Patterning with Practical Situations and in Nature

Introduction

In today's blog post, we focus again on the Virginia Standard of Learning (2016) for kindergarten math (K.13). It says, "The student will describe, extend, create, and transfer repeating patterns." The Curriculum Framework provided by the Virginia Department of Education suggests analyzing patterns in practical situations like calendars, seasons, and days of the week. We encounter challenges when the actual patterning exceeds the recommended maximum repetition of four elements - AB, ABC, AABB, ABB, and AAB and with only three unique  components - A, B, and C. This post addresses this issue and provides alternative solutions to engage students in pattern exploration.

Analyzing Patterns of Time

Traditionally, the days of the week and the months of the year are examples of practical situations for pattern analysis. However, both present a challenge as the number of unique elements exceeds the recommended maximum of three individual components in the patterning structure. The days of the week, consisting of seven parts (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday), are not represented by the suggested pattern types. Neither are the months of the year due to the presence of twelve unique elements. This time pattern exceeds the guideline of a maximum of three distinguishable features and a maximum of four parts of the core. Most kindergartners will need help analyzing patterns at this level of intricacy. Considering the natural progression of time, it would take a full year to complete, which may not align with the desired learning time frame in the curriculum. Similarly, the seasons also have difficulty fitting into a pattern, as they, too, require a full year to complete the cycle before the occurrence of a natural repeat.

Exploring Alternative Patterns of Time

We can consider alternate situations that align with the recommended pattern structures to address this challenge. One such example is the pattern of day and night, which we observe repeatedly in our daily lives. By representing it as an ABABAB pattern, students can analyze and describe the alternating sequence of day and night, fostering their pattern recognition skills.

Another example is the pattern of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Mealtimes repeat in an ABCABC pattern throughout the week. By engaging students in an activity where they draw one food they ate for each meal and repeat these three times a day, they can actively observe and analyze the ABCABC pattern in their meal schedules on a weekly recording sheet. This experiential approach aligns with the pattern types for kindergarten and promotes awareness of their daily routines.

Exploring Concise Cyclical Patterns for Young Children

Explore short cyclical events that align with five and six year olds level of understanding. For instance, a traffic light can teach children about patterns through the colors (red, yellow, and green) and positions (top, middle, and bottom). The repeating pattern starts with red at the top, followed by yellow in the middle, and green at the bottom. Children can learn to recognize and predict the next color and position, fostering pattern recognition skills and critical thinking. 

Natural and Man-Made Patterns

To further expand students' pattern exploration, we can encourage them to observe natural patterns. Nature offers a wealth of examples, such as the stripes on a zebra's fur or by viewing the tail of a ring-tailed lemur.

These stripe designs can be analyzed using the ABABAB pattern Students can also examine patterns in everyday objects such as the stripes on their shirts, the design on the American flag, or even the striped patterns found on watermelons or gourds.

Natural and manufactured patterns allow students to extend their understanding of repeating patterns beyond the limitations presented by days of the week, the months of the year, and seasons.

Conclusion

While the Curriculum Framework encourages exploring patterns in practical situations like calendars, seasons, and days of the week, the challenges posed by their structure often exceed the recommended core patterns of AB, ABC, AABB, ABB, and AAB. We can offer engaging activities by introducing alternative practical problems like day and night. We can encourage students to observe patterns in nature, in everyday objects and in events. This approach broadens students' pattern recognition skills and nurtures their ability to identify, describe, extend, create, and transfer repeating patterns in contexts that are not contrived.

© 2023 Molly McMahon, Lessons by Molly

(References: 1.  Virginia Department of Education, Standards of Learning, 2016.)

Repeating Patterns: Worksheets Aligned with a Kindergarten Standard

Design with the Standard in Mind

Do you prioritize activity creation? Or do you apply accurate, objective alignment when planning lessons? Today, we look at specific worksheets aligning with a Virginia Standard of Learning for kindergarten math. (K.13, 2016) When used together, these worksheets effectively fulfill the standard's requirements in terms of identifying, describing, extending, creating, and transferring repeating patterns.

