Pattern Fish

Math Is Fun!

by Trudy Harris, Anne Canevari Green (Illustrator)

Book Details: Format: Library Binding Publication Date: 10/1/2000 Pages: 40 Reading Level: Age 5 and Up

A gently humorous book in which groups of fish are described by their bobbing, gliding, swishing movements until...shark! But this is also a wonderfully on target math concept book. Kids are encouraged to recognize patterns, which are everywhere -- in the colors of the fish, the backgrounds, the text, and the borders. A note to readers in the back of the book identifies even more patterns to look for!

Genres: Mathematics, Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Arithmetic, Storytime, School

40 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Trudy Harris, RN, is the New York Times bestselling author of Glimpses of Heaven and More Glimpses of Heaven, a former hospice nurse, and former president of the Hospice Foundation for Caring. Since retirement, Harris remains active in connecting the need

Reviews

[Kelli Dana]

This book is a wonderful tool to use when teaching students about patterns. It shows different patterns and pattern sequences on the bugs. The best part is that it also repeats a patter in the words as well. This book would be wonderful for the younger grade students because they can visually and auditory detect the pattern.

Science Fiction:
When talking about different species or different classification of bugs you could use this book as a guide. This would be another great activity that is best for math but science can easily be integrated. As a class, you talk about the fish's classification, habitat and maybe even the food chain for a lake. This book would be wonderful for k-2 grades.

[Jeanette Rakestraw · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book teaches the concept of patterns through underwater adventure. Great for the mathematical development of children. The patterns are demonstrated by the books use of words, bright colored fish and colored pages. The language allows the children to anticipate what comes next and join in simply by the patterns created. I read this book to my 4yr. old for the first time and she smiled through the whole story. Page after page, she pointed and said the pattern of colors. Great interactive book.
Extention Activity: Let the children create patterns on their own to share using colored blocks, or other objects.

[Sadie Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This adorable and vibrant story is a colorful and rhythmic book that dives into the world of patterns through the lens of underwater sea life. The book showcases various fish with different patterns, which helps children recognize and predict sequences in a fun and engaging way. For students in early childhood, such as kindergarten or first grade, "Pattern Fish" can be used to introduce or reinforce the concept of patterns. After reading this book, teachers could have their students create their own patterned fish with art materials, encouraging them to explain the different patterns they have made. This book is also a great opportunity to incorporate movement by having the children mimic patterns with claps or steps. This can help solidify their understanding of patterns in a multi-sensory way. The book is also very predictable, rhythmic, and supports early literacy and math development. I enjoyed this book and will be using it in my future teaching!

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patterns that range in length from 2 to 4.

We meet a bunch of aquatic creatures in the ocean and talk about the patterns on them, but the arrival of a shark sends them all away.

Love the scavenger hunt to find all instances of a pattern on the page.

Very easy to do audience participation with a group because the text is written for a group to supply the last value in the pattern.

See Pattern Bugs for the same thing with a different story.

[Tina W]

This book caught my eye right off the bat thanks to its bright colors and fun images, and made me interested and inclined to give it a look. And I'm glad that I did, this book just seems like one that would be highly enjoyable.

The patterns are fun to look at, and made even better by their presentation on the different animals. I feel like it would be easy to incorporate movements reflecting the different animals into this lesson and alongside these stories, which will add a layer of depth to the lesson that wasn't previously included.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

About repeating patterns, with the last bit of each pattern on its own page so that it could be completed by readers (after many examples of how the pattern goes). Most patterns here are abab, abcabc, etc., but there is some aabaab. On each page, there's a main focus of the pattern based on one sea creature (either its physical patterning or its actions), but there are many other places to find that same pattern on the page.

This is also the closest to really being a story of the pattern books I've read so far, though it's still light.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that could be used when introducing patterns to your children. It has a lot of repetitive words which are great for the younger students. This book has plenty colorful pictures for your children to look at. It uses different types of fish to talk about patterns that they have and continues this throughout the entire book. If you need a fun book for your children to read that focuses on patterns, this is the book for you.

