FM.J.110 MATCHES THE COLOUR PATTERN OF 4 BLOCKS

This exercise offers a variation on earlier colour matching activities. It also introduces the skill of copying a pattern – much used in preschools and schools.

How to Assess

Materials: 8 blocks of 2 different colours – for example 4 blue and 4 yellow blocks.

Method: Take 2 blocks of each colour. Say: ‘I’m going to make a pattern. Look. Arrange your blocks in a row, touching, so that they make a pattern – for example blue, yellow, yellow, blue. Give the remaining blocks to your child, saying ‘You make yours the same’. The child may make his own row on his side of the table or may place his blocks so that they touch yours. The important thing is that they are in the same order.

Give 3 tries, arranging your blocks differently each time. Do not give your child any help by naming the colours or by giving extra information as he works.

Score plus if your child matches your pattern in at least 2 of the 3 tries.

How to Teach

In the early stages of teaching this skill, you can give verbal and/or physical help for each step of the process.

Name the colours as you place your blocks: ‘Look, I put blue, then yellow, then blue, then yellow.’ Encouraging a left-to-right progression (from your child’s point of view), ask: ‘What comes first? What comes next?’ Your child need not name the colours, but he must match one of his own to yours. Most children find it easier to learn this skill if they push their own blocks up to touch the teacher’s blocks.

If an error is made, encourage your child to see the error for himself. Say ‘Look, are they the same?’ Direct him to remove the incorrect block and replace it himself,

As your child gets the idea, gradually reduce your assistance until he is working independently. From time to time you could let him make a pattern and watch you match it.

Playtime and Round-the-house Activities

For variety, this exercise can be done using a peggy board, making a row of pegs instead of a row of blocks. Or use large building blocks, or Lego pieces on a baseboard. You could try using cut-out paper dolls.

Remembering and Extending

To extend this skill, you can make your patterns longer, and introduce more colours. You could also try making patterns with beads threaded on to a string – one string for you and one for your child. A more advanced activity is to make a pattern that repeats itself (for example red, green, blue, red, green, blue) and ask your child to continue the pattern along the same line.