Pattern Making & Attributes

Pattern Blocks

Each set of pattern blocks contains six shapes each in its own colour. There are hexagons, squares, equilateral triangles, two kinds of rhombus with 30° and 60° angles and a trapezium. The pieces are 5 mm thick and precision made so that they fit together very well indeed.
Pattern Blocks (250) £13.95 (+ VAT)
Pattern Blocks Activity Cards £10.50 (+ VAT)

Flexiset Logic Shapes

DIME Projects Geoff Giles
These attractive flexible logic shapes are made in plastazote in four colours, four shapes, two sizes and two thicknesses, giving 64 different combinations in all. Five pieces of each type give a total of 320 pieces in the pack. A teacher's guide suggests an interesting range of ideas from simple counting,and shape recognition to quite sophisticated ideas of matching attributes.
Price per pack £15.80 (+ VAT)

Magic Marbles

A collection of colourful spherical magnets which will link together in chains and groups. They can be used for counting, sorting or just playing. They are simply delightful to handle!
Pkt. of 50 £9.95 (+ VAT)

Regular Tilings Project Pack

Geoff Giles

Tilings and tessellations are an important way of conveying to children an appreciation of the fundamental nature and wonder omathematics. There is always a sense of astonishment that certain shapes will fit together in a regular way to generate patterns with no gaps or overlaps and that these patterns can continue for ever This project pack includes six panels of colourful Plastazote, each devoted to a different tessellating shape. There are triangles, three kinds of quadrilateral, hexagons and pentagons with parallel sides. Included with each of the panels there is a workcard setting out a sequence of tasks. A set of teacher's notes puts the work on this topic into context and offers hints and suggestions about the tasks on the cards. £14.00 (+VAT)

Pattern Packs

DIME manipulatives Geoff Giles
The study of pattern is the essence of mathematics. Here, the focus is on repeating patterns which can be made by fitting together shapes that are all the same. There are ten different shapes and each is dealt with on a separate A4 workcard. On one side of each card the shape in question is used to generate a strip pattern and on the other to create outlines with interesting degrees of symmetry. Each pack contains enough material for about seven children.
PP6A Pattern Pack A
(Based on squares) £7.95 (+ VAT)
PP6B Pattern Pack B
(Based on triangles) £7.95 (+ VAT)

Octaflex Shape-Fitting

DIME Projects Geoff Giles
This project offers a very stimulating approach to teaching logical thinking through hands-on practical work. An Octaflex panel consists of 8 plastazote tiles and these tiles have to be physically fitted into various outlines and shapes drawn full-size on special dotty paper. The teacher's notes suggest how to start with this material and include five photocopiable masters of puzzles of increasing difficulty. The pack includes enough material for 8 children.
£4.80 (+ VAT)