LEARNING PATTERNS — ONE SHAPE AT A TIME | To practice The Basics principle—Count, Group and Compare—we did a simple but fun shape-matching activity using Titus’s play mat. One thing I love about The Basics is how easy it is to turn everyday moments into learning opportunities!
We started by gathering a mix of colorful shapes—circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles. Then, we picked one shape and said its name out loud. Titus’s job was to find the matching shape on the mat. He proudly announced, “This is a triangle!” every time he made a match.
After matching, we sorted the shapes into piles by type—grouping all the circles in one spot, all the squares in another.
Grouping boosts pattern recognition, grows vocabulary, and helps Titus organize his thinking. With just a few shapes and a little curiosity, we practiced math, language, and problem-solving—all while having fun.
By Candace Martin
