8 What's missing

In this video, we introduce “What’s Missing?”, a simple, screen-free activity designed to develop young children’s mathematical thinking and reasoning skills. Using a grid of repeating shapes, children are first encouraged to observe patterns and describe what they notice, before being challenged to identify missing elements when shapes are removed. As the difficulty increases—from one missing shape to multiple—children must rely on pattern recognition, memory, and logical reasoning rather than guesswork. The activity adapts to different ages and abilities, helping build attention, structure recognition, and problem-solving skills that are essential for later maths learning. Visit AxiomTutoring.com and subscribe to @AxiomTutoringCourses.