THE WORLD OF GEOMETRIC SHAPES FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS (FOUNDATIONS OF GEOMETRY)

The article examines the methodological features and practical significance of teaching the elective course "Fundamentals of Geometry" aimed at developing geometric concepts, spatial thinking, and logical reasoning in primary school students. The empirical study was conducted at the Republican Physics and Mathematics School (RPMS) in Astana, involving 28 fourth-grade students (14 in the experimental group and 14 in the control group). During the pedagogical experiment, ethnopedagogical elements (patchwork quilt patterns, symmetry of national ornaments), the "Tangram" puzzle, and modern ICT tools (GeoGebra) were integrated into the lessons. The dynamics of students' cognitive development were evaluated using the international Van Hiele levels of geometric thinking. The research results demonstrated that this practice-oriented approach successfully facilitated the transition of the majority of students in the experimental group from Level 1 (Visualization) to Level 2 (Analysis) according to the Van Hiele model. The proposed guidelines and task samples are recommended as practical support for primary school teachers, educators in supplementary education, and mathematics specialists.