Growing & Shrinking Patterns

Overview

This 45-minute lesson introduces Kindergarten (Year K) students to the concept of growing and shrinking patterns through hands-on, engaging activities. Students will explore pattern recognition and prediction using simple, concrete examples appropriate for young learners. The lesson aligns with the New South Wales (NSW) Early Stage 1 Mathematics curriculum, supporting developmental outcomes in patterning and number sense.

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Curriculum Links

NSW Mathematics K–6 Syllabus Outcome:

• MAe-3WM: Recognises, describes, copies and continues patterns.
• MAe-1MG: Recognises, describes, and compares lengths, areas, volumes and capacities.
• MAe-2WM (Foundation Year): Copies and continues repeating patterns, identifying the repeating unit .

Although the subject focus here is English, the patterning concepts directly support this fundamental numeracy skill described above and link to language development through vocabulary and description of sequences.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Recognise and describe simple growing (increasing) and shrinking (decreasing) patterns.
2. Predict what comes next in a sequence of objects or symbols that grow or shrink.
3. Use appropriate language to describe patterns (e.g., bigger, smaller, more, less, growing, shrinking).
4. Create their own simple growing and shrinking patterns using hands-on materials.

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Materials Needed

• Sets of objects (e.g., counters, blocks, coloured paper shapes) in varying quantities
• Whiteboard and markers
• Pattern cards showing sequences that grow and shrink visually
• Visual aids with simple pattern lines or pictures
• Chart paper for group work
• Individual student worksheets (optional, simple to keep engagement high)

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Lesson Plan Detail (45 Minutes)

1. Introduction — Explore Patterns (10 minutes)

• Engage students by showing two simple visual patterns on the board: one that grows (e.g., 1 block, 2 blocks, 3 blocks) and one that shrinks (e.g., 5 blocks, 4 blocks, 3 blocks).
• Ask open questions: "What do you notice about these patterns?" "Are the pictures getting bigger or smaller?"
• Introduce pattern-related words in an accessible tone: growing, shrinking, more, less, bigger, smaller. Write these words on the board.
• Use story or rhyme approach with language such as: “The blocks grow taller, taller, taller… What comes next? What if they shrink?”

2. Guided Activity — Hands-On Pattern Making (15 minutes)

• Provide each student or pairs with sets of coloured counters or paper shapes.
• Task: Students create their own growing pattern by adding one more object each time. Then reverse to make a shrinking pattern by taking one away each time.
• During this activity, circulate and ask questions to prompt thinking, e.g., “How many do you have now?” “What will happen next if you add one more/take one away?”
• Encourage them to describe their patterns aloud using the vocabulary introduced.

3. Group Task — Pattern Prediction (10 minutes)

• Show a partially completed growing or shrinking pattern card/image on the board or chart paper.
• Invite students to predict and come to the front to place the next object/picture in the sequence.
• Encourage verbal explanations from students, prompting with questions like "Why do you think this comes next?"
• Repeat with a few variations to consolidate understanding.

4. Reflection and Language Development (5 minutes)

• Invite students to share the words they used to describe their patterns. Record these on chart paper as a class-created vocabulary list.
• Reinforce understanding by asking them to tell a partner what growing and shrinking patterns are, using the new words.

5. Assessment & Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

• Informally assess comprehension by asking simple questions:
  • “Can you show me a shrinking pattern with your counters?”
  • “If this pattern had 3 blocks, what would come next if it was growing?”
• Provide positive feedback and corrective prompts if necessary.
• Optionally, a quick "exit ticket" where students draw a growing or shrinking pattern on a mini whiteboard or paper.

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Teaching Tips to Wow!

• Use tactile and visual supports consistently to solidify abstract concepts for young learners.
• Bring in storytelling elements to pattern work, e.g., “The magic staircase that grows and shrinks” to deepen engagement.
• Use paired talk (turn and talk) after vocabulary introductions to embed language skills in a supportive way.
• Record vocabulary on an anchor chart visible throughout the lesson to help language reinforcement.
• Encourage students to use full sentences when describing patterns to support English language development, e.g., “The pattern is growing because there are more blocks.”

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References to NSW Curriculum

• Patterning at Foundation level is a key Early Stage 1 Mathematics focus, especially MAe-2WM which promotes copying and extending patterns .
• English learning is supported through oral language development aligned to the Early Stage 1 syllabus, where students use language to describe and explain, here about mathematical concepts implemented through patterns.

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This lesson structure provides a rich experiential learning environment combining mathematics pattern recognition with English language development, tailored for the developmental stage of Kindergarten students in NSW schools.