Number Patterns Teaching Resources
Explore number patterns in your maths classes this school year with fun worksheets, games and more teacher resources created to help your students understand how numbers in a sequence relate to one another.
Aligned with the Australian Version 9.0 maths standards, the printable and digital activities in this collection were created by the maths teachers on the Teach Starter team to help you save time on your lesson plans.
Whether this is your first year teaching about number patterns or you're just looking for a little extra help, we've got you covered. Read on for a primer from our teacher team! We explain what number patterns are so you can share with your class, plus we explore three common patterns.
What Are Number Patterns? A Kid-Friendly Definition
A number pattern is a series of numbers that each follow the same rule. These patterns or sequences can help us find missing numbers or identify what number will come next in a series.
For example, let's say you are given the following list of numbers:
- 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24
This is an example of a number pattern in which the next number in the series is 4 more than the previous number. Once you can identify the pattern in a series of numbers like this one, you can then use that pattern to determine what number comes next or even what numbers could have come before the list began.
This is one of the many reasons number patterns are an important part of building our students' algebraic reasoning skills. They help kids understand how numbers can be related to one another and apply what they know about those relationships to solve problems.
3 Common Types of Number Patterns
We can't talk about number patterns without breaking down the different types your students are going to encounter in their maths journey!
Linear Patterns
Linear patterns are number patterns in which the numbers increase or decrease by the same amount each time.
The example used above — in which each number in the series increased by a quantity of 4 — is a simple example of a linear pattern.
Geometric Number Patterns
Another type of pattern students may have to contend with is the geometric number pattern. This type involves numbers that are multiplied or divided by a constant factor.
The multiplication table is an example of a geometric number pattern.
Recursive Patterns
Students will have to make full use of their understanding of the four whole number operations to work with recursive patterns. That's because this pattern involves finding each successive number in the sequence by performing a specific operation on the previous number(s).
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Bar Model Poster Pack
Help your students solve problems using the four operations with a pack of printable strip diagram anchor charts.
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Input and Output Activities — Additive and Multiplicitive Patterns Match - Up
Use input and output activities like this additive and multiplicative patterns match-up game to give your students practice thinking algebraically.
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Find and Colour – Prime and Composite Numbers
Encourage your year 6 students to identify prime and composite numbers up to 100 with this free find and colour worksheet.
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Number Patterns – More and Less Worksheets
Use place value skills to mentally add and subtract 10 or 100 to a given number with this set of worksheets.
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Skip Counting by 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 Posters and Worksheets
Practise and review skip counting by 2,3,4,5,and 10 with a pack of printable skip counting charts and worksheets.
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Snakes and Ladders Hundreds Chart Game
Complete each hundreds chart by putting the missing numbered clusters into place to play a game of Snakes and Ladders.
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Complex Dot-to-dot – Skip Counting by Fives (Turtle) – Worksheet
A complex dot-to-dot where students demonstrate skip counting by fives.
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Guided Maths Groups – National Numeracy Learning Progression – Task Cards
A set of 32 task cards with activities for tracking student progress along the numeracy learning progression.
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Python Patterns – Match-Up Activity
An activity for students to consolidate copying and creating patterns.
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Hundreds Board
A hundreds chart that can be used for a variety of activities.
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Additive Pattern Worksheet