As you have hopefully begun to notice, we spend a considerable amount of time patterning. Although it is a skill that we work on continuously throughout the year, there are times when we zero in on it more intensely. Looking for patterns trains the mind to search out and discover the similarities that bind seemingly unrelated information together as a whole. This encourages children to see the relationship between the parts and the whole. It develops a child’s ability to think logically, to form generalizations and to predict future events. A child, who does not see patterns, often does not expect things to make sense and may see events as discrete and unrelated. A child whose mind has not been trained to look for patterns would see the task of writing the numerals 1-100, for example, as 100 steps, frequently getting mixed up and may not even recognize or correct his own mistakes. In his mind, this child has 100 numbers to learn. A child who looks for patterns compacts the world into smaller units by focusing on the relationship that is the essence of a pattern. This child sees the 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, series repeated over and over again in the job of writing the numerals 1-100 and knows at each step if the work is being done correctly. Seeing a pattern is a self-checking device based on the knowledge that you can trust the world to behave rationally and orderly—it makes sense.
Children who look for patterns become more persistent and flexible problem solvers. They expect a problem to be solvable and when the solution is not correct, they keep looking until they find a solution that works. Their calmness and patience can be partially attributed to their experience that there is an answer to eventually be found. Children, who do not see patterns and so do not expect the world to make sense, may give up in frustration as they encounter difficulty. Problems where you “learn the trick” and get rewarded for the right answer, like 3+6=9, encourages the idea that there is only one solution to a problem. Looking at it from another perspective, “how many different ways can you arrange nine tiles?”, encourages creativity, flexibility and allows multiple solutions to a problem.
Take advantage of various opportunities to capture patterning at home—whether it be in nature, literature, clothing or all the upcoming holiday decorations. Ask your child to rename the patterns using letters (i.e. AABAABAAB) and /or numbers (i.e. 122333122333). This is a bit more difficult. We say, “Describe this pattern ”or “Give your pattern a letter/number name.”
Food for thought…”the way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice.” Peggy O’Mara
Children who look for patterns become more persistent and flexible problem solvers. They expect a problem to be solvable and when the solution is not correct, they keep looking until they find a solution that works. Their calmness and patience can be partially attributed to their experience that there is an answer to eventually be found. Children, who do not see patterns and so do not expect the world to make sense, may give up in frustration as they encounter difficulty. Problems where you “learn the trick” and get rewarded for the right answer, like 3+6=9, encourages the idea that there is only one solution to a problem. Looking at it from another perspective, “how many different ways can you arrange nine tiles?”, encourages creativity, flexibility and allows multiple solutions to a problem.
Take advantage of various opportunities to capture patterning at home—whether it be in nature, literature, clothing or all the upcoming holiday decorations. Ask your child to rename the patterns using letters (i.e. AABAABAAB) and /or numbers (i.e. 122333122333). This is a bit more difficult. We say, “Describe this pattern ”or “Give your pattern a letter/number name.”
Food for thought…”the way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice.” Peggy O’Mara