Grade One

Students will explore, recognize, represent, and apply patterns and relationships, both informally and formally.

In grade one, students begin to create and recognize physical configurations for numbers; reproduce, extend and create simple patterns based on numbers; sequence events; create patterns with 3-D solids and 2-D shapes; and use number patterns to help solve addition and subtraction sentences.

Suggestions for Teaching

Children need to be able to recognize (without counting) various configurations, or spatial patterns for small numbers of items. For example:

O O 4+1 = 5 or 2+1+2 = 5
O
O O

OO 3+3 = 6 or 2+2+2 = 6
OO
OO

The use of dice can strengthen recognition of physical configurations.

Provide students with opportunities to discover configurations for numbers on their own and to decide which are the easiest to recognize without counting.

Students need to reproduce patterns using numbers and objects. For example:

4 - 1 - 4 - 1 or OO^^^OO^^^

In doing this, students will have the opportunity to know what comes next in a pattern. Having descriptive words for patterns posted in your classroom is a good idea for primary grades to get them used to the language used in patterns such as "before", "after", "first", "then" and "last". Using geometric figures is a good way to help students to understand such concepts as the name of shapes and the number of sides each shape has. Also, it is important to encourage students to create patterns that are not in a straight line (ex: circular in shape).

Encourage students to use fact families to represent patterns. For example:

3+4=7
4+3=7
7-4=3
7-3=4

This will also serve in helping students with addition and subtraction operations. Providing children with counters or other concrete materials to represent fact families will help to reinforce their understanding of the patterns they are creating.