diff --git a/packages/core/src/skeleton.js b/packages/core/src/skeleton.js
index 42f7b4a..673456e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/skeleton.js
+++ b/packages/core/src/skeleton.js
@@ -423,6 +423,32 @@ function unpackScoped(a, k) {
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+function match(p, v) {
+  let captures = Immutable.List();
+
+  function walk(p, v) {
+    if (Capture.isClassOf(p)) {
+      if (!walk(p.get(0), v)) return false;
+      captures = captures.push(v);
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    if (Discard.isClassOf(p)) return true;
+
+    const pcls = classOf(p);
+    const vcls = classOf(v);
+    if (!Immutable.is(pcls, vcls)) return false;
+
+    if (pcls === null) return Immutable.is(p, v);
+    if (typeof pcls === 'number') return p.every((pv, i) => walk(pv, v.get(i)));
+    return p.fields.every((pv, i) => walk(pv, v.fields.get(i)));
+  }
+
+  return walk(p, v) ? captures : false;
+}
+
+///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
 module.exports.EVENT_ADDED = EVENT_ADDED;
 module.exports.EVENT_REMOVED = EVENT_REMOVED;
 module.exports.EVENT_MESSAGE = EVENT_MESSAGE;
@@ -430,3 +456,4 @@ module.exports.Index = Index;
 
 module.exports.analyzeAssertion = analyzeAssertion;
 module.exports.instantiateAssertion = instantiateAssertion;
+module.exports.match = match;
diff --git a/packages/core/test/test-skeleton.js b/packages/core/test/test-skeleton.js
index cf7643a..1cfe074 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/test-skeleton.js
+++ b/packages/core/test/test-skeleton.js
@@ -266,4 +266,71 @@ describe('skeleton', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('matching a single pattern against a value', () => {
+    it('should accept matching simple records', () => {
+      expect(Skeleton.match(Immutable.fromJS(A(1, 2)),
+                            Immutable.fromJS(A(1, 2))))
+        .to.equal(Immutable.List());
+    });
+    it('should capture from matching simple records', () => {
+      expect(Skeleton.match(Immutable.fromJS(A(1, _$)),
+                            Immutable.fromJS(A(1, 2))))
+        .to.equal(Immutable.List([2]));
+    });
+    it('should reject mismatching simple records', () => {
+      expect(Skeleton.match(Immutable.fromJS(A(1, 2)),
+                            Immutable.fromJS(A(1, "hi"))))
+        .to.equal(false);
+    });
+    it('should accept matching simple lists', () => {
+      expect(Skeleton.match(Immutable.fromJS([1, 2, 3]),
+                            Immutable.fromJS([1, 2, 3])))
+        .to.equal(Immutable.List());
+    });
+    it('should accept matching nested lists', () => {
+      expect(Skeleton.match(Immutable.fromJS([1, [2, 4], 3]),
+                            Immutable.fromJS([1, [2, 4], 3])))
+        .to.equal(Immutable.List());
+    });
+    it('should capture matches from simple lists', () => {
+      expect(Skeleton.match(Immutable.fromJS([1, Capture(2), 3]),
+                            Immutable.fromJS([1, 2, 3])))
+        .to.equal(Immutable.List([2]));
+    });
+    it('should capture discards from simple lists', () => {
+      expect(Skeleton.match(Immutable.fromJS([1, Capture(__), 3]),
+                            Immutable.fromJS([1, 2, 3])))
+        .to.equal(Immutable.List([2]));
+    });
+    it('should capture discards from nested lists', () => {
+      expect(Skeleton.match(Immutable.fromJS([1, Capture(__), 3]),
+                            Immutable.fromJS([1, [2, 4], 3])))
+        .to.equal(Immutable.fromJS([[2, 4]]));
+    });
+    it('should capture nested discards from nested lists', () => {
+      expect(Skeleton.match(Immutable.fromJS([1, Capture([__, 4]), 3]),
+                            Immutable.fromJS([1, [2, 4], 3])))
+        .to.equal(Immutable.fromJS([[2, 4]]));
+    });
+    it('should reject nested mismatches from nested lists', () => {
+      expect(Skeleton.match(Immutable.fromJS([1, Capture([__, 5]), 3]),
+                            Immutable.fromJS([1, [2, 4], 3])))
+        .to.equal(false);
+    });
+    it('should reject mismatching captures from simple lists', () => {
+      expect(Skeleton.match(Immutable.fromJS([1, Capture(9), 3]),
+                            Immutable.fromJS([1, 2, 3])))
+        .to.equal(false);
+    });
+    it('should reject simple lists varying in arity', () => {
+      expect(Skeleton.match(Immutable.fromJS([1, 2, 3, 4]),
+                            Immutable.fromJS([1, 2, 3])))
+        .to.equal(false);
+    });
+    it('should reject simple lists varying in order', () => {
+      expect(Skeleton.match(Immutable.fromJS([1, 3, 2]),
+                            Immutable.fromJS([1, 2, 3])))
+        .to.equal(false);
+    });
+  });
 });