You've seen them before - the quiet rituals of childhood. The stacking. The scattering. The careful line of pebbles on a wall. These aren't random patterns - they're purposeful explorations. This guide helps you recognise what your child is really working on.

I'm two years old and I'm walking along the edge of the kerb.

My arms are out to the side and I'm 

Read more

On my first day of teaching, I thought I was ready.

Then I met the children.

As Mike Tyson famously said: Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.

I don't remember ever being punched - though I did get a few kicks in the shin and the occasional pinch. But the biggest injury was to my pride.

I thought I knew what I was doing.

But at the end of …

Read more

Here is a girl.

She launches a paper aeroplane across the living room and it is fun.

It dips, it swerves, it flies.

It cuts through the air. Delighted, the girl chases along behind.

At last, it lands gently on the rug.

But the game doesn't stop there.

Back to the start she goes and the plane takes off on another flight.

How many times does she do this? Who kno…

Read more

Lines, circles, and boundaries in play become letters on the page. Discover how Chris Athey's schema patterns transform your child's physical explorations into the spatial understanding and motor control she'll need for writing.

Stand up and go to the door.

Open it.

Walk through it.

Now go to the kitchen and take a cup and fill it with water.

Now drink it.

Yo…

Read more

Do you love schemas?

I love schemas.

They’re the reason for my interest in child development.

If you aren’t familiar with them, I’d love to introduce you.

First, I was just a teacher. And quite an unhappy one.

I knew what to teach: the curriculum. I knew how to teach: the pedagogy. My worries came from not knowing the why.

At university, we were told to give …

Read more

Welcome to Patterns in Play!

If you’re a long-time reader, many of the ideas in today’s email will be familiar to you.

We’re starting with a 30,000 foot overview. In future editions we’ll dive deep into individual schemas and to

But I promise to keep it practical. This newsletter is about finding fun things for your child to explore. We want to offer simpl…

Read more

Here is a boy.

He has been here some time.

His plan didn't quite work and he is deep in thought - but he is not giving up.

The basket is empty, but not empty of promise. It calls to the him. What can you do with me? Hide under me? Fill me? Stack me?

But the boy has other ideas. Going over to the sideboard he returns with another basket, much like the first,…

Read more