Do you see the Pattern?

123 123 123...

Understanding patterns provides a clear basis for problem solving skills, develops mental skills, and allows my kiddos to make educated guesses. It's extremely valuable to be able to tell the relation between two things in order to predict and understand how they are interrelated. 

Two activities that I introduced this week to develop an understanding of patterns was Ordering Numbers and Ordering Letters. 

(1) Ordering Numbers... Students received 30 number cards, Ordering Numbers mat, and a Ordering Number Recording Sheet. To start this activity, students turned over their 30 number cards and chose four random cards. With those four random cards, they had to order them from least to greatest on their Ordering Numbers Mat. Students then recorded their numbers on their Ordering Numbers Recording Sheet! 

(2) Ordering Letters... Students received a bag filled with picture cards (glue, backpack and scissors), eight pattern cards, and a piece of paper to record their findings. To start this activity, students had to choose a pattern card. Based off their pattern card they had to make a pattern with the picture cards. For example, this student chose the ABAB pattern card. They then made a pattern with the glue and backpack picture cards. The pattern he chose was glue, backpack, glue, backpack, glue, backpack, etc.