Geoboards

[KaleSprouts]

Has anyone used geoboards with their young pre-k and k aged children to make simple shapes, letters, numbers? Tell me about your experience!

[Miss Tick]

Geoboards are limited by pin placement and size. Our cheap boards did not stand up well to use. I might replace it with a gallon ziplock and a cup of colored hair gel next time

[VeritasMama]

We would just put shaving cream on the table and draw in it. You could also use a baking sheet to contain the mess. I use shaving cream because it is fun and washes easily.

[tabinfl]

We're using a geoboard for learning K/1 level geometry right now. There's a geoboard ipad app, but my crew likes to play with the real thing even more. The app does provide 2 different size boards, sometimes our physical one is too limiting that way (only 5x5? grid). If you're handy, or have a husband who is, I'd imagine you could make whatever size you want for letters and things with a piece of plywood & some finishing nails.

 

My kiddos already know basic shape names, I'm using it to teach & show the more subtle differences (rectangle vs. square, different types of triangles, polygon vs. not-a-polygon). Have not tried it for letters at all.

 

I like it better than pencil and paper for this because it automatically makes the "lines" straight and the verteces clear, but you could accomplish the same by printing out dot-grid pages... or by being a better artist than I am. :)

[LaCEmom]

We did, but we also used shaving cream on the table, a shallow layer of salt, a stick in the dirt, chalk on the fence, etc. I can't really say the geoboard was necessarily enjoyed more than anything else at that age, but if you already have it, or want to purchase one knowing you'll be able to use it later, then why not use it. They are just fun to play with too.

[2queens&1princenmyhouse]

We have the Melissa and Doug geoboard and DS really likes it. It is a bit bigger than the regular geoboard and comes with pre-made pictures. DS is really into that creative type thing, so he enjoys it. He likes to see how he can stretch the bands to make various letter, numbers, etc. I also used it to help DD10 when she was learning perimeter and area of a rectangle, square, etc. Sure, other things work too. It is just something we have and like.

[alisoncooks]

I've not used our geoboards for numbers or letters, but there are several free, printable pdfs to be found online that you can use with them. Little cards that have a picture and your child can recreate it on the geoboard. My kiddos think they are pretty fun....

[KaleSprouts]

We're receiving one of these (link below) as a gift for our 4 year old twins and the family member giving the gift was especially excited about how they would be able to make letters and numbers by following the patterns. I'd never really seen or heard about using a geoboard for that purpose, but I guess I can see how the process of copying a pattern (making a curve in the right direction, placing a straight line in the right spot and at the right length) can be a helpful part of developing writing skills. It looks pretty sturdy and it looks like it should be easy enough for 4 year olds to get the rubber bands around the pegs without getting frustrated. I think what I'll do is make sure they have plenty of patterns and rubber bands to just play with any way they choose without making any specific focus on the numbers or letters. Hopefully we can let it be fun now and maybe that will translate well to using it for math concepts as they grow.

 

http://www.teachersupplysource.com/product.php?productid=93705&utm_source=TS-froogle_Product-Ads&utm_medium=Anatex_Enterprises&utm_campaign=ANT-GB1110&gclid=CIbs3LHI0rYCFQZyQgod4HMA3g

 

 

I appreciate everyone's input.

[Walking-Iris]

That looks awesome. And so much prettier than the plastic one we have. My kids haven't really cared about the geoboard. Usually it's me showing them something and them getting frustrated when they can't do just right. My 5 year old does like to see how many bands he can fit on all at once and then try to pop them off. Usually it turns into a mess of bands. I think one can take them or leave them. I much prefer attribute blocks and pattern blocks to do shapes. And a set of solids. My kids also use a set of lacing cards that come with inset frames. They can put the shapes in like a puzzle, take them out and trace around the shape or the frame and use the laces to "sew" around the edges.