What comes Next?
Finding Patterns
Beginner
Show a simple pattern using weather appropriate clothing items.
Tip: Emphasize what comes next. “First, comes a sock, next comes a shirt, then comes a sock, next comes a shirt…”
Intermediate
Create a more complex pattern and ask how to continue it.
Tip: Create a pattern using weather appropriate clothing, and ask your child to identify and continue the pattern.
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Experienced
Have your child create their own pattern that you will identify and continue.
Tip: The pattern can be based on anything they like: type of clothing, colour, or even what type of weather one would wear the clothing in.
References: Fyfe, E. R., Evans, J. L., Matz, L. E., Hunt, K. M., & Alibali, M. W. (2017). Relations between patterning skill and differing aspects of early mathematics knowledge. Cognitive Development, 44, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2017.07.003 Söğüt, M., Göksun, T., & Altan, A. A. (2021). The role of numeracy skills on the Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST) performances of 5- to 8-Year-old turkish children. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 39(1), 231–246. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12353
Why is this important?
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Understanding patterns is an important skill for the development of early mathematics knowledge.
Looking for more information?
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Check out our Patterns resource to reference throughout the activity!