Be certain the materials are large enough so they cannot be swallowed. Using hands-on materials to make patterns gives children the opportunity to try the extension of a pattern and make changes as they experiment with the pattern repeat. It also allows them to make mistakes and correct their mistakes without feeling that they have done something wrong. Materials relieve children from the pressure to do it right and help them to feel good about how they solved a problem. Using materials encourages self-correction and an understanding of the task at hand.
Most children enjoy using materials such as cubes to continue many repeats of a pattern.
How a pattern is extended can be introduced to the whole class in several ways. You may want to try a simple ABAB pattern such as boy, girl, boy, girl, or sit, stand, sit, stand. Once the children have grasped the concept, you can begin to have them work in groups or even individually to identify and extend patterns using manipulatives or materials you have gathered. Here are two suggestions to prepare materials for children to use. Children then study and extend the pattern, using the same material.