Pattern Builders

***Maths is all about patterns and investigating them is a great way to develop understanding***

• Encourage exploration...

• Allow problems to be broken into parts...

• Fill down tool makes pattern building easy...

• Check your pattern as you go...

The pattern builders can be used by a teacher with a whole class, or by children working in groups or in pairs, to develop understanding of a wide range of mathematical topics, from metric equivalences through to multiplication and division of fractions. Guided by the teahcer, children can explore, notice patterns within patterns and, through a process of discovery, formulate, test and establish rules to help them carry out other similar calculations. Rules discovered in this way will mean far more to pupils than those simply given as fact without any exploration as to why they work.

View List of Pattern Builders

Mathematics Through Problem Solving and Investigation  (An explanation of the Principles behind the activities)