High Variability in Learning Materials Benefits Children’s Pattern Practice

Concrete materials (e.g., pictures, objects) are believed to be helpful with learning, but not in all circumstances. Variability in these materials (i.e., using different materials vs. the same materials) could be an important factor. We compared how variability in concrete images influenced children's learning about repeating patterns (e.g., ABBABBABB). A total of 87 children aged 4 to 6 years from the United States (75% White; 44% female) completed an experiment via Zoom in which they received brief pattern training. Children were randomly assigned into Low, Medium, and High Variability training conditions, which differed in terms of whether the same materials were used over and over or they varied in their perceptual features. Children in the Low Variability condition performed better at the beginning of training, but this trend ultimately reversed. Children in the High Variability condition performed best by the end of training and on the posttest. Using variable materials may allow children to extract common structures across instances.