Teaching early childhood students about patterns
Teaching pattern: 1 2 3
When teaching early childhood students about patterns, remember that to begin with they have no concept of what you want them to do. When asked to make a pattern, they may produce a random design like the illustration on the right, and say this is my pattern.
Copy patterns
To help children make sense of the idea of repeating patterns, call them "copy" patterns to begin with as most children have an understanding of this word.
Use a long strip of white card (about 18 inches) and attach it to the table with tape, as little children shift it accidentall and knock the blocks off. Put a green dot on one end to signify, start here, and a red dot on the other end to show the child when to stop the pattern. 
Demonstrate a simple two color pattern first. As you place the blocks down say, "Yellow, orange, now we are going to copy or repeat, yellow, orange..." Continue until the whole tape is filled with yellow and orange blocks.
Then ask the child to copy your pattern with the same color blocks.
Have the children pick the next two colors and make the same ABAB two color pattern. When teaching preschool students, remember that some will need to repeat the process over and over before they understand that the two colors are to be repeated.
When purchasing pattern blocks for teaching young students make sure you buy enough so that all children in the group have plenty to share. Having lots of blocks seems to stop the tendency for children to grab or horde the blocks! Buy blocks through Amazon.com at the link below.
Purchase plastic
pattern blocks
