Visual patterns: Is your brain wired to see them?

My gifted 3rd graders just wrapped up an exciting deep dive into the math behind visual patterns! They learned to move beyond just seeing shapes to analyzing the underlying rules. We finished our study by playing visual pattern games, which turned abstract mathematical thinking into a fun, interactive challenge!

Students also learned that everyone's brain is wired differently (although any skill can be mastered with enough practice). Research indicates that some brains are functionally and structurally "wired" to be more adept at identifying visual patterns and utilizing spatial reasoning. Some students were able to identify themselves as wired to see the patterns with ease!