Domain: NC Foundations for Early Learning: Cognitive Development (CD)

Subdomain: Mathematical Thinking and Expression

Goal: Children compare, sort, group, organize and measure objects and create patterns in their everyday environment.

Skill Progression: Patterning

Age: 21-24 Months

Click here to go to all skills for ages 21-24 Months.

Discuss patterns with the child.

Say, “I see a pattern in this room. Do you see a pattern?” or say, “Tell me about what’s on that rug?”

Children have heard the word pattern and know it relates to something that has a design of some sort.

Help early childhood educators and parents understand and talk about patterns which are important for all areas of life, including math, science, reading, history, music, dance, etc. Patterns help children organize information, process information, and solve problems. Repeating patterns help children see “chunks” for learning (the flag has stripes in red, white, red, white); while growing patterns add on to a pattern in a systematic way (e.g., counting by two’s).