2nd Grade Congruent Shapes Worksheet: Same Size and Same Shape?

Give a seven-year-old two identical rectangles, one lying flat and one standing up, and ask if they match. Many will say no, because one looks taller. This 2nd grade congruent shapes worksheet works right on that hunch. A short note at the top gives the rule: two shapes are congruent when they have the same size and the same shape. Then eight pairs follow, labeled a to h, each with two boxes to tick: Congruent or Not congruent. Some pairs are simply turned or moved. Others differ in size or in the number of sides. A second page gives the answer key.

Why turning a shape does not change it

Young children often judge a shape by how it sits on the page. A rectangle on its side feels different from a rectangle standing tall. However, moving or turning a shape changes nothing about its sides or corners.

That idea has a name in geometry: congruence. Two congruent shapes could sit exactly on top of each other. This page builds it gently, with plain words and no formulas.

The pairs are well chosen. For example, the two half circles sit at different heights but match. The two red hexagons share a shape but not a size. So your child has to check both conditions every time. That is careful looking, and it grows into later work on measurement.

At the table: the rectangles and the hexagons

Start with pair a. Your child may tick Not congruent because one rectangle stands up. Instead of correcting, ask, "If we turned it, would it fit?" Let them trace one rectangle on thin paper, then turn the tracing over the other.

Pair b is the opposite trap. Both are hexagons, so a child may tick Congruent at once. Point to the rule at the top and ask, "Same shape, yes. Same size?"

The last pair also deserves a slow look. The two shapes are close in size, yet one has more sides. Have your child tap and count each side of both shapes. Finding the difference alone feels good.

Finally, read each answer aloud before ticking.

Matching pairs off the page

Matching games train the same eye. Play Memory with a deck of picture cards, and talk about why two cards are a true pair. Also, cut out two paper squares of different sizes and ask, "Same shape? Same size?"

Around the house, compare objects that look alike. Two dinner plates usually match exactly, while a saucer has the same shape but a smaller size. Hold one on top of the other to check. Cookie cutters work well too, because each one presses out turned shapes that still match.

When you compare shapes together, praise the checking: "You turned the tracing to test it." Careful testing is the real skill here.