Parents of young children often ask why mathematicians stress pattern recognition and why the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics follows this lead by including pattern recognition in its teaching standards for elementary grades. Pattern recognition is important because it leads children to identify and predict the results of iterative functions.

This may sound intimidating, but the concept isn’t difficult. To iterate means to do over and over again or to repeat: a carpenter bangs a nail with a hammer, driving it further into place with each blow; a computer program repeats a set of instructions a number of times until a certain result is achieved.

To understand iteration as it applies to math, let’s look at a straightforward algebraic function:
F(x) = x + 1         read: the function of x equals x + 1
In simple terms, we’re stating that the result of the function of x will be x + 1.
When x = 1, the result of the function will be 1 + 1 or 2.
When x = 2, the result of the function will be 2 + 1 or 3.
When x = 3, the result of the function will be 3 + 1 or 4.
If you take the output of the first performance of the function and use it as input for the next round, (repeat or iterate) what emerges is a lovely pattern. 2, 3, 4, 5…

Using an iterative function, Fibonacci explained the series nature uses so frequently (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21…). The Fibonacci series is based on adding the last two numbers in the series together to get the next: 1 + 1 = 2; 2 + 1 = 3; 3 + 2 = 5; 5 + 3 = 8; 8 + 5 = 13; 13 + 8 = 21…  Pattern.

Children will approach algebra better equipped to understand these functions if they readily identify and recognize the significance of  pattern.

Tags: National Council of Teachers of MAthematics patterns

Posted by marianne on Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 at 2:21 pm under Reaching children and tagged: National Council of Teachers of MAthematics, patterns. Comment RSS 2.0 feed. Comment, or trackback.