NCERT Ganita Prakash, Class 8, textbook pages 107–145 (Part 1)

How to teach Class 8 Maths Chapter 4, Quadrilaterals, at home

Properties of quadrilaterals, taught with things you already have at home: a 30-minute activity, a game for the week, a 5-day plan and the mistakes to watch for.

parallelogram: diagonals bisect each other

NCERT Class 8 Maths Chapter 4 Quadrilaterals: what it teaches

Your child studies rectangles, squares, parallelograms, rhombuses, trapeziums and kites: their sides, angles and diagonals, and how they relate. The angle sum of a quadrilateral is 360°.

Why it matters later. Quadrilateral properties are used in area (Part 2), coordinate geometry and proofs in Class 9.

See it: this chapter in pictures

rectangle: equal diagonals
Only rectangles and squares have equal diagonals.
rhombus: diagonals at 90°
Rhombus diagonals cross at right angles.
quadrilateral = 2 triangles2 × 180°= 360°
A diagonal splits it into two triangles.

You need

  • paper strips and split pins
  • ruler and protractor
  • squared paper

Tonight’s 30 minutes

  1. Make a parallelogram from four strips joined with pins. Push it: what stays equal, what changes?
  2. Draw each quadrilateral and its diagonals. Measure them.
  3. Cut a quadrilateral into two triangles to show angles sum to 360°.
  4. Sort: is every square a rectangle? Every rhombus a parallelogram?

Words to use

  • parallelogram
  • rhombus
  • trapezium
  • kite
  • diagonal
  • bisect
  • 360°

Watch for

  • Thinking a square isn’t a rectangle. A square has all rectangle properties plus equal sides.
  • Assuming all diagonals are equal. Only in rectangles (and squares) are diagonals equal.

What it sounds like at home

A short example of the conversation. Your words will differ; the questions are what matter.

YouIs every square a rectangle?

Your childYes, with equal sides too.

A game for this week: Who am I?

  1. Describe a quadrilateral by properties: “diagonals equal, sides not all equal”.
  2. Others guess (rectangle).
  3. Swap roles.
  4. Harder clues score more.

A 5-day plan, 30 minutes a day

  1. Day 1Strip parallelogram.
  2. Day 2Diagonals of each shape.
  3. Day 3Angle sum 360°.
  4. Day 4Family tree of quadrilaterals.
  5. Day 5Who am I? game.

Everyday moments to practise

  • Door frames.
  • Kites.
  • Tiles and floors.
  • Road signs.

Quick check

Ask these at the end of the week. Tap to see the answer.

Angle sum of a quadrilateral?

360°.

Do a rhombus’s diagonals meet at right angles?

Yes.

Opposite angles of a parallelogram are?

Equal.

Ready for the next chapter when your child…

  • Names properties of each quadrilateral.
  • Uses the 360° angle sum.
  • Explains relationships between types.

Activities, wording and illustrations are Mathify Kids’ own, following the topics of NCERT’s Ganita Prakash (Class 8). See the full Class 8 parent guide for every chapter.

Questions parents ask

Is a square a rhombus?

Yes: all sides equal. It is also a rectangle.

What is a trapezium?

A quadrilateral with at least one pair of parallel sides.

Why do quadrilateral angles add to 360°?

A diagonal splits it into two triangles.