Early Years Typical Progression Chart with additional guidance for practitioners

Pattern
Seeking and exploring patterns is at the heart of mathematics (Schoenfeld, 1992). Developing an awareness of pattern helps young children to notice and understand mathematical
relationships. Clements and Sarama (2007) identify that patterns may provide the foundations of algebraic thinking, since they provide the opportunity for young children to observe
and verbalise generalisations.

The focus in this section is on repeating patterns, progressing from children copying simple alternating AB patterns to identifying different structures in the ‘unit of repeat’, such as ABB
or ABBC. Patterns can be made with objects like coloured cubes, small toys, buttons and keys, and with outdoor materials like pine cones, leaves or large blocks, as well as with
movements and sounds, linking with music, dance, phonics and rhymes. Children can also spot and create patterns in a range of other contexts, such as printed patterns, timetables,
numbers and stories.

Activities and opportunities Practitioner notes

Continuing an AB pattern
Children need the opportunity to see a pattern, to talk • building towers or trains of different-coloured cubes
about what they can see, and to continue a pattern. At (continuing patterns horizontally and vertically)
first, they will do this one item at a time, e.g. red cube,
• extending patterns using a wide range of identical
blue cube, red cube…verbalising the pattern helps.
objects in different colours, e.g. beads; small plastic toys
Children may then be asked to say what they would add
such as bears, dinosaurs, vehicles. Try to avoid
next to continue it.
interlocking cubes or bead-threading so children can
focus on the pattern rather than their coordination skills.

Copying an AB pattern

Copying a pattern can be difficult for children if they have • accessing a range of patterns to copy. For example,
to keep comparing item by item. AB patterns are easiest – using the plastic bears: big, small, big, small, big…
when presented to children, these should contain several footwear: shoe, welly, shoe, welly..., actions and
repeats, to ensure that the pattern unit is evident. Discuss sounds: jump, twirl, jump, twirl, jump… or clap, stamp,
the nature of the pattern: how has the pattern been clap, stamp…
made? Patterns can have a range of features such as
• collecting things in the outdoors environment: leaf, stick,
varying objects, size or orientation.
leaf, stick…
 Activities and opportunities Practitioner notes
Make their own AB pattern

As children progress from continuing to copying patterns, • challenging the child to change one element of the
they can be challenged to change the sample pattern or pattern they have created, e.g. ‘Can you change the red
to create their own. A range of objects can be provided for bear to a blue bear? What is the pattern now?’
children to decide what the features of the pattern are
• ensuring that there are numerous opportunities to create
going to be. Children may find it easier to make a pattern
patterns – e.g. in the outdoors, using natural materials
with the same colours as the original but with different
such as sticks, leaves, stones, pine cones; in craft
objects. For example, copying a red–blue cube pattern
activities, using stamping, sticking, printing; with musical
with red and blue dinosaurs is easier than with yellow and
instruments, using sounds such as drums, shakers,
green cubes. Patterns can involve different aspects and
triangles, etc.
modes such as sounds, words or actions: some children
will need suggestions, while others will think of their own. • working collaboratively with a friend to take turns to
As children construct the patterns, ensure they have create a pattern, e.g. one claps, one stamps, or one gets
opportunities to: the red bear, one gets the yellow bear, etc.

• repeat the unit at least three times (big bear, • challenging a friend to continue or copy their pattern.
small bear; big bear, small bear; big bear, small
bear). This is to ensure the child can sustain the
pattern
• make a specified pattern, e.g. ‘Can you do a
green, yellow pattern?’ This is to ensure the child
can apply their pattern understanding
• choose their own rule, e.g. ‘I am going to make a
big, small pattern.’ This is to ensure the child can
identify pattern features/rules/criteria
• choose their own actions or sounds, e.g. clap,
stamp… This is to help children generalise the
idea of pattern.

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 Activities and opportunities Practitioner notes
Spotting an error in an AB pattern

When working with AB patterns, children also need the • presenting patterns with deliberate errors, including
opportunities to spot and correct errors. It is easiest to extra, missing and swapped items, e.g. red cube, blue
spot an extra item, then a missing item, then items cube, red cube, blue cube, red cube, red cube, blue
swapped around. When presented with an AB pattern, cube – identifying there is an extra item and fixing it by
children can be encouraged to describe it to make sure it removing the extra red cube, putting in an extra blue
is right. Then, to detect an error, they can track the cube, or swapping the final cubes
pattern from the start. To begin with, children may know
• asking the children to make a pattern with a deliberate
there is something wrong, but might not be able to say
mistake and challenging a friend to spot it.
what the error is. They then might take several attempts
to correct it, before being able to repair the error in one
move.

