A recent Storytime program was all about patterns. Learning to recognize patterns is a math skill that is usually taught in kindergarten or first grade, but my Storytime friends did an awesome job with this! We read books about animals with stripes and spots, and then we moved a bit, making clapping and stomping patterns. Here are some of the fun books we shared.

  

  

After our stories, we made a snake craft from colored shapes. Each snake was very unique! This is a craft that you could easily do at home to play around with patterns.

  

You can also include patterns as part of your playtime. Try creating a pattern with blocks or even colored socks. The idea of pattern is closely related to rhythm, so tap out a rhythm while walking. Be creative in recognizing patterns; you’ll start to see them everywhere! Here are four more books that would be great to share with young children.

  

  

The rest of the books shown below are better for older kids; they have more difficult concepts and vocabulary.

  

The last book is a picture book biography about the man who discovered the Fibonacci sequence. Don’t let that intimidate you. The book is very much about perseverance and following your interests.

 

I hope you have lots of fun investigating patterns with your children! Remember that books are a springboard for self-directed learning, so be flexible and willing to follow your child’s interests for more great reading experiences.