[Amy Buthelezi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great for teaching patterns to young children. The colorful illustrations show patterns on the animals while the words give examples of physical patterns the fish are making. This book contains repetition that helps children pay attention and predict what will happen next in the pattern.

[Ten_zillions · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would be a good tool to use when teaching young children about patterns. The colorful illustrations show various pattern sequences on the bugs which helps to engage children. It also has repeated patterns in the words which I found to be very clever on the author's part. It could definitely be incorporated in a math or even science lesson.

[Harriet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good for teaching young children about patterns. Full of colourful illustrations and a fun and interactive book with repetition to reinforce the concept of patterns.

Possible activity - draw or have a template outline of a fish and decorate using a pattern - can they identify what the pattern is they have used? (ie AB, AAB, ABB etc).

[Lydia Nisen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Poetry
Grade Level: Early Primary
This book is fun when exploring patterns. I think this book can be linked to an art project about patterns. I think the patterns and illustrations of the book are engaging and entertaining. I think this book shows that patterns are found everywhere and can help kids see the world through patterns. I also like the poetry and how the book is set up.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a great way for 1st and/or 2nd graders to learn about patterns and to be able to recognize what comes next. With this book specifically students could count how many fish are on each page and also predict what pattern will appear next if there was an additional fish on the page.

[Aisha Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great addition to any lesson or teaching of patterns. The repetitive nature of this story helps learners recognize patterns verbally as well as visually. The illustrations contain lots of additional patterns for readers to discover.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 5 year old said it was "boring" and too simple. "Two stars." My 3 year old said "A thousand stars!!" So average to 4? He also loved the surprise ending and is still talking about it. Note, this is meant to be geared towards Preschoolers, so my 3 year old WAS the intended audience. :P

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy used this one for a Math storytime. It is super darling!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be a great mentor text for teaching patterns. As an extension, you could dance patterns, craw patterns, teach musical patterns or use number patterns. Great book for integration.

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fantastic interesting story with captivating illustrations.!

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Using ocean animals the author illustrats patterns that then ask the reader to fill in the part of the pattern. Cute. Preschool and up

[E & E’s Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book about patterns using fish to help kids understand this math concept

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great way to help kids notice different kinds of patterns.

[Amy Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book based on different types of patterns!

[Victoria Rimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great resource to introduce simple patterns to young children. They love to complete the patterns as you read!

[Janin · Rating 3 out of 5]

When reading it to someone else, I recommend starting with the instruction/ pattern explanation at the back and THEN reading them the story.

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun. 2 year old liked it too

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun ocean-themed book about patterns. The rhyming narrative is short and helps children anticipate the next part of a pattern. And the illustrations are very vibrantly colorful and cartoonish.

The book is a bit young for our girls, and I wish I'd found it a few years ago. Still, it's entertaining to read aloud and certainly encourages interaction with the reader. We enjoyed reading this book together.

[Michaila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a picture that book that shows many different kinds of patterns through fish. It does have some words, but they help support the picture pattern.

I would use this with Kindergartner's and maybe a few select students from my first graders. I would read the book to students and then have fish that students would create a pattern in. We would hang the pictures up around the room to help solidify our learning of patterns.

[Candace]

I really love this book. It helps children learn patters and what creates a patter. red, blue, red. it uses fish to show patterns. there is so much as a teacher you can do with this book, you can have them produce their own patterns, you could hide patterns around the room and have them find them and it describes different types of patterns.

[Lindsey Stronczek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fun book is one that can be very enjoyable for students to read. This book can also be used cross curricular in teaching about patterns. Not only will students see patterns in the text, but they will see them in the illustrations as well.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

A. Really fun read aloud for kinder and 1st grade students learning about patterns and/or marine life. Kids will love looking for the different patterns and supplying the word missing from each repeated set.

[Bernadette Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book!!! Great lesson on progressing patterns, hence the title. But the patterns have a dynamic math lesson in the midst of them as well. Great new vocabulary to explain in such an entertaining way on how the fish move through the water. The rhyming and graphics are so fun and engaging :)