THE FWSU STORY: Young Children at GEMS Make Meaning Through Discovery

Children learn best through play and this works very well when you teach a concept such as patterns. As they enjoy activities involving patterning, young learners understand that the sequencing of such items allows for making predictions about what comes next. 

Learning about patterns in the early years of education is an important developmental milestone for children. Patterns help children learn sequencing and making predictions which help children develop mathematical skills, structure, and establishing order in everyday life. Children learn to use patterns to determine the days of the week, months, daily routines, odd and even numbering. Children learn by moving patterns, by watching the way water flows through objects to teach creative thinking and to use building structures and bridges to help children think about constructing and how things fit together.  Children first develop patterning skills by sorting objects by color, shape, size, and similarities such as the number of holes in buttons.  Simple patterns begin to develop when children are exposed to color patterns such as red, blue, red, blue (AB) patterns, and then begin noticing patterns in their daily environments.

In music class, children have been learning about musical patterns by playing colored bells that go along with familiar songs. The children also learned about patterning when trying to keep the beat to familiar songs by tapping on the drum.

Patterns are everywhere in life! Help your child discover them in their homes, outside, or in any environment.