Pattern blocks are useful because students can build, move and compare shapes rather than only naming them. The same tile can support shape composition, fractions, symmetry, area and tessellation discussions.
The Daily Maths Review pattern blocks tool gives teachers a screen-based workspace with pattern block tiles, tangram pieces, square, triangle and isometric grids, selected-tile actions, task mats and quick tessellation presets.
Start with one task mat
A blank workspace can be useful, but a task mat gives students a shared purpose. Start with cover hexagon, tangram square, tiling strip or symmetry line, then ask students what they notice about the pieces used.
- Use cover hexagon to compare smaller pieces with a whole hexagon.
- Use tangram square to compose and decompose a familiar shape.
- Use tiling strip when students are ready to describe a repeating unit.
- Use symmetry line when the focus is reflection and matching.
Name the transformation
When students rotate or flip a tile, pause to name the movement. The tool makes it easy to test whether a piece still fits after a turn or reflection.
Load the mixed row tessellation, ask students to identify the repeating unit, then rotate one piece and discuss whether the pattern still works.
Move from building to explaining
After students build a design, ask them to explain it using geometry language. Which pieces cover the same area? Which shapes repeat? What changed when a tile was rotated, flipped or moved?