PATTERN ACTIVITY IDEAS

1. A favourite with young people is just having free time to play and create their
own patterns. This can be done in various ways. Purchase these shapes which
are commercially available and better for the younger child. Another option is to print out the shapes
onto card using a colour printer. Laminate and cut out the shapes.

Skills.
Goals: Visual Perceptual – spatial skills, Simultaneous Processing, Fine-motor, Meta - Cognitive & Planning
2. Use the Smart-Board with a small group or as a classroom activity. The young people follow
the activity on the smartboard but create their own concrete patterns. This helps to engage
each young person to produce output. In addition it facilitates attention for detail, comparing
and Fine-Motor Skills.

3. Encourage children to verbalise what they see. When verbalising information with regard to
position is space they are then developing their Visual Perceptual Spatial knowledge. Additional
Thinking Skills that will be enhanced are their ability to gather information accurately, checking
and attention.
4. As a Language Expressive and Receptive exercise. One young person has to describe the
pattern to another young person that cannot see the design. When finished the young people
compare what they have understood to how the pattern actually is.

5. Activity 4 can be extended to a discussion linked to Emotional Intelligence. What we hear is

not always exactly what is said. Also what is said needs to be thought about if the correct
message is to be delivered? It encourages the need to sometimes clarify what is said and ask
for more detail. I.e. Awareness of language and communication.

6. Emotional Intelligence encouraged by getting the young people to “give it a go.” The concept
that errors are important to help us learn. Courage to try is valued and tolerance of the
uncomfortable emotions that come with frustration, anxiety, fear and disappointment at not
getting in correct.

7.
8. Collaborative Learning. Encourage young people to share strategies they have used to work out
the patterns. What they saw first, which shapes stood out for them, what they did next, how
they handled getting stuck etc.

9. Maths & Fractions. These shapes are fabulous for generating an understanding of fractions.
Yellow is a whole, reds are halves, the blues are thirds, the greens are sixths. Two greens = 1
blue. Create a game using a dice with + and – using these fraction pieces.

10. Create their own patterns for others to copy.

www. © http://www.educationalsupport.com.au “opportunities to enhance literacy skills”

Goals: Visual Perceptual – spatial skills, Simultaneous Processing, Fine-motor, Meta - Cognitive & Planning
Skills.

www. © http://www.educationalsupport.com.au “opportunities to enhance literacy skills”