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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 — 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.