By Grade 4, your
child should know
how to recognize,
describe, label and
extend repeating, increasing
and decreasing
patterns. This year,
children will learn
more about number
patterns and how this
information can help
solve problems.
Patterning is an important
skill throughout
the elementary
grades. An understanding
of patterns
allows students to take
the counting pattern
and apply it to numbers
in the thousands
or millions. Students
learn to skip count the
even numbers much
earlier than they learn
about the mathematical
pattern. Gathering
data from algebraic
equations in later
grades is built upon
this knowledge.
Part of the current
learning focuses on
organizing data well.
Back in K, some teachers
kept charts about
attendance or about
who is a bus student
and who walks. This T
chart is a key element
to organizing pattern
data. One standard
problem is about tables
and chairs. If the
school is celebrating
grade 7 graduation,
the students need to
put out tables end to
end in lines. If the tables
are square and can
only fit 1 chair on each
side, how many chairs
will you need if there
are 5 tables in a row?
10 tables? 20 tables?
Why can’t we just
multiply the number
of tables by 4 chairs so
2 tables would mean 8
chairs? Why is it that
when you seem to add
3 chairs that the total
number of chairs only
rises by 2? Building
and manipulating this
pattern with blocks is
an excellent way to
develop true understanding
of the concept.
Then, given data
in a chart, students will
work in reverse to represent
the pattern with
materials.
Have your child try
to build patterns and
create T charts for
these problems:
1) How many cars
will you need to transport
your class of 29
grade 4/5s to the pool
if each car can hold 6
students.
2) If you are making
up take home treats for
the 17 kids who come
to your birthday party,
how many packages of
sparklers will you buy
if there are 4 in each
pack?
3) How many packages
of plates and cups
will you need to buy
to make sure there
are enough for all 68
relatives at the family
reunion if plates come
in packages of 10 and
cups come in packages
of 15? This will need a
3 column T chart.
These problems are
easy to create with
what you have around
the house. Make up
problems about your
pets needing collars or
chickens needing heat
lamps or the wheels on
bicycles and cars and
so much more.
Email for questions
or requests to: domath@
mail.com.
Next Article: Grade
5 Patterning
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