Patterns and Measurement-Mathematics: Ages 3-5

Widely Held Expectations

• Child develops knowledge of patterns
• Begins to recognize duplicates and extends simple patterns using a variety of materials
• Describes patterns in the environment
• Child demonstrates use of measurement
• Uses standard and/or non-standard measures
• Recognizes that different types of measurement can be made (height, length, weight, etc.)

Learning in Action: Examples

The Child

• Sorts buttons, beads or pegs into egg cartons, with each
• compartment holding a different color or size
• Makes a pattern with interlocking cubes (white, blue, green, white, blue, green, etc.)
• Takes leaves brought in from a class walk and arranges them from biggest to smallest
• Uses measuring tools at workbench or water table

The Adult

• Engages in conversations with children about quantity and comparisons as they interact with materials throughout the day
• Encourages children to begin to predict what comes next in a pattern or sequence of events this table is five pencils long.”
• Shows children how to use objects to measure things, “Look, this table is five pencils long.”

The Environment Includes

• Materials of various sizes, colors, textures, and shapes that can be arranged in order as well as sorted and compared blocks, beads, peg boards, matching games, etc.)
• Measuring cups, scales, rulers, unit blocks, etc.

Books for Children

Anno’s Counting Book--Mitsumasa Anno The Doorbell Rang--Pat Hutchins Eating Fractions--Bruce McMillan The Greedy Triangle--Marilyn Burns How Many, How Many, How Many--Rick Walton Is a Blue Whale the Biggest Thing There Is?--Robert E. Wells Moja Means One: Swahili Counting book--Muriel L. Feelings Over in the Meadow--Ezra Jack Keats Too Many Tamales--Gary Soto