Level 1: What comes next?

Patterns and sequences · level 1 of 8 · rough age 5-6 (a guide for parents; anyone can start anywhere)

A pattern is something that follows a rule, so you can tell what comes next. In this level you find the part of a pattern that repeats (the core), give patterns letter names like AB and AAB, and see that the same pattern can be made of beads, claps or dance moves. You learn to find and explain mistakes, to make fair patterns of your own, to see how towers and staircases grow, and to spot patterns in the days, the seasons and the clock.

Lesson	You will be able to
Repeating patterns	Find the core of a repeating pattern, name it AB, AAB, ABB or ABC, and tell what the 10th or 20th bead will be
Patterns you can hear and move	Clap, stamp and dance patterns, and show that patterns made of different things can be the same pattern
Finding the mistake	Find a wrong, missing or extra bead in a pattern, fix it with the smallest change, and explain the fix with "the core is ..."
Making your own pattern	Make a fair pattern by choosing a core and repeating it three times, and list all the cores you can make
Growing patterns	Continue towers and staircases that grow, and say how many blocks the 10th tower has, and why
Patterns in the world	Find repeating and growing patterns in days, seasons, clocks, tiles and birthdays, and use them to look ahead

Next: Level 2: Pattern rules · Patterns and sequences topic page