“If you line up a few little cars or blocks in a row and ask {child_name} to do the same, will {he_she} copy your arrangement?”
Follow-up: “Does {he_she} get the general idea of 'in a line', or arrange them differently?”
Not yet
Plays with the cars but doesn't line them up
Emerging
Puts two cars end-to-end after you show
Developing
Lines up three or more cars after watching you
Secure
Copies the line easily and sometimes lines things up spontaneously
Lining things up is early pattern work — building blocks for maths later.