
Patterns – He tauira Activity
Why do it?
Why do it? — He aha e mahi ai?
Noticing and creating different kinds of patterns is important so that tamariki can:
- strengthen their observation skills
- learn that the world is full of patterns, which helps them to understand more about their world
- increase their awareness of the variety of patterns there are — some which are seen (visual patterns), and some which are heard (auditory patterns)
- learn that some patterns are created by people and some occur within nature
- follow a visual pattern from left to right, which is an important pre-reading skill.
How to do it
How to do it — Te tikanga mō tēnei mahi
- Help tamariki notice the patterns around them — ‘Look at the “repeating” pattern on your striped top. It goes red, blue, red, blue, red, blue!’
- Point out repeating patterns outside — ‘Look, there’s a pattern on the fence: wood, gap, wood, gap!’
- Make patterns using household or natural items: buttons, flowers, leaves, shells, blocks, coins, sticks, stones or stickers.
- Talk about ‘sound’ patterns around them — ‘I can hear a pattern in that haka: Stamp, stamp, slap, stamp, stamp, slap!’
- Make sound patterns for them to copy: stomp, clap, stomp, stomp, clap, stomp.
- Sing a pattern, clap a pattern or use musical instruments in a pattern.
- To begin with, start with a pattern of two elements repeating, and then make the pattern sequence with three or four elements.
- Draw or make patterns on cards for your child to read and copy. It could be a pattern of colours, or shapes, or sizes, or a combination of them.
- Make patterns using things that can be threaded on string like beads, bottle tops or shells.
- Create a pattern on paper for them to copy when threading.
- Make sound patterns using voices, poi or rākau.
Using more reo Māori
Te reo Māori | English |
---|---|
Tauira | Pattern |
Tauira tāruarua | Repeating pattern |
Tuatahi | First |
Tuarua | Second |
Tuatoru | Third |
Ā muri atu | Next |
Mua atu | Before |
Mātāmuri | Last |
He aha te tuatahi? | What’s first? |
Ko te angaanga pāua | The pāua shell |
Te tuarua? | Second? |
Ko te angaanga pipi | The pipi shell |
He aha te mea mātāmuri? | What’s the last thing? |
Ko te angaanga kūtai te mea mātāmuri | The mussel shell is last |
Kōrero mai mō te tauira | Tell me about the pattern |