by Galen Gregory

Created on: March 04, 2009   Last Updated: March 13, 2009

Pattern blocks, also known as parquetry blocks, are blocks which are flat and come in a set of six geometric shapes. The basic shape is an equilateral triangle, and from this triangle can be constructed the hexagon, trapezoid, and diamond. Two other shapes, the square and the small diamond, cannot be made from the triangle, but are used for building mosaic designs. The blocks can be made of plastic or wood and are usually of a particular color scheme. Pattern cards are available to provide designs to copy.

These math manipulatives are a staple of most preschool classrooms, as well as elementary level classrooms. They can be used for a variety of activities with the preschool students.

First, at the simplest level, they can be used to reinforce basic shape recognition and shape matching. For example, a teacher might give the child a tray full of blocks and ask her to pick out all the triangles or ask her to put the correct blocks on a pattern card.

Pattern blocks can be used with the pattern cards as an activity to learn spatial relations. Instead of making the design directly on the card, which is more of a matching task, the child can build the design on the table, using the card only as a visual guide. In doing so, the child must perceive the spatial relationships of the shapes in the design and reproduce them. Spatial relationships perception is one of the foundation skills necessary for recognizing and writing letters.

Using the four basic shapes of the set, the teacher can teach basic fractions in a concrete manner. For example, manipulating the shapes, the child can discover that two trapezoids form the hexagon and that one trapezoid is therefore one-half of the hexagon.

And, of course, the blocks can be used as an enjoyable art activity, as the child creates their own mosaics or pictures with them.

It should be noted that some preschool children have difficulty manipulating and placing the blocks successfully, as they tend to slide easily out of place on a smooth surface such as the pattern card or the table. This can be pretty frustrating for the child. Providing a set of magnetic pattern blocks can solve this problem.

Pattern blocks are useful tools in teaching preschoolers and elementary age children concepts in the areas of geometry, visual perception, and fractions. Since they have value over the course of at least five years, they are a good investment for both schools and parents.

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