Pattern Fish

Book Title: Pattern Fish

Your Name/Posted By: Kate Guidetti

Author & Illustrator: Trudy Harris and Anne Canevari Green

Recommended Grade Level: Kindergarten-2^nd grade or 5-7 years old

CCSSM Standards:

Operations and Algebraic Thinking PK.OA

            Understand simple patterns

2. Duplicate and extend (e.g., What comes next?) simple patterns using concrete objects

Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice:

MP7. Look for and make use of structure

Summary:

Pattern Fish is an interactive book, which encourages its readers to recognize and follow along with the patterns observed within this underwater adventure. Whether it’s a sea horse munching on its food or an octopus gliding in the water, readers are treated to colorful and detailed illustrations of various types of fish gleefully going about their day until a they are frightened away by a clueless shark. Bold lettering and a rhythmic text also help to make for a fun and humorous reading.

Rating:

Overall, I found this book to be an engaging and straightforward way to introduce young minds to the concept of patterns. Embodied throughout the text, illustrations, and boarders of the book, patterns fill the pages with opportunities for endless discoveries and conversations. As such, I highly recommend Pattern Fish as not only a great concept book, but as an interactive read aloud that invites children to actively engage with pattern making.

Classroom Ideas:

A classroom idea that will help to foster some of the concepts observed within the book is a game called follow my pattern. A play on follow the leader, this is a game that helps children to use their bodies to make patterns. During the game, the person designated as the leader challenges the rest of the class to follow and repeat their pattern. I find that this is a great activity to initiate when trying to get the children’s attention and acts as a wonderful tool to help children grasp the concept through movement.

Another activity inspired by this book is to make a pattern collage with natural and recyclable materials found within the classroom. For this project, I like to use unique and interesting objects that the children might find exciting to manipulate—such as seashells, small twigs, acorns, buttons, and bottle caps. Furthermore, using a piece of carboard as the template for their work, students are asked to create a pattern with their choice of materials and then glue them on to their board. Once done, the children are invited to share their pattern with the class and have the other children try and guess what comes next.