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How to Pattern With Unifix Cubes

Unifix cubes are plastic interlocking cubes that come in an array of colors. In mathematics instruction, teachers use these cubes as manipulatives to teach a variety of skills and concepts related to the subject, including patterning. Patterning is an important pre-math concept in preschool and kindergarten that enables students to see the connections and make predictions. Since Unifix cubes come in different colors, they are an ideal tool to use as a concrete representation of patterns.

Instructions

- 1
  Write a letter or number pattern on the board or on a sheet of paper; ABAB or 1212, for example.
- 2
  Discuss the repetition of letters or numbers in the given pattern with students. Ask them to verbally repeat the series of letter or numbers in the pattern.
- 3
  Provide students with Unifix cubes. Assign a color to a letter or number in the example pattern; red for A or 1 and yellow for B or 2, for example.
- 4
  Encourage children to recreate the example pattern using the Unifix cubes; in this case, red, yellow, red, yellow, red, yellow.
- 5
  Provide examples of more complex patterns and encourage children to use the Unifix cubes to recreate the patterns.

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