The activities on Skill Builders - Observation are designed to sharpen observation skills. Observation skills are central to the development of scientific knowledge and vital for the development of Mathematical concepts, such as pattern and shape. A child's ability to recognise and discriminate numbers, letters and symbols depends on his or her ability to look closely and carefully in order to distinguish between similar shapes such as 5 and S, or 9, b, d, p and q or h, n and m.