Learning Basic Shapes with the Hokey Pokey

Hi, today I’m going to talk about one way I teach shapes to my students. So, one thing you can do is, you can have shapes pre-cut made out of paper, construction paper, whatever you have available. Today we’re using a rectangle, a square, a triangle, and a circle. So, each student will have one of each shape, and they are going to sit in a circle. And, they’re going to have those shapes in front of them. And what you’re going to do is, you’re going to play the shape hokey-pokey. So, what you do is you’re going to say, when I call out the shape you’re going to pick it up and do the motions that I’m telling you to do in the song. So, for example I’ll say boys and girls pick up your rectangle, we’re going to sing. And so, this is the song I’d sing. I’d say, you put your rectangle in, you take your rectangle out, you put your rectangle in, and you shake it all about. You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around, turn in a circle, that’s what it’s all about. And when you finish, that’s the cue for them to put it down because, you’re going to continue. You’re going to say, put your square in, and they got to find it really fast. You take your square out, you put your square in and you shake it all about. You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around. Turn in a circle, that’s what it’s all about. You put your triangle in, you take your triangle out, you put your triangle in and you shake it all about. You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about. Last one, you put your circle in, you take your circle out, you put your circle in and you shake it all about. You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about. And that’s one song I use to teach shapes. Thanks.