I SEE A PATTERN HERE

Goldstone tackles slides, turns, flips and folds in his latest, a look at patterning.

Beginning with the basic example of repeating elements to define a pattern, Goldstone involves readers right from the start by asking them to complete eight basic patterns made with beads on a string (there is an answer key in the back). He then branches out, describing the many ways patterns can be formed, using basic vocabulary in the paragraphs but including “MathSpeak” speech bubbles at the bottoms of the spreads to introduce readers to the real mathematical terms: translation, rotation, 180-degree turn, reflection, symmetry, scaling, tessellation and transformation. Goldstone’s examples and photos are a mix of modern (a brick wall), natural (a honeycomb), world cultural (Malinese mud cloth) and historical (a Peruvian cloak), and he ingeniously uses them to clearly illustrate each of the patterning concepts; readers are likely to find patterns everywhere they look in their homes and communities. A final bright spread depicts a mosaic and challenges readers to find examples of each kind of patterning presented in the book. The backmatter gives children some ideas for creating their own patterns with plastic blocks, stamps and paper cutouts.

A solid resource for both introducing and reinforcing patterns.