Worksheet One - Identify Repeating Patterns

The first worksheet showcases a seasonal theme, with rows of pictures forming repeating patterns. Students identify the core of an ABABAB or ABCABC pattern. They need to circle the core in each row. Examples include alternating right-side-up and upside-down ice cream cones and a row with a repeating butterfly, turtle, and frog.

Worksheet Two - Extend Repeating Patterns and Describe Repeating Patterns

The second worksheet requires students to extend an ABAB pattern using images of whole apples and apple cores. The pattern consists of four full repeats and one partial repeat. Students cut and glue additional pictures to complete the pattern, achieving three full repeats of the core and two partial repeats. Students describe the pattern regarding the material used, choosing between sounds, objects, pictures, and movements.

Worksheet Three - Transfer Repeating Patterns

The third worksheet is dedicated to pattern transfer, requiring students to recreate an ABAB pattern and an ABCABC pattern using pictures. I recommend that students first engage in activities focused on practicing the ABABAB and ABCABC repeats separately. Once they have mastered both individually, they can advance to this integrated worksheet, allowing them to use pattern transfer skills with the ABABAB and the ABCABC patterns.

Worksheet Four - Create Repeating Patterns

Finally, the fourth worksheet encourages students to create a pattern by cutting and gluing various images along a designated path. The range of pictures allows students to design many pattern types, making the outcome open-ended. View the possibilities at the end of this post.

Building Complexity: One Pattern at a Time

The showcased worksheets primarily focus on the ABAB pattern and the ABCABC pattern. It is essential to note that by incorporating additional worksheets, such as those featuring the AABBAABB, ABBABB, and AABAABAAB patterns, the curriculum's suggested pattern types would be fully addressed. This approach ensures that students explore a variety of repeating pattern structures.

Beyond Pictures: Expanding Pattern Exploration

It is crucial for educators to incorporate activities that encompass a broader range of materials than pictures. Incorporate objects, sounds, and movement into patterning exercises. Objects can help students connect abstract patterns to tangible items in their environment. Sounds and movement patterns adds a multi-sensory element to the learning experience.

Objective Alignment: Meeting the Standard's Criteria

Before incorporating an educational resource activity, assessing whether it aligns with the objective we aim to teach is crucial, despite its apparent fun and creative nature.

Upcoming Blog Post

In the upcoming blog post, we will explore natural patterns and assess their alignment with the VDOE Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework, analyzing how they align and where deviations may occur.

Open-Ended Outcomes

Featuring a single worksheet, four distinct patterns are created.

© 2023 Molly McMahon, Lessons by Molly

(References: 1.  Virginia Department of Education, Standards of Learning, 2016.)

Exposing the Gap Between Alignment Claims and Objective: Repeating Patterns

An Eyebrow-Raising Experience

Several years ago, a group of first-grade teachers, including myself, attended a presentation by a math textbook company vying for the textbook adoption contract in our school district. The presenter proudly emphasized that a first-grade teacher created the curriculum. The following day, I found myself in another meeting with the same presenter, this time for the kindergarten textbook adoption. Unbeknownst to her, I had been present at the previous day's presentation. Assuming all attendees were kindergarten teachers, she made a similar pitch asserting that a kindergarten teacher developed the curriculum. If only she had been consistent! She would have maintained her credibility. It's not that I want to be skeptical, but when it comes to educational products, it's crucial to approach them with discernment. Companies trying to make a sale may only sometimes be forthcoming about their products. I have realized the importance of carefully examining any educational resource, and I will raise my eyebrows if the claimed alignment with an objective doesn't align with the provided activities.

Buyer Beware!

In the vast world of educational resources, there is a barrage of claims of alignment to specific standards. Textbooks, online learning websites, and countless printable worksheets all boast about their alignment with the standards we must teach. With such a wealth of options at our disposal, it is crucial that we carefully analyze each resource and determine for ourselves whether they truly support our desired objectives. 

The Learning Objective

Let us take a moment to examine the objective at hand: K.13 - The student will identify, describe, extend, create, and transfer repeating patterns. While this objective may seem straightforward, it is essential to delve deeper and explore the additional insights offered by the Virginia Department of Education Curriculum Framework. Observe these details, as they provide valuable guidance in our instructional decision-making.

