Exploring Patterns

Mixing It Up: Matching and Sorting Activities Encourage Early Math Skills

During their second year, children start to understand that the world contains many patterns, both natural (e.g. day and night follow each other) and manmade (e.g. tiles on a floor, stripes on a blanket). This skill continues to blossom so that during their third year, children are able to classify different things into groups. They are also able to match objects with similar features. Your child may put all his blue blocks in one pile and the red ones in another pile. he may compare the color of the marker he's using to the one that you have, or he may easily complete a matching puzzle. If you ask him to help put away silverware, he'll be able to match the forks with forks and spoons with spoons. Encourage this early math skill with different matching and sorting games and household tasks, such as sorting his socks or putting different types of toys in different bins.

Has your child achieved the following Exploring Patterns milestones yet? If yes, check off all of the skill(s) he has already mastered to date.