Spotting Patterns

Learning to Learn · Learning to Learn · ages 7-8

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Which set of numbers shows a pattern?
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- 7, 2, 9, 1, 4
- Both show a pattern
Look at this pattern: 5, 10, 15, 20. What is the rule?
- Add 5 each time
- Add 2 each time
- The numbers are random
A pattern is something that repeats or changes the same way every time.
Circle one: True False
cat, hat, bat, ___. Which word fits the pattern?
- sat
- dog
- run
This pattern doubles each time: 1, 2, 4, 8. What number comes next?
Answer: ______________
Look at the colors: red, blue, red, blue, red, ___. What comes next?
- red
- green
- blue
Mia reads 3 more pages than the day before. Day 1: 2 pages. Day 2: 5 pages. Day 3: 8 pages. How many pages will she read on Day 4?
Answer: ______________
Leo looks at 3, 6, 9, 12 and says, 'The rule is add 2 each time.' What is wrong with his answer?
- Leo's answer is correct
- The rule is really add 3 each time
- The rule is really add 4 each time

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 · In 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, each number goes up by 1. The other set has no rule, so it is not a pattern.
Add 5 each time · Each number is 5 more than the one before it: 5, 10, 15, 20. That is the rule of this pattern.
True · That is exactly what a pattern is: a rule you can count on.
sat · Cat, hat, bat, and sat all end in 'at'. That is the pattern in the word endings.
16 · Each number is twice the one before it, so 8 doubled is 16.
blue · The colors swap back and forth: red, then blue, then red again. After red comes blue.
11 · Each day adds 3 pages: 2, 5, 8, so Day 4 is 8 + 3 = 11.
The rule is really add 3 each time · Check the jump between numbers: 3 to 6 is 3, and 6 to 9 is 3. The rule is add 3, not add 2.