Patterns in Math
Over the next few weeks, your child will be learning about patterns: both repeating patterns and growing or shrinking patterns. The goal will be for your child to identify, describe, extend, and create patterns. For repeating patterns, the focus will be on naming attributes of patterns and how those attributes change (colour, size, shape, orientation/direction). The focus for growing or shrinking patterns will be on the start number and the amount that is added or subtracted each time.
Throughout this time, you and your child may engage in activities such as the following:
- Your child can look around for repeating patterns and create a list of these. They can ask and answer questions about the patterns, such as “What attributes are changing in the pattern?” (for example, colour and size) and “How are those attributes changing?” (for example, colour: blue, purple, blue, purple, repeat; size: small, big, big, small, repeat) and “What is the part that of the pattern that repeats?”
- Your child can decorate items using repeating patterns. For example, they can create their own notepaper or cards by making a repeating pattern around the edge. They can use shapes, names, and colours for these patterns.
