A pattern is something that gets repeated in a systematic way. Patterns help children make predictions because they begin to understand what comes next. They also help children learn how to make logical connections and use reasoning skills. Patterns are all around. There are so many interesting patterns that can be spotted in nature like the meandering river, sun rays, branches of a tree, the petals of a flower and many more. Creating patterns with stripes, polka dots, shapes and so on is the most fascinating activity for the early learners.
Today our EY2 munchkins have had a whoopee time amidst plants in identifying things with which they can create patterns. Care for the plants and respect nature have been the veiled values for them as they been sensitized to not to pluck any thing that is still growing on a plant while performing their task on hand. Their collection has been startling! To start with twigs, flowers and leaves, stones and plants too. Then they have produced their initial pattern with twigs and leaves and then discovered a new pattern with leaves and flowers. Challenges were set, to pave way for building logical and reasoning skills when they were asked to change their pattern to make an entirely new pattern. Thus, they have been aware of the fact that the sequence of repetition is a pattern. In the end, they have invented a march-hop-run, march-hop-run! – pattern to go back to their lovely abode. Ta-da: the learning possibilities are spontaneous and countless!