Identifying the unit of repeat

The key aspect of understanding patterns is identifying • highlight within a pattern what the unit of repeat is and
the smallest part of the pattern, or the ‘unit of repeat’ You ask the children to describe it. At this point for pattern
can draw children’s attention to this when building novices (children who aren't as experienced as others),
patterns by picking up a unit at a time, e.g. a blue block it would be good to do this with physical objects so that
and a red block together, and describing this as a ‘red- the unit of repeat can be moved to show how it repeats.
blue pattern’, rather than a red, blue, red, blue, red, blue Patterns that are printed, stamped or stuck down, and
pattern. Children can also be asked to show the pattern therefore cannot be corrected, are more appropriate for
unit which repeats, e.g. show two blocks, a red and a blue more confident pattern makers.

December 2018
 Activities and opportunities Practitioner notes
Continuing an ABC pattern

Once children are secure with alternating patterns, they • building towers or trains of different-coloured cubes
can tackle more complex pattern structures: (continuing patterns horizontally and vertically)
ABC has more items in the unit of repeat, but all • extending patterns using a wide range of identical
different, e.g. red, blue, yellow; red, blue, yellow… objects in different colours, e.g. beads; small plastic toys
ABB is more challenging because they have two such as bears, dinosaurs and vehicles.
items within the same unit of repeat, e.g. red, blue, Try to avoid using interlocking cubes or bead-threading, so
blue; red, blue, blue… children can focus on the pattern they are constructing rather
ABBC is more complex because it is longer, with than on their coordination skills.
three items, but also includes items which are the
same, e.g. red, blue, blue, yellow; red, blue, blue,
yellow…
AABB may be simpler as there are just two items,
both repeated, e.g. red, red, blue, blue; red, red,
blue, blue…
Children who have only experienced alternating ABC
patterns may state that patterns such as ABBC are not
patterns, as you cannot have two of the same colour next
to each other. This highlights that children need lots of
experience of a range of pattern types, so early
misconceptions do not form about what makes a pattern.
When working on continuing these patterns, children
should be encouraged to focus on the unit of repeat, e.g.
‘I see you are making a red, blue, green pattern’. Ensure
that children repeat the pattern at least three times and
are encouraged to describe and say how they would
continue.

December 2018
 Activities and opportunities Practitioner notes
Continuing a pattern which ends mid-unit

As children work on patterns involving more elements, • providing a range of patterns – physical and on cards –
they can be challenged to continue patterns which do not that children can continue
end after a whole unit of repeat. Provide experiences
• ensuring that the patterns offered have different
where the given pattern stops mid-unit.
structures and end after a complete or a partial unit.

Make their own ABB, ABBC patterns

As with the first stages of making an AB pattern, the same • utilising a range of items in the environment to create
range of experiences needs to be provided when the unit patterns such as interlocking cubes and toys, e.g. links,
of repeat extends. A range of objects can be provided for elephants, camels
children to decide what the features of the pattern are
• exploring and creating patterns on peg boards, with fruit
going to be. Patterns may include varied items and
(e.g. fruit kebabs), musical instruments, movements and
modes, such as sounds and actions. Ensure that children
dance sequences.
have opportunities to:
• repeat the unit at least three times (big bear,
small bear, medium bear; big bear, small bear,
medium bear; big bear, small bear, medium
bear). This is to ensure the pattern can be
sustained over a longer duration
• make a specified pattern, e.g. ‘Can you do a
green, yellow, blue pattern?’ This is to ensure the
child can apply their pattern understanding
• choose their own rule, e.g. ‘I am going to make a
big, small, small pattern.’ This is to ensure the
child can identify pattern features/rules/criteria
• choose their own actions or sounds, e.g. clap,
stamp, twirl… This is to support children in
generalising pattern structures.

December 2018
 Activities and opportunities Practitioner notes
Spotting an error in an ABB pattern

When working with ABB patterns, children also need the • presenting patterns with deliberate errors
opportunities to spot and correct errors. It is easiest to
• once children have fixed the pattern, encouraging them
spot an extra item, then a missing item, then items
to check the ‘fix’ by tracking the pattern
swapped around. When presented with an ABB pattern,
children can be encouraged to describe it to make sure it • asking the children to make a pattern with a deliberate
is right. Then, to detect an error, they can track the mistake and challenging a friend to spot it.
pattern from the start. To begin with, children may know
there is something wrong, but might not be able to say
what the error is. They then might take several attempts
to correct it, before being able to repair the error in one
move.

Symbolising the unit structure

As children become more experienced with pattern- • including the following phrasing in discussion and
continuing, -extending and -creating, encourage them to dialogue: ‘This is a red blue pattern; this/that; I call it an
record the patterns that they make. Initially this might be A (one of these) then a B (one of those).’
straightforward representations, but over time these
• constructing patterns with actions and developing
recordings may become more iconic, e.g. a red dot
symbols to show the pattern and to provide ‘instructions’
representing the red dinosaur, a squiggle or the letter R
for someone else to follow the pattern
for red dinosaur. As this progresses, encourage the
children to symbolise their patterns in a range of ways, • inviting friends to copy the pattern from the symbols.
and to use these symbols to continue the pattern to
demonstrate their understanding of the pattern. Children
may, with adult direction, pick up on the coding of
patterns as AB, ABB, ABBC, etc. One additional level of
challenge is to create symbols for movement/sound
patterns, as the children need to construct a symbol with
less concrete/visual support.

