Children, including young babies, recognise and use patterns every day. Patterns help children organise information, make predictions, and understand the world around them.
EYLF learning outcomes
The Early Years Learning Framework (V2.0) emphasises the importance of teaching children patterns. It specifically asks children to understand how symbols and pattern systems work (5.4).
Children become strong in their physical learning (3.2) when they use their bodies to perform repetitive movement patterns (e.g. jumping and clapping).
Children can create patterns and identify patterns in their environment. This involves learning and thinking skills (4.2) and transferring and adapting what they have learned from one context to another (4.3).
Repetitive books and songs teach children to engage with a range of texts and gain meaning from these texts (5.2).
Learning experiences
Make wrapping paper
Encourage children to make wrapping paper. They can use stamps or stencils to create repetitive designs across a piece of paper. Use the paper to wrap gifts on a special occasion.
Observe nature
- Take children on a walk around your playground or neighborhood and ask them to look for patterns in the environment. Visual patterns are commonly found on leaves, flowers and tree trunks. Also listen for sounds that follow a pattern, like bird calls.
- Look at pictures of animals and identify patterns on their bodies (e.g. Dalmatian dogs and zebras).
- Observe the weather over a period of time. Record the results on a calendar and look for patterns.
Play with loose parts
- Sort and classify loose parts into containers.
- Arrange loose parts into lines that follow simple patterns (e.g. red block, blue block, red block, blue block). An educator may start a pattern and ask a child to add on to it, or children can design their own patterns.
- Thread beads on string so they follow a pattern.
Visualise data
Ask a group of children about their personal preferences (e.g. their favourite colour or lolly). Show children how data can be visualised by recording their responses on a chart or graph.
Encourage the children to observe the visualisation and hunt for patterns. What conclusions can they make? What mathematical language can they use? (E.g. most children like marshmallows but only one child likes licorice. Marshmallows must taste really good!).
Play games with rules
Play simple games with rules with your children - they often follow patterns. Turn-taking has a rhythmic pattern and games like What's the time Mr. Wolf? involve repetitive language patterns.
Explore computer coding
There are an increasing number of resources to support young children in learning computer coding, which uses patterns. Through coding, children can learn about sequences, step-by-step instructions, and repetition. They don't even need a computer to get started!
Play with language
Read books that incorporate repetitive language patterns:
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury
- Press Here by Hervé Tullet
Move your body
Perform dances or action songs that involve repetitive body movements:
- Wheels on the bus
- If you're happy and you know it
- Five little ducks
Make music
Music is based on patterns. An educator can clap or stomp a simple rhythm and ask children to copy it.