"Fully Aligned"???

Image we stumble upon an online learning program that claims complete alignment with our objective. We envision using it as a math center to reinforce the standard. The program advertises various patterning activities that align with our goal, presenting subsets focused on colors, sizes and shapes. The activities instruct students to copy the pattern shown by choosing a shape, color, or size and dragging it into the appropriate space on the screen.

First Set of Activities and Its Insufficiency

Pause and reflect on the objective again: K.13 - The student will identify, describe, extend, create, and transfer repeating patterns. Copying a pattern does not fulfill these requirements. It does not involve identifying, describing, extending, creating, or transferring a pattern. Merely replicating a given pattern does not encompass the objective we strive to teach. The photo of the activity shown below does not have the students extend the pattern. They merely copy the pattern shown above their work space.

Furthermore, we find some significant gaps when we assess the activities provided by this online program. The images used are shapes of varying sizes and colors, neglecting the inclusion of sound or movement. The repeating patterns used are limited to AB, ABC, and ABB, omitting the practice of AABB or AAB patterns. Additionally, there is no progression or leveling between the three patterns used (AB, ABC, and AAB) jumping from one problem to another without allowing focused practice on a specific pattern. This misalignment contradicts the examples cited VDOE Curriculum Framework for kindergarten. Upon closer examination, we also realize that there are statements in bold print to indicate alignment with the curriculum framework. Such as, this statement: "Identify and describe the core (the part of the sequence that repeats) found in repeating patterns of common objects, sounds, movements, and pictures." But the activity does not have students identify or describe the core.

Another Set of Activities - Not Enough to Fulfill the Objective

The next set of activities has a statement that says, "Extend a repeating pattern by adding at least two complete repetitions of the core to the pattern." However, upon closer examination, we discover that the activities do not require THE STUDENTS to add two full repeats of the core.

This misalignment further highlights the disconnect between the claimed alignment and the actual practice. The activity in the photo shown above allows the student to complete one repetition of the core - not two repetitions of the core.

The End-Users are Children

Educational websites that assert alignment to specific standards are misrepresenting their products. Their clients, often school systems with limited budgets, invest in division-wide subscriptions for access. However, it is the children who are the end-users. Kindergarten children are not sophisticated enough to understand the substandard quality of the educational materials delivered to them. As responsible adults, we must speak up on our students' behalf and voice our concerns. Let companies know that their deceptive claims of alignment are fooling no one. It is important to note that just because a website displays the Virginia flag does not necessarily mean the Virginia Department of Education approves it. View the VDOE website for vetted materials and carefully evaluate products you find that they do not endorse.  

Need for Legislation

While we await potential legislation to prevent such false claims, educators must remain vigilant when selecting educational resources. Let us advocate for the best interests of our students and strive for accurate alignment with the standards we teach. Together, we can ensure that our students receive the quality products they deserve and avoid doing business with companies who attempt to deceive us.

Future Blog Post

In my next blog post, I will showcase products that authentically teach the standard, providing indisputable evidence of their alignment with the objective.

Past Blog Posts About Repeating Patterns for Kindergarten

View more about repeating patterns from my past posts and grab a free rubric! Here are the links:

Repeating Patterns in Kindergarten: The Many Layers of a Learning Objective

Kindergarten Repeating Patterns Objective: Unveiling the Five Components

The Magic of Patterns: How Young Children Express Repeating Patterns with Objects, Pictures, Sounds, and Movement

YouTube Video

Watch me demonstrate the activities mentioned in this post on my YouTube channel.  Watch it here: Repeating Patterns in Kindergarten: Activities That Miss the Mark

Get notifications when I post new content on YouTube. Subscribe to my channel here: Lessons by Molly @ YouTube

© 2023 Molly McMahon, Lessons by Molly

(References: 1.  Virginia Department of Education, Standards of Learning, 2016.)

