Welcome back to the Kinder Club blog! Each week we will focus on an early literacy concept and share fun stories, activities and tips to help reinforce a variety of kindergarten readiness skills.
This week’s concept is patterns!
Patterns are any set of shapes, numbers, letters or objects that are repeated. For example, the squares on a Checkers board and the stripes on a blanket are both patterns. Patterns are an essential building block for higher level math concepts such as skip counting (5, 10, 15, etc.), prediction, problem solving and algebraic reasoning.
Look at the image below. Can you name all the objects in each row? What color are the objects? Look at the top row. Do you know what color smiley face should go in the question mark box? Great! Now, let’s try the second row. Which shape should go in the question mark box for that row? Awesome! Ready for a tricky one? Look at the bottom row with the tigers and flamingos. Do we need to put a tiger or a flamingo in the box to complete the pattern? Should it be large or small?
Click on the video below to watch Mrs. K. share a fun story about Lu and her friends looking for patterns in their daily activities. Patterns are everywhere in our story. How many can you find? Can you finish the following patterns from our story? (It’s ok if you can’t remember the patterns. Feel free to watch the video again to find the answers).
Pitter, pitter, _______! Pitter, pitter, ________!
Boot, boot, ________! Boot, boot, _________!
Milk, apple, cracker, ________! Milk, apple, cracker, ________!
Jump, hop, kick, ________! Jump, hop, kick, _____________!
White sheep, white sheep, _______! White sheep, white sheep, ________!
Bonus: The days of the week make a pattern too! Can you recite the days of the week in the correct order?
Mrs. K. made some patterns on a caterpillar today using construction paper circles. What else could you use to practice making patterns? Do you have any LEGOs at home? You could use LEGOS in different colors, sizes and shapes to make patterns. You could also make a pattern friendship bracelet using different color beads. I bet if you look around your house (inside and outside) you will find many things that make a pattern.
If you picked up a Kinder Club practice packet from the library, have fun completing this week’s activities and stay tuned for our next activity post.
- Kindergarten Readiness Practice: This week we are taking our kindergarten readiness practice to the kitchen. Making patterns using food is always a yummy way to learn! How many patterns can you make during dinner or snack time this week? We’ve provided a few fun ideas for you to try!
Veggie and fruit kabobs:
Use whatever veggies and fruit you have on hand
Toothpicks can be used instead of skewers
Dessert kabobs:
Strawberries, blueberries, bananas, chunks of brownies, waffles or angel food cake, marshmallows
Candy:
M&Ms, gummy bears, jellybeans
Remember kitchen time and food prep ALWAYS require adult supervision and permission.
