Patterns

What are patterns?

Patterns are everywhere. By identifying patterns, we can create rules and solve more-general problems.

Children notice patterns in how teachers react to their behaviour. Weather patterns feed into our forecasts. In maths, pupils can measure the area of a rectangle drawn on graph paper, by counting the number of unit squares within it, but this could be difficult or longwinded for rectangles which are really small or large. A more elegant solution is to multiply the length of the rectangle by the width – and it works well for all rectangles. Once pupils can remember this formula, it’s so much faster than counting squares.

In computing, the method of looking for a general approach to a class of problems is called generalisation.

A diagram on graph paper, showing how to calculate the area of a rectangle.

Pupils learn mathematical formulae: these are generalisations.

Why are patterns important?

Computer scientists strive to solve problems quickly and efficiently, and they seek methods applicable elsewhere. If they see a pattern across an algorithm, they’ll look to create a single module of repeatable code, sometimes called a function or procedure – many programming languages have shared libraries of common functions. The recognition of patterns in input data plays an essential role in machine learning. This is an important application of computer science which plays a part in systems for, amongst many other things, algorithmic stock-market trading and the recognition of faces and vehicle number plates.

What do patterns look like in the Primary curriculum?

From an early age, children become familiar with repeated phrases in nursery rhymes. Later, they notice repeated structures in stories. The Primary curriculum mentions the word “pattern” forty times across subjects including maths, science, English, geography and modern foreign languages.

We ask pupils to look for and learn from patterns to help them better understand the world. They might recognise common rules (and exceptions) for spellings, and repeating lines in many musical forms. In maths, pupils typically undertake investigations in which they spot patterns and deduce generalised results.

The sequence of numbers 16, 35, 73, 149 with a blank space for the next number.

Can pupils spot the pattern to reveal the number-sequence rule?

3 - 5 years

Pupils are given practical situations where they can notice patterns, observing and exploring similarities and differences. They can be presented with sets of items which are sortable in various ways. For example, they could be given a water tray and assorted objects, some of which float. We call this exploration tinkering.

5 - 7 years

Across subjects, pupils continue to engage in practical experiences where similarities and differences can be explored. The range and complexity of these scenarios increase.

In maths, pupils look for patterns in more-abstract concepts, including odd and even numbers, negative numbers, multiples and inverse operations.

In English, they spot more-complex spelling patterns, and they listen for patterns in sounds (phonemes).

As they group and classify in science, they’ll notice rules and patterns, for example in animals’ appearance and habitat or in the properties of materials, and they’ll draw on those patterns to make predictions in other investigations.

You should model how to notice patterns, how to think of rules and how to try them out evaluation.

7 - 11 years

You can further model how to identify patterns, generate rules and test predictions. A common questioning tool requiring pupils to look for patterns is to compare and contrast. It’s used at this age across subjects.

Encourage pupils to identify patterns and rules in number sequences; in explaining the patterns back to you, they’ll be using logical reasoning. In maths and science, they might look for similarities and differences in numerical data to answer questions, draw conclusions and make predictions.

Predict-and-test activities help pupils explore theories and deepen understanding. In geography, pupils might be asked what constitutes a good location for a new town. To formulate ideas about town planning, they could look at patterns of existing settlements and test those ideas on maps.

In computing, encourage pupils to spot repetition of code in their programs: encourage pupils to look for simpler ways to achieve a pleasing result. They can experiment with geometric patterns, creating crystal flowers using turtle-graphics commands in languages like Scratch, Logo and TouchDevelop. Further, they can explore how different shapes are produced when one or two numbers have been changed in their program.

Find out more about patterns / Downloads

Isle of Tune app (opens in a new window)

Laurillard, D. (Routledge, 2012): “Teaching as a design science: building pedagogical patterns for learning and technology”

Pattern in Islamic Art (opens in a new window)

M. C. Escher website (opens in a new window)

Computational Thinking in Primary Schools: patterns (opens in a new window)

BBC Bitesize on pattern recognition (opens in a new window)

Activities that are great to get you started:

These activities develop pupils' understanding of patterns.

House Patterns Activity (SEND)

Concepts / Approaches: Patterns
Curriculum Links: Art, D&T

Pupils identify similarities between different houses and then use them to create their own house, spotting and reusing patterns.

The House Patterns Activity (SEND) has been rated 4 stars

Patterns Unplugged Activity: Elephants, Cats and Cars

Age:5-7 years
Concepts / Approaches: Patterns
Curriculum Links: English

An unplugged activity in which pupils spot patterns in sets of pictures and think of general statements to describe these things e.g. elephants, cats, cars. The emphasis is on thinking about what is the same and what is different.

The Patterns Unplugged Activity: Elephants, Cats and Cars has been rated 5 stars

Shapes & Crystal Flowers Repetition

Age:7-11 years
Concepts / Approaches: Repetition, Programming
Curriculum Links: Maths, Art

Pupils design algorithms to draw patterns made of simple shapes before writing a Scratch program to draw their shapes. In doing so, they learn about repetition.