A pattern repeats the same part again and again. Red circle, blue square, red circle, blue square... The part that repeats is "red circle, blue square."
Key idea
Find the part that repeats. Then keep repeating it the same way.
Why it works
Patterns are everywhere: on clothes, wallpaper, quilts and floors. Artists use patterns to decorate and to make a picture feel even and calm.
Worked example: Let's look
What is the part that repeats in star, heart, heart, star, heart, heart?
- Say it out loud: star, heart, heart... star, heart, heart.
- It starts over after the second heart.
Answer: Star, heart, heart.
Common mistake
Some children repeat the part once and then change the rule. Say the pattern out loud as you draw, and point to each piece.
For the grown-up. Clap a pattern (clap, clap, stomp; clap, clap, stomp) and ask your child to keep it going. Then turn it into colors or shapes on paper. The next topic turns this into a game.