 

Repeating Patterns in Kindergarten: The Many Layers of a Learning Objective

In my previous post, I explored the various ways to express repeating patterns and discussed those that require thoughtful consideration. In an earlier post, I also explained the five essential components and their alignment with Bloom's Revised Taxonomy (2001): Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create. Let's revisit the kindergarten objective from the Virginia Department of Education Standards of Learning (2016): K.13 - The student will identify, describe, extend, and transfer repeating patterns. While the aim emphasizes the importance of repeating patterns, it does not specify which patterns to teach. Fortunately, the VDOE Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework (2016) provides us this five patterns to explore. I have listed them and highlighted the core.

1. ABABABAB

2. ABCABCABCABC

3. ABBABBABBABB

4. AABBAABBAABBAABB

5. AABAABAABAAB

Among these, the most straightforward repeating pattern is the AB, making it an ideal starting point for instruction. Before progressing to more complex patterns, students must master all five components (identify, describe, extend, create, and transfer) of the objective. A solid understanding of these domains within the AB pattern sets the foundation for comprehending more intricate patterns. Once students have mastered the AB pattern, the next step is to select one of the remaining four repeating patterns. The ABC pattern is particularly suitable, as kindergartners can effectively mimic it through movement or sound.

When considering the five types of repeating patterns and the five components, 25 performance tasks emerge! Furthermore, this objective requires using different media types, including objects, pictures, sounds, and movements. However, there's more to this objective than meets the eye. The VDOE Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework (2016) describes identifying the core pattern. The core pattern represents the beginning and end of the pattern without any repetitions. For example, in the pattern ABBABBABB, the core pattern is highlighted. Upon careful examination of the details outlined in the VDOE Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework (2016), it becomes evident that identifying the core pattern aligns with the "identify and describe" component. However, it is essential to note that "identify" and "describe" should not be used interchangeably. We can employ "identify" to name the core pattern and reserve "describe" for elaborating on its repetitions and the media used, such as objects, pictures, sounds, and movements. 

Although not explicitly mentioned within the five components of the objective, the VDOE Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework (2016) also mentions comparing similarities and differences among repeating patterns. This aspect introduces a sixth component to the standard, despite not being explicitly stated in the objective. Furthermore, when given a complete repetition of the core, students are required to replicate the pattern a minimum of two times. Additionally, students must replicate the pattern at least two times when provided with an incomplete repetition of the core.

Regarding the five types of repeating patterns, it is worth noting that first grade does not reintroduce them. The repeating patterns specified in the VDOE Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework for first grade are more complex.

Feel free to utilize the analytic rubric provided below for repeating patterns. However, kindly note the the VDOE does not endorse it. Just tap the image to access it or use the QR code show below.

While the objective of K.13 - identifying, describing, extending, and transferring repeating patterns - provides a clear focus, it is crucial to consult the VDOE Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework (2016) for a complete picture of what children need to know. The framework expands upon the objective, offering specific examples of patterns and highlighting additional aspects like identifying the core pattern and comparing similarities and differences. Relying solely on the objective may limit our perception of the required depth and breadth of knowledge and skills. Embracing the curriculum framework as a companion empowers us to design comprehensive and practical lessons that support students in mastering the complexities of repeating patterns

While exploring educational resources that claim to be fully aligned, we often encounter some that raise our eyebrows. These resources boast alignment with the repeating patterns standards, yet upon closer examination, they may fall short of delivering on their promises. A future blog post will delve into this matter, presenting evidence that sheds light on the accurate alignment of these resources. Stay tuned as we uncover the truth and separate the truly aligned from the mere claims. 

If you missed the previous two posts on repeating patterns, view them here:  

Kindergarten Repeating Patterns Objective: Unveiling the Five Components

The Magic of Patterns: How Young Children Express Repeating Patterns with Objects, Pictures, Sounds, and Movements

© 2023 Molly McMahon, Lessons by Molly

(References: 1.  Virginia Department of Education, Standards of Learning, 2016. 2. A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching and Assessing; A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Lorin Anderson, David Krathwohl, Peter Airasian, Kathleen Cruikshan, Richard Mayer, Paul Pintrich, James Raths, Merlin Wittrock.)