_Math Station #11: Teacher Station: Patterning and Sequences
Skill/ Content and Objective:
Materials:
Description:
At this station, you will be providing explicit instruction on how to create and interpret patterns and predict sequences. For children who are struggling with pattern creation or simply need more pattern practice, this will provide them with the scaffolded practice they need and allow you to assess students' strengths and weaknesses to better tailor your math instruction.
Check out the video below to learn more about how to use this set.
Skill/ Content and Objective:
- Identify and extend a color pattern
- Recognizing patterns
- Extending patterns
- Predicting
Materials:
- Let's Tackle Math! Patterning and Sequencing Set
- Alternative: build your own tackle kit using a toolbox, various plastic animals; use egg cartons to sort animals .
- Book: The Best Bug Parade (Math Start 1) by Stuart J. Murphy
- Sorting circles
- Assorted materials: attribute blocks, pom poms, foam shapes, etc.
- Magnetic alphabet or foam alphabet letters
- Recording sheets
- Markers and/or crayons and/or colored pencils
Description:
At this station, you will be providing explicit instruction on how to create and interpret patterns and predict sequences. For children who are struggling with pattern creation or simply need more pattern practice, this will provide them with the scaffolded practice they need and allow you to assess students' strengths and weaknesses to better tailor your math instruction.
- Read the book first - and then talk about what attributes mean: the book uses size comparisons - big (bigger, biggest) and small (smaller, smallest) - and length comparison (long and short).
- Use the frogs, worms,and bugs in the set - and the sorting circles - to see if students can sort by attribute relationships: big/bigger/biggest, small/smaller/smallest.
- Then sort by other attributes (again, using the sorting circles): color, shape, size - and by bugs, frogs, and worms. .
- Once children feel comfortable with sorting by attribute, have them create patterns - either on their own or using the spiral-bound activity book accompanying the set (self-checking activities).
- As there is only one sorting tray in the set, use this as the teacher set and have children use egg carton sorters or simply ask them to sort directly onto their desks.
- Ask students to try recreating their patterns into new patterns using other assorted materials (example: frog, worm, frog, worm = red pom pom, green foam square, red pom pom, green foam square).
- Ask students to label their patterns using the magnetic alphabet or foam alphabet letters directly underneath the pattern they created.
Check out the video below to learn more about how to use this set.
ASSESSMENT:
- Use teacher recording sheets to make notes on students' understanding: see Assessment link:
- Many Ways to Do It
- Class Notes
- Have students create their designs as drawings.