Chinese Preschoolers’ Pattern Creation: Performance and Predictors

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research Findings: Pattern creation (PC) is creating a pattern unit based on children’s own understanding of the concept of pattern, without being provided with a pattern unit as a reference, and the repetition of this pattern unit to create a complete structure. This study explored the performance and predictors of pattern creation (PC) among Chinese preschoolers at five to six years of age. Altogether 48 children (Mage = 5.44 years, SD = 0.38, 56% girls) from one public kindergarten in Shanghai participated in two experiments designed to test individual PC abilities and cognitive and mathematical skills. The results indicated that: (1) 5 to 6-year-old Chinese preschoolers could create basic patterns of different types (single linear patterns, multiple linear patterns, and circular patterns) and different levels (one-dimensional Pattern, multi-dimensional Pattern, and no Pattern) with various self-designed patterning strategies (e.g., unit extraction, one-to-one appearance matching, counting elements with different colors and shapes, and self-talking); (2) visual working memory and series relations in reasoning ability were significantly related to children’s PC performance, among which the visual working memory served as a unique predictor of children’s overall PC competence. Practice or Policy: These findings provided empirical evidence and a profound understanding of young children’s PC competence and patterning strategies and highlighted the impact of visual working memory and series relations on PC in early learning.