ICT - Symmetry in Year R

This article appears here by kind consent of Nursery World

ICT Supporting a Topic on

Symmetry in YR

by Veronica Carter, Foundation Stage Co-ordinator at Camelsdale First School

We had not actually planned to get a graphics tablet ( electronic sketchpad) but when something we had ordered with our Tesco Computers for Schools vouchers had been unavailable they had sent us, instead, a tablet designed for young children to use. It stayed in its box far too long but eventually I got it set up and set about introducing it to the class.

Initially we used it with the programme Paint which is available on all PCs but have since changed to using a children�s painting programme which is more straightforward for the children, having less options and also, the buttons the children have to click on are considerably larger and easier for them to manage.

All the children were introduced individually to using the tablet and allowed time for experimentation and play. Later they all drew pictures of themselves for inclusion in a computer book along the �All About Us� lines. The tablet was proving its worth already!

In maths we were then going on to look at symmetry. We always did the traditional paint prints using folded paper, both small individual ones and a larger, whole class, one. Having each child colour in a given line drawing of a butterfly allows plenty of time to practice the language of symmetry and check the children�s growing understanding of the concept. We also glued large tissue paper butterflies onto the classroom windows. Butterflies abounded!

Most painting programmes include an option to flip an image either horizontally or vertically and I had the idea to use this option to have the children produce colourful butterflies using the graphics tablets. First we created an outline of a single butterfly wing on the tablet. This was saved and then used as a �template�. Each child then coloured in their own copy of this wing, using any of the paint options they chose. On completion we used the copy and paste option to make a second wing, which was then �flipped� and slid into place alongside the original wing. Finally I found two pieces of clipart which I used as flowery background pictures onto which I placed their butterfly images and printed out two full page pictures which included every child�s butterflies. Not only did this provide an effective way of presenting their work, it also saved on printer ink!

The computer, together with the graphics tablet, provided a visually powerful example of just what symmetry is and this, together with more traditional artwork, led to the children being able to describe symmetry in the following terms by the end of the unit of work.

Symmetry is . . .

"when one side is the same as the other", says Lonita.

"when it is the same on the other side", says Seton.

"the same thing on each side", says Daniel.

"when you do a thing on one side and you copy it on the other side", says Eliot.

"when you do one side and you don�t do different things on the other side", says Emily O..


First an outline of a wing was created by using the electronic sketchpad and tracing around a photocopied and enlarged picture of a butterfly.	This was then used as a 'template' with each child using the electronic sketchpad and the programme Paint to colour in the wing in any way they chose.	A copy of their original was made.	By using the Flip option this copy was flipped over and then slid into place next to the original, giving a symmetrical end result!