Pattern and Mathematics: Math Enrichment Activities for Gifted Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Grade Children

The purpose of this project is to provide assistance to the elementary math teacher in meeting the needs of the student gifted in the area of math. A collection of activities is provided to use with gifted intermediate students and should serve as an example of the type of activities appropriate for the gifted student. These activities would be most appropriately used with gifted students in grades four through six. The activities would be of greatest benefit if students were grouped in a homogeneous manner with one teacher taking responsibility for their math needs, Homogeneous grouping would allow for faster-paced instruction and stimulating interaction among the students as well as relieving other teachers of this responsibility and providing continuity to the program. The activities encourage use of higher level thinking and exploration with a variety of materials. The student is encouraged to think and work as a mathematician does, dealing with both inductive and deductive reasoning