Strategies exhibited by good and average solvers of geometric pattern problems as source of traits of mathematical giftedness in grades 4-6

International audienceWe describe and analyse the strategies used by students in primary grades 4, 5 and 6 to solve linear and affine geometric pattern problems. Based on two problems posed in a teaching experiment, we have identified several profiles of strategies used by students to solve the problems. We consider the profiles of students who were good geometric pattern problem solvers as traits that may help identify mathematical giftedness. Our results show that average students used very often incorrect functional strategies and were consistent in using incorrect proportional strategies along the grades. On the other hand, good geometric pattern problem solvers tended to use correct functional strategies, alt-hough, when they had difficulties in identifying the structure of a pattern, they tended to switch to cor-rect recursive strategies, because they are easier to apply and more reliable