Patterns are one of the earliest building blocks of mathematical thinking, and they support learning far beyond math. Let’s break it down and have a list of activities to go into a lesson with students who have visual impairments, blindness, and/or complex needs.
How using patterns helps students
Patterns strengthen several foundational skills:
🧠 Cognitive development
- Helps children recognize order, predict what comes next, and make logical connections.
- Builds early algebraic thinking, patterns are essentially the first step toward understanding rules and relationships.
🔢 Math readiness
- Supports counting, skip‑counting, and number sense.
- Prepares students for operations by showing how numbers change in predictable ways.
👀 Visual discrimination
- Improves the ability to notice similarities and differences, which is essential for reading, math, and problem‑solving. This just doesn’t have to mean just visually, using tactile manipulatives are even more effective.
🗣️ Language and communication
- Encourages students to describe what they see, hear, or feel and explain their reasoning. Using clapping patterns as a brain break is an easy way to engage students in learning while transitioning to the next activity.
🎨 Creativity and motor skills
- Pattern‑making with objects, drawings, or movement strengthens fine motor skills and creative expression.
Activities that use patterns in a lesson
Here are varied activities that can be used in vision sessions or in the classroom :
🔴 1. Manipulative pattern building
- Use cubes, beads, buttons, or counters to create AB, ABC, AAB, ABB patterns.
- Have students extend or fix a broken pattern.
✏️ 2. Pattern drawing
- Students draw shape or color patterns on paper or whiteboards.
- Try “finish my pattern” worksheets or open‑ended pattern creation.
🎶 3. Clap, tap, move patterns
- Create body‑movement patterns (clap‑stomp‑clap‑stomp).
- Let students invent their own movement sequences for the class to follow.
🧩 4. Pattern hunts
- Search the classroom or school for patterns (tiles, clothing, bookshelves).
- Take photos, sketch, or use raised lined drawings of what they find.
🎨 5. Art pattern projects
- Make repeating line, color, or shape patterns in drawings or collages.
- Create patterned borders for writing assignments.
📏 6. Number patterns
- Skip‑counting with number lines or hundreds charts.
- Identify patterns in addition or subtraction tables.
🧵 7. Pattern bracelets or necklaces
- Use beads to create repeating or growing patterns.
- Students explain the “rule” of their pattern.
🧠 8. Growing patterns
- Use linking cubes to build patterns that increase (2 cubes, then 4, then 6…).
- Ask students to predict the next stage.
🧃 9. Real world pattern sorting
- Sort snacks, classroom supplies, or natural objects into patterns.
- Example: pretzel–cracker–pretzel–cracker.
📖 10. Story or music pattern recognition
- Identify repeating refrains in books or songs.
- Have students act out or echo the repeated parts.
Pattern slides I use with my virtual student
I have a student I tutor virtually who has CVI (cerebral visual impairment). He does really well with the high contrast colored patterns and really enjoys this part of our lesson.
Here are my slides I use for my student: patterns slides
The CVI Book Nook offers some great resources that can be used with manipulatives. I often print out the books, use the movies, and set up corresponding objects.
This is a great resource from the CVI Book Nook Website.
Teaching patterns gives students a powerful way to make sense of the world. When learners recognize patterns (whether in numbers, language, nature, or behavior), they build stronger problem solving skills. It helps develop the ability to predict what comes next and helps them transfer knowledge across subjects. Using these ideas will hopefully inspire ideas with your students who have visual impairments.
