Share your tips how to teach PATTERNS to a toddler

[NadiaD]

I am having hard time to teach patterns to my DD.

Any tips, advice will be helpful!

[Tanikit]

I started with simple patterns and used manipulatives (actual items like pieces of cheese and fruit) and then I started with simple patterns like one piece of banana, one piece of apple, one piece of banana and so on and then let my child keep making the pattern. Or we would do it with toys: one car, one soft toy, one car and so on. Only when she knew the one of this one of that pattern did I move to other patterns.

[Stodd]

I'm doing the same thing, first with simple patterns with actual items and also made some slide shows for him. Wedid it together (circle-triangle-circle-triangle) until he got the rhythm of it and could tell the last missing part. I also made patterns for him to copy, putting the same things under mines. Lately we do it almost every day. Sometimes he he still need help, sometimes he can do it alone. No matter what I try to keep it as a fun thing to do and be happy about what he did. I also like to surprise him (that always help to get his attention), saying: Look! I can make a pattern from these! (even on his plate from peas and corn). I still try many different things in many different ways so he can get the idea of pattern.

[Kerileanne99]

I went to the Craft store and bought about $20 in large, brightly colored mixed buttons. They have them in all shades of the same colors, in geometric shapes like octagons, squares, rectangles, circles, arrows, quatrefoils, you name it... Also different sizes. Something infinitely attractive about a large box of buttons to a toddler, and we are able to use them for so many things, including patterns! We also sort them by shape, color, size, and even categorize them.  We even use them for sight word bingo, stringing, the list is endless.
Hope it helps. Out of all the money I have spent on learning toys, she has gotten the most out of them!

[sonya_post]

Nadia,

See above. Simple pattern of two until they can tell you the next one. I would add to it, since you are using SM and have the keyboard, to use flash cards or fridge magnets and repeat two notes and then use the keyboard to play them and then go back to the flash cards or fridge magnets and see if she can repeat it. Kills two birds with one stone. Also, have her look at all the cards you have lined up as you did in the photo. Ask he questions about them. What does she see? Does she notice that all the colors line up diagonally? Does she notice that the first line is "Do, Re, Mi, etc" across and down? Point that out and then ask what else she sees. You might want to do this with butterflies and other things that have a pattern to them.

It is important for problem solving that she learns to see patterns in all of life. So where you can see them, help her to make the connections. Today we got up, went potty, got dressed, brushed our teeth, ate breakfast. Yesterday what did we do: it was probably the same. What will we do tomorrow?   See, there is a pattern developing.....  Days of the week and months of the year. She may be too young for that, but it won't be long. My son is a big fan of patterns at 16 - finding patterns all over has helped him both with art and math.

Sonya

[NadiaD]

Thank you very much, ladies!
All your advice is very helpful!

[Skylark]

What great ideas, everyone!

We doing patterns with blocks, bids, foods, everything. Interesting my daughter was not "into" patterns for a long time. But she loved sorting things a lot.

Then we got pattern blocks ( by Russian methodologist Nikitin, we love his books and activities) and all of a sudden it clicked. She wanted to play with the pattern blocks over and over again. And then would start discovering patterns in everything.

Here is the pattern blocks we started with: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/_D_I64gQbEk&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/_D_I64gQbEk&rel=1</a> ( Sorry it is an ad for them, but I did not know how to explain what exactly I meant :-)  )

We also use her other color wooden blocks for patters and math.

She loves putting bids on the string. So at first she would master the general skill, then I would ask her to put only red bids, then later when we were learning numbers I asked her to put 1 of one color and 2 of the other, and then repeat. I actually had to couch her as we were doing that, but next time I just told her what to do and she figured it out herself.

So these just a few ideas that worked for us.

It was fun to read what others are doing!

[TeachingMyToddlers]

I also used basic percussion instruments to help teach patterns, along with many of the ideas already mentioned. For example, using a drum or even alternating clapping hands and patting knees, we chant or sing the kids names. Such as Lily-Lily-Owen-Owen-Lily-Lily-Owen-Owen or Lily-Owen-Mommy-Lily-Owen-Mommy. They love this game because it uses *their* names. These are not visual patterns of course, but they are patterns none-the-less. Your Child Can Discover also does a nice job of introducing patterns.

[Mae_Jakob_Ka]

I created powerpoint lessons for my son. He is used to learning through LR so the powerpoint lessons fit him well.

[Kerileanne99]

Another, definitely home-grown patterns lesson I use is with the laundry! For some strange reason, she is desperate for it...I finally opted to keep a large laundry basket filled with clean socks, in pairs, washcloths, towels, anything soft an easily folded...so when it is laundry time, oddly enough, about two times daily, we toss it into the air, make a laundry monster, then get to the business at hand...
We do patterns forever it seems...red sock, blue sock, purple sock, what comes next! Then on to matching, pairs, sorting by type, color, sizes, you name it...she has learned textures, opposites like smooth and rough, crumpled, uncrumpled, every adjective I can dream up! We keep a dry erase board close at hand for writing new words!
Then on to folding...she has learned fractions: whole, half, thirds, and fourths from folding towels and washcloths.  She then is 'allowed' to carefully put them away in drawers and cupboards..where they stay only until she is otherwise occupied and I can retrieve them to put back into the basket! No idea if she realizes or thinks it is strange that our loads tend to resemble each other in consistency!
The point is, we do patterns everywhere in the house!
There is a fantastic MathStart book on patterns about a small boy that goes through the house desperate to find patterns. As he goes through each room, there are patterns everywhere, stripes on siblings T-shirt, arrangement of hangers in closet, that sort of thing...my daughter (24mo) DELIGHTS in pointing out all the patterns that the poor, oblivious character has missed. Highly recommend this book as it has opened a world of possibilities to her...

[Mela Bala]

Hi NadiaD,

I remember in a previous post you mentioned that your daughter loves using crayons.

You could create your own coloring pages  with shapes etc.  And color code the objects for her to follow your directions to create patterns with colors and/or the objects.

The only pattern coloring pages I came across online were or similar to mandalas.
But I did not do an extensive search yet.

[lelask]

I have just received Numicon at home kit and there are many games explained on ho to teach pattern. I am really looking forward to play it with my dd. I am very pleased with the product.

[hypatia]

We use the app Kidspatterns

I couldn't find many free pattern apps, so we focus on matching apps.
There are tons of ABA apps, such as Clean up, ABA what does not belong, matching jobs, vehicle matching.
From alligator apps: Touch and learn. This one is great for children learning English as a second language.

[Kerileanne99]

My mother, who is a kindergarten teacher, just sent me a package filled with learning materials... I have requests( nicely, of course!) that my family stop buying my toddler JUNK!  I gave them a 'Request List', and if all else fails, they now send ITunes gift cards so I can keep the kiddo in fresh Apps!!!

Anyway, Mom sent this fantastic item for patterns.. It is a box set, by Scholastic, ISBN 978-0-545-30194-7.  It is called Learning Mats, and includes 10 2-sided patterning mats, 105 cardboard shapes (squares, triangles, circles, rectangles) and aactivity guide that I haven't read because A and I were too busy figuring out "what comes next?

Highly recommend it! Not anything you couldn't make yourself, but so dirt-cheap and brightly-colored that it wouldn't be worth it!  Not laminated, but the cards are glossy cardboard...I think I will laminate them in my next extra 15 minutes of spare time (next June?) as she loves them....

One note:  the box says recommended for kids five and up, but if you are like me, you stopped looking at those a long time ago    Inch-sized cardboard pieces, so obviously want to watch if you have a teether, but otherwise? Have at it!

[NadiaD]

THANK YOU very much for all wonderful suggestions!
Kerileanne99,
I found the learning mats on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004DJ1JZO/ref=asc_df_B004DJ1JZO1875567?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=dealt439200-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B004DJ1JZO
 we have been using so far Little Patterns App by Grasshopper Apps.

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