Your child will learn about patterns by following and creating simple patterns with toys and other objects.
Learning Area(s): Math
MATERIALS
Objects that can be used to create patterns. Examples include:
- Set of two different colored building blocks (many of both colors)
- Three types of toy vehicles (car, truck, plane)
- Ice cube trays and two or three kinds of cereal or snack items
- Kitchen utensils (spoons, forks, butter knives)
- Objects found in nature (flower, rock, pine cone)
LET'S PLAY
Explain to your child that a “pattern” is when something happens over and over or repeats itself, and that you will be making patterns using toys and other things found around the house. Start by creating a pattern for your child to follow. For example, create a pattern using toy cars in two different colors: red toy car, yellow car, red car, yellow car. Show him how to say the names of the items and their colors, and discuss how they make a pattern (e.g., red, yellow, red, yellow). Then help him figure out what color comes next.
Alternatively, a pattern can be created using different types of toy vehicles. Each vehicle can be driven or flown into pretend “parking spots” to create a pattern, such as car, truck, plane, car, truck, plane. Start with simple patterns before introducing more complex patterns. After demonstrating a couple of patterns and helping your child to continue the pattern by adding on to it, invite your child to make his own pattern for YOU to identify and follow. As he creates a pattern, it is helpful to ask him questions such as: “What comes next?” or “How do you know that yellow comes after red?” This helps him practice explaining what he knows.
TIPS
- Patterns follow a repeatable progression:
- ABAB (example: red, yellow, red, yellow)
- ABCABC (example: car, truck, plane, car, truck, plane)
- AABB (example: crayon, crayon, marker, marker; crayon, crayon, marker, marker)
- AAB (example: goldfish, goldfish, pretzel ; goldfish, goldfish, pretzel )
- Patterns can also be made using sounds or movements, such as clapping, stomping, jumping, skipping.
- Notice patterns everywhere! It is helpful to notice naturally occurring patterns at home, such as stripes on a shirt (red, blue, red, blue) or silverware on the kitchen table (knife, fork, spoon, knife, fork, spoon).