What your 2-year-old understands about patterns—and why it matters

Research suggests that a preschooler’s ability to recognize, understand, and repeat patterns—what experts call “patterning skills”—helps with math skills later in life. “The ability to identify sequences happens through exposure,” says cognitive science researcher and STEM expert Jennifer Weeks, Ph.D. “The best way to encourage an understanding of patterns is to give your toddler lots of examples.”

What your 2-year-old understands about patterns now

Between 24 and 36 months, many children are building the skills to identify patterns. At this age, your child may be able to tell when objects in a sequence are the same size, shape, or color. For example, if you use The Block Set to create a “cube-plank-cube-plank-cube-plank” pattern, your 2-year-old may understand that all the cubes are the same shape. Over the next year, they’ll gradually start to understand that “cube-plank” is a core unit of repeat and that the pattern can be continued by adding another cube followed by another plank. Giving them opportunities to consistently engage with patterns is the key to unlocking that understanding. 

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6 ways to encourage your toddler’s pattern recognition skills:

1. Point out the patterns all around you

To help your child identify and understand a pattern, point it out, then repeat it three times. For example, you might say, “Look at my shirt. It has a striped pattern. Black, white; black, white; black, white.” Repeating it just twice—”black, white; black, white”—often isn’t enough to help them pick up on the sequence. 

2. Bring attention to family routines

Point out the patterns in the routines your child does each day. For example, when it’s time for bed, talk through the steps: “It’s 7 p.m. We need to go upstairs and run your bath. Then we will wash you, put on your pajamas, read some books, and then it’s time to sleep.” You can use the Let’s Map it Out Routine Cards from The Helper Play Kit to help your child visualize the sequence. 

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3. March to a pattern

Try marching around the house with high knees, verbally repeating the pattern of your legs: “Left, right, left, right, left, right.” Then, add your arms to the mix: “Left, right, clap, left, right, clap, left, right, clap.”

4. Explore patterns during snack time

Arrange your child’s snacks in a pattern around their plate, then point out the sequence: “Cheese, cracker, raspberry. Cheese, cracker, raspberry. Cheese, cracker, … ?” Briefly pause to allow your child to think and respond. Prompting them to complete the pattern can help them recognize its underlying structure—even if they can’t finish the sequence. 

5. Look for repetition in music

Put your hands over your child’s and clap together to an easy beat, like “Hickory Dickory Dock” or “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.” Clapping along to music can draw your toddler’s attention to the repeating musical elements. You can also invite them to tap along on the Pentatonic Pat Bells from The Lovevery Music Set.

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6. Play a matching pattern game

Use the Paintsticks from the Anywhere Art Kit to draw a pattern of colored circles—like blue, red, yellow—several times on a piece of paper. Invite your child to place corresponding dots from the Drop & Match Dot Catcher into the circles. When they’re finished, point out the pattern they made. For a challenge, ask your child which two dots would come next. 

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Learn more about the research:

Rittle-Johnson, B., Fyfe, E.R., Hofer, K.G. and Farran, D.C. (2017). Early math trajectories: Low-income children’s mathematics knowledge from ages 4 to 11. Child Development, 88: 1727-1742.

Learn more about the research

Rittle-Johnson, B., Fyfe, E.R., Hofer, K.G. and Farran, D.C. (2017). Early math trajectories: Low-income children’s mathematics knowledge from ages 4 to 11. Child Development, 88: 1727-1742.