circular monies at the bank. Point out the circular tires on cars. Look at the many shapes on your house and neighbors' houses.
5. Play shape games. Buy different-shaped blocks, and build shape towers. Ask your toddler to get the shape you are building and add a block to the top of the tower. When you clean up, ask your toddler to pick up the square or triangle blocks.
6. Paint. Color. Glue. Cut. Art is the best way to teach your child about shapes and reinforce creativity at the same time. Paint or color shapes on paper while you are doing projects with your child. Cut out shapes, and glue them into objects or just make shape collages



Colors:

Things You'll Need
Watercolor Paintbrushes
Watercolors
Coloring Books
Elmer's Glue-All
Food Coloring
Plastic Containers
Child-safe Scissors
Colored Chalk
Colored String
Bubbles
Colored Toy Blocks

Steps
1. Read. Buy and read books that focus on colors. Your child should be able to recognize color differences by the age of 18 months. The more you show your toddler colors, the faster your child will comprehend the differences in hues and recognize them as different colors.
2. Buy toys that have bright colors to them. Stick to the true reds, blues and yellows, and not the pastel colors. Brightly colored toys will have a greater contrast against the everyday objects in your home and will be easier for your toddler to distinguish.
3. Talk to your child about colors. There are numerous examples in your daily routine where color will come into play. Say things like, "Are you going to wear a blue or red shirt today? Mommy has on green socks. I love your orange ball." You will be teaching your child valuable language skills as well as color differences.
4. Point out colors while you are out of the house. Show your child a red apple at the grocery store. Let your toddler hold a green dollar at the bank. Walk on the yellow or white lines in a parking lot. Slide down the big blue slide at the park. Your options are limitless.
5. Play color games. Put a drop of food color into your bubbles to make beautiful colored bubbles. Let your child chase and pop them. Buy colored blocks and build color towers. Ask your toddler to get the color you are building and add a block to the top of the tower. When you clean up, ask your toddler to pick up the red or blue or green blocks.
6. Paint. Color. Glue. Cut. Art is the best way to teach your child about color and reinforce creativity at the same time. Teach your child to use child-safe scissors and cut colored paper. Put food color in glue and make colored glue designs on white paper.