The Georgia Early Learning Standards Activity Guides may - gapitc

310
Plenty of Patterns
Here are different ways to introduce three year olds to two-step patterns:
•
•
•
•
Use music to gather the children at Circle Time. Model a “clap, pat knees,
clap, pat knees” repeated pattern to the beat of the music. When the song
ends, tell the children “We repeated the same two things over and over.”
Show the children a simple repeating pattern using blocks such as green,
yellow, green, yellow, green, yellow. Help them match your pattern by putting
the same color block on top of yours.
Arrange six children in a pattern: standing up, sitting down, standing up, sitting
down, standing up, and sitting down. Ask the rest of the children to describe
the pattern and then call them up one at a time to continue the same pattern.
(Special Needs Tip: Let a child in a wheelchair be one of the children sitting
down. The others can sit on the floor.) Try another one such as arms straight
out in front, arms over head, arms straight out in front, arms over head, and
so on. See if the children can help come up with more patterns.
Make a paper chain of two alternating colors of construction paper such as
red, blue, red, blue, and so on. Cut strips of paper so the children can make
their own chains by copying yours. Help them notice the pattern and copy it
over and over. Hang the chains around the room for all to see!
Shape It Up
Cut out squares, circles, triangles, and rectangles in different sizes and colors from
construction paper.
Invite the children to see what they can create by gluing some shapes onto a
large piece of paper.
Ask each child to describe their creation so you can write what they say on the
paper. Ask them to tell you the names of the shapes they used.
Colorful Sorting
Get three shoeboxes and cover the outside of one with red construction paper,
one with blue, and one with yellow.
Place a variety of inch cubes, plastic shapes, bear counters, small cars, and other
red, blue, and yellow objects on a table.
Invite a few children to put the objects in the box of the same color.
Find other things in the classroom that are red, blue, and yellow, too!