Myriora Non-verbal Reasoning › Shape skills › Chapter 1: Seeing shapes

Sides and dots

Ages 7–9Chapter 1 · Lesson 2

In this lesson

Mark one corner, and go round.
Stop when you reach your mark.
Count dots one row at a time.

Your turn

How many sides does this shape have?

Show the answer

Six sides! Mark one corner, and count round until you're back.

The common mistake

Here's a common mistake. This L shape looks simple, so lots of people say four sides. But the corner that goes inwards counts too. Go round, and you get six.

Try it at home

Draw an odd shape and count its sides together, starting from a marked corner. Then swap: your child draws, and you count.

Read the whole lesson

Hello, and welcome to Myriora Non-verbal Reasoning! Lots of picture puzzles depend on counting. How many sides? How many dots? It's easy to lose your place, so here's a way that always works.

Pick one corner, and mark it. Now go round the shape, and count each side as you pass it. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Stop when you reach your mark again. So this shape has five sides.

Dots can be scattered, so it's easy to count one twice. Go along one row at a time, from left to right. One, two. Three, four, five. Six. Going in order means each dot is counted once.

Let's try one together. How many sides does this arrow have? Here's a tip: mark one corner first. Say it out loud!

Seven sides! Mark the tip, and count round until you're back.

Here's a common mistake. This L shape looks simple, so lots of people say four sides. But the corner that goes inwards counts too. Go round, and you get six.

Your turn! How many sides does this shape have? Pick the right card. You've got eight seconds, or pause the video. Go!

Time's up! Six sides! Mark one corner, and count round until you're back.

Quick review. Mark one corner, and go round. Stop when you reach your mark. Count dots one row at a time. See you next time!