Pattern recognition can help students build predictive thinking skills, logical reasoning, and it can help students learn to look for relationships or patterns rather than individual facts. Students should practice using numbers, which builds mathematical skills, but they should practice using other things too, like letters.

This learning center instructs students to take an envelope with a set of pattern cards, an envelope with a set of answer cards, and a student page. They look at one pattern card at a time to figure out which letter will complete the pattern. They find the answer card that completes it. Then they write the answer card number on the student page. For example, the pattern on card #1 is YJYJYJY___. Students would find the card with the letter "J" on it to finish the pattern. Then, next to "CARD #1" on the student page, they would write the number of the "J" card, which in this case is 9.

Pattern cards feature just two alternating letters, but patterns are arranged in different ways. They are displayed horizontally, in a circle, and vertically to challenge students' visual-spatial skills. When they're done, the student directions tell them to put the cards back in the correct envelopes. Teacher directions are also included to make setting up the learning center quick and easy.