Sortingand

Patterning

Ideas for the Early Childhood Classroom

Jan SteigerwaltESASD Math Coach

Sorting and Patterns

• Sort into categories• See relationships• Visualize how things work

together• Recognize and create patterns

These are the first steps of Algebra!

Math Skill Development

• Explore similarities and differences

• Manipulate objects and categorize• Use reasoning skills

• Think mathematically• Problem solve

• Use math vocabulary• Talk about why�

PDE Standards

What is the connection between the Learning Standards for

Pre-Kindergarten and

Kindergarten?

Sorting

What kinds of sorting activities do you have in your classroom?

Sorting Attributes

Sort and Classify• Color• Shape• Size

• Function

Getting Started

Start with groups of similar things that have similar attributes except for one

Getting Started

Talk about why they are sorted this way, and give students additional shapes to add to the sort.

Eventually collections of objects can include more attributes.

Sort by Color

Sort by Shape

Sort by Size

Objects to Sort

• Buttons• Coins

• Shapes• School supplies

• Art supplies• Food

• Small toys • Dollar store items

Sorting Organizers

• Sorting mats• Hula hoops• Boxes, baskets• Sectioned tablecloths• Plastic containers• Ice cube trays, egg cartons, muffin

trays• Placemats

Sorting Activities - When?

• Morning Welcome• Centers• Playtime• Art Time

• Snack Time• Clean up

Sorting Books

• Sorting by Henry Pluckrose• The Button Box by Margarette Reid• Grandma’s Button Box by Linda

Aber• Cat Show by Jayne Harvey• 3 Little Firefighters by Stuart

Murphy• Sort it Out! By Barbara Maricond

Patterns

What can students do?• Copy a pattern

• Extend a pattern• Describe the pattern’s rule

• Make a pattern

Types of Patterns

• Sound patterns• Movement Patterns• Color Patterns• Object Patterns (repeating)• Picture Patterns (repeating)• Nature/environment patterns

Sound Patterns

• Rhythm instruments• Songs

• Farmer in the Dell• B-I-N-G-O• Old MacDonald

• Patterns in literature• http://www.aacintervention.com/repeatl.htm

Movement Patterns

• Clapping patterns as a ready signal• Clap-Snap, Clap-Snap, Clap-Snap• Hop-hop, clap-clap, hop-hop, clap-clap• Sit, stand, sit stand• Hands up – hands down, Hands up –

hands down, Hands up – hands down,• Tap your head – touch your nose, Tap

your head – touch your nose, Tap your head – touch your nose

• Drama – fly like a plane – up, down, up, down

• Line up at the door – boy, girl, boy, girl•

Color Patterns Make paper chains for count downs to special days

• Valentine’s Day - red and pink• St. Patrick’s Day - light green and dark green• 4th of July - red, white, and blue• Halloween - orange and black• Christmas - red and green

Create patterns pictures using crayons, markers, paint, colored cut outs

Object Patterns

• Use center time or free play time to observe your students as they practice patterning skills with:

• Blocks• Toys• Crayons

• Art materials• Buttons

Stringing Patterns To make stringing easier, use

sturdy strings such as shoe laces, heavy cord string, ribbons, or yarn.

• Beads• Colored pasta• Colored straws cut into 1/2

inch pieces• Fruit loops

Picture Patterns • Glue pasta shapes onto poster board to make a

pattern border. • Use stampers and ink pads or sticker dots to

create a pattern• Draw shapes to make a pattern.• Make a pattern using calendar shapes.• Create patterns with colored construction paper

cutouts.• Glue buttons on a snow man to make a button

pattern

Nature and Environment Patterns

• Find patterns in clothing – stripes, checks, colors

• Look for patterns on the walls, floor, windows – anywhere you look!

• Discover patterns in nature – on leaves, flowers, animals, footprints in the snow

Literature for Patterns

• Changes, Changes by Pat Hutchins (Aladdin, 1987)

• Beep, Beep, Vroom, Vroom! By Stuart Murphy (HarperCollins, 2000)

• Pattern Fish by Trudy Harris (Millbrook Press, 2000)

• Pattern Bugs by Trudy Harris (Millbrook Press, 2001)

• Math Counts: Pattern by Henry Pluckrose (Children’s Press)

Websites for Patterning Ideas

• http://www.kaplanco.com/preschool-math-activities.asp (Math materials to purchase)

• http://www.maththeirway.com/pub/docs/chapter9.pdf

• http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/2031.html• http://www.kellyskindergarten.com/math/math_ac

tivities.htm

• http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/patterns.html• http://www.kidzone.ws/prek_wrksht/math-readines

s/patterns.htm

How to Make Colored Pasta Beads

• Put about 1 cup of uncooked pasta in a baggie.

• Add a few drops of food coloring and work into the pasta, adding more food coloring as needed.

• Add 2 teaspoons of rubbing alcohol and work around pasta pieces. Pour pasta onto a lined cookie sheet and allow to dry.

• Experiment with different pasta and colors

Teacher Resources

• Integrating Math Into the Early Childhood Classroom, Martin, Joan and Milstein, Vicki, Scholastic, Inc., 2007

• Nursery Rhyme Math, The Mailbox, 2004• Math: Preschool - Kindergarten, The Education

Center, 2003• Math - Skill Based Reproducible Activities, The Education Center, 2003