Patterns are everywhere but as adults sometimes it's easy to overlook them. Taking some time to really look and point them out to your child is an easy way to develop early math skills. This guest post from Whitney Hollingshead highlights some everyday ways to bring patterns to the forefront.
Helping your child recognize patterns and complete pattern sequences are key ways that you can help them develop a solid foundation for future math skills. Check out the fun suggestions below that you can use with your child.
Recognizing Patterns
Patterns are everywhere. You can help your child recognize patterns in the world around them as they go about their daily routines. Here are some examples of recognizing patterns in your child’s world:
Clothing - From stripes and plaids, to polka dots and prints, odds are that at least one article of clothing on your child contains a pattern of some sort. When your child gets dressed for the day, point out a pattern that they are wearing. After several days of drawing attention to clothing patterns, ask them if they can find a similar pattern on another item in their closet.
Bedding - Does your child have a favorite blanket? Does the blanket show a pattern? Point out this pattern to your child. Quilts are an especially fun way to discover patterns as many of them have patterns within patterns. For example, your child’s quilt might have a triangle, triangle, square pattern, and a red piece, blue piece, green piece pattern.
Clothing - From stripes and plaids, to polka dots and prints, odds are that at least one article of clothing on your child contains a pattern of some sort. When your child gets dressed for the day, point out a pattern that they are wearing. After several days of drawing attention to clothing patterns, ask them if they can find a similar pattern on another item in their closet.
Bedding - Does your child have a favorite blanket? Does the blanket show a pattern? Point out this pattern to your child. Quilts are an especially fun way to discover patterns as many of them have patterns within patterns. For example, your child’s quilt might have a triangle, triangle, square pattern, and a red piece, blue piece, green piece pattern.
You can teach older children specific quilt pattern names like those described here.
Nature - Nature is full of patterns! Many animals have rings, spots, or stripes. Plants, trees, and especially flowers have patterns that are easy to spot. Take your child on a nature walk, a simple hike, or a trip to the park, and play a game to identify all of the patterns you see in nature along the way.
Routines - Does your child do things in a particular order every day? For example, does your child eat breakfast, get dressed, and then feed the dog? This is another type of pattern to discuss with your child. Weekly routines are also important to point out, such as “you go to dance class every Tuesday” and “we visit grandma every Sunday”. Ask your child what comes next in their daily or weekly routines.
Shopping - You can use patterns to keep your child entertained while at the store. Challenge them to find patterns on the shelves or racks, or even in the tiles on the floor. Point out the routine of shopping as well by making statements like “We find what we need. Then we put it in the cart. Then we go to the checkout line and then we give the worker our money. Then we take our stuff to the car.”
Routines - Does your child do things in a particular order every day? For example, does your child eat breakfast, get dressed, and then feed the dog? This is another type of pattern to discuss with your child. Weekly routines are also important to point out, such as “you go to dance class every Tuesday” and “we visit grandma every Sunday”. Ask your child what comes next in their daily or weekly routines.
Shopping - You can use patterns to keep your child entertained while at the store. Challenge them to find patterns on the shelves or racks, or even in the tiles on the floor. Point out the routine of shopping as well by making statements like “We find what we need. Then we put it in the cart. Then we go to the checkout line and then we give the worker our money. Then we take our stuff to the car.”
Practicing Sequences
Once your child starts to recognize patterns, help them complete pattern sequences by using one of the interactive suggestions below.
Colors - Use candy, beads, blocks, or fruity cereal pieces. Show your child a sequence and have them repeat it. Then start the sequence over and have them finish it. Try some of these sequences:
Red, orange, red, orange
Blue, green, green, blue
Purple, purple, yellow, purple, purple
Green, red, yellow, blue, green, red, yellow, blue
Orange, purple, green, orange, purple, green
Colors - Use candy, beads, blocks, or fruity cereal pieces. Show your child a sequence and have them repeat it. Then start the sequence over and have them finish it. Try some of these sequences:
Red, orange, red, orange
Blue, green, green, blue
Purple, purple, yellow, purple, purple
Green, red, yellow, blue, green, red, yellow, blue
Orange, purple, green, orange, purple, green
Movement - Get your child moving with some fun action sequences. Say the words while doing the actions and repeat the sequence multiple times:
Jumping jack, jumping jack, clap, clap
Sit down, stand up, reach up high
Jump left foot, jump right foot, take a bow
Mermaid, nose to floor, mermaid, nose to floor
Run in place, freeze, jump in place, freeze, run in place
Music - Using rhythm is another great way to practice patterns and sequences.
Body rhythm - stomp, clap, stomp, stomp, clap, clap
Ice cream jug & plastic spoon - long, quick, quick, long, quick, quick
Rice grains inside container - shake, shake, pause, shake, shake, pause
Sing - sing any song that has the same chorus following each verse
Toy keyboard or real piano - play a pattern of notes and have the child repeat them
Jumping jack, jumping jack, clap, clap
Sit down, stand up, reach up high
Jump left foot, jump right foot, take a bow
Mermaid, nose to floor, mermaid, nose to floor
Run in place, freeze, jump in place, freeze, run in place
Music - Using rhythm is another great way to practice patterns and sequences.
Body rhythm - stomp, clap, stomp, stomp, clap, clap
Ice cream jug & plastic spoon - long, quick, quick, long, quick, quick
Rice grains inside container - shake, shake, pause, shake, shake, pause
Sing - sing any song that has the same chorus following each verse
Toy keyboard or real piano - play a pattern of notes and have the child repeat them
Item Associations - Use items around the house to create pattern sequences on the floor or table. Here are some ideas to get you thinking:
Mom’s shoe, dad’s shoe, Noah’s shoe, mom’s shoe, dad’s shoe, Noah’s shoe
Cracker, cookie, cookie, cracker
Pillow, blanket, pillow
Comb, toothbrush, comb, toothbrush
Anna’s toy, Noah’s toy, Anna’s toy, Noah’s toy
Recognizing patterns in everyday life and practicing sequences is easy and fun. Just follow the suggestions above!
Mom’s shoe, dad’s shoe, Noah’s shoe, mom’s shoe, dad’s shoe, Noah’s shoe
Cracker, cookie, cookie, cracker
Pillow, blanket, pillow
Comb, toothbrush, comb, toothbrush
Anna’s toy, Noah’s toy, Anna’s toy, Noah’s toy
Recognizing patterns in everyday life and practicing sequences is easy and fun. Just follow the suggestions above!