December 2018
 Activities and opportunities Practitioner notes
Generalising structures to another context or mode

As children gain experience of symbolising patterns, they • providing a range of experiences where children can
develop their experience of pattern structure. As they create a pattern using a coding structure
identify the unit of repeat and express it, they will be able
• ensuring children can follow the patterns they have
to use this knowledge to create a pattern in a different
coded.
medium, which follows the same structure.
For example, a child might be working with a pattern like
this:

You may ask them to describe the pattern, what comes

next, what the rule is for their pattern, etc. If a child can do
this confidently, they could be asked to recreate the same
pattern rule with different objects.
‘Can you use the nature basket to create a pattern with
the same rule?’
The child would need to recognise they need three
different items, one of which is duplicated. They may say
they will use a twig instead of the circle, a leaf instead of
the square, a conker instead of the triangle, and create
this instead:

December 2018
 Activities and opportunities Practitioner notes
Making a pattern which repeats around a circle

As children become more experienced with the structures • making circular patterns such as necklaces, circles of
of patterns, they can investigate whether patterns can linking elephants or camels
continue indefinitely in a circle. Linking elephants, camels
• using pre-given circles to create a border, such as on or
or making a necklace can provoke discussion about this.
around a paper plate
You then might lead discussions about whether the
pattern works and how you can tell. If it doesn't work, can • exploring which patterns work, which don't, and why
children explain why, and correct it so it does? Circles • offering a unit of the pattern and asking the child if they
allow children to adjust the circle size, so they can add or can include it in their pattern
take out items.
• making patterns around rectangular or other shaped
frames.

December 2018
 Activities and opportunities Practitioner notes
Making a pattern around a border with a fixed number of spaces

This is where the children explore creating a pattern • creating borders around defined spaces in the learning
around a given space. In these sorts of activities, children environment, i.e. a garden for the teddy bears, an
have the additional challenge of recognising if their outdoor reading area, etc.
pattern can ‘work’ – fit into the given space. It is useful to
• encouraging children to predict if the pattern could ‘keep
include indoor and outdoor spaces, e.g. creating an
going’, voting on this and discussing their thoughts and
outdoor reading area and defining it with a border of
reasons with a partner.
carpet tiles. Children can create a pattern on the carpet
tiles with cubes to see if their pattern works, e.g. one
coloured cube per tile.

A pattern that works: A pattern that doesn't work:

When exploring if a pattern works or not, draw attention to

the number of spaces and the size of the unit of repeat.

December 2018
 Activities and opportunities Practitioner notes
Pattern-spotting around us

As children become pattern experts, look for opportunities • exploring patterns in stories, songs and rhymes
to spot and study patterns in the environment. These
• where possible, representing these diagrammatically to
patterns could be in construction, fabric, wrapping paper,
support pattern-spotting, and predicting what will happen
wallpaper, etc. Look for opportunities to identify the unit of
next, and why
repeat and explain how it repeats.
• inviting children to spot patterns in the home
Consider other patterns, such as growing patterns,
environment, or bring in examples from home
extending a cross shape, or spotting ‘staircase’ patterns
of numbers going up in ones or twos. Children may make • looking at fabric patterns from different cultural
and spot spatial patterns, for example reflecting shapes or traditions: discussing the patterns in terms of what stays
reversing an image. the same and what is different
Stories and rhymes present a good opportunity to explore • designing wrapping paper for a specific event that
a growing pattern, e.g. ‘There was an Old Lady who involves creating a pattern which the children can
Swallowed a Fly’, or ‘A Squash and a Squeeze’. Explore describe.
representing these diagrammatically – to see a staircase
pattern, for example.

Common errors in this area may include: What to look for

• not recognising a pattern such as ABBA (e.g. stating that patterns cannot Can a child:
have two of the same colour together) • continue, copy and create an AB pattern?
• when copying or extending a pattern, changing it before making three • identify the pattern rule (unit of repeat) in an AB pattern?
repeats
• continue, copy and create ABB, ABBC (etc.) patterns?
• spotting that there is an error but not being able to describe it
• identify the pattern rule (unit of repeat) in ABB, ABBC (etc.) patterns?
• identifying an error but not being able to correct it
• spot an error and ‘correct’ a pattern?
• correcting an error by making a ‘local correction’, which just moves the
problem along (e.g. by adding an extra item when colours have been • explain whether a circular pattern is continuous or not?
swapped)
• describing the whole pattern instead of identifying the part which repeats, or
the unit of repeat.

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December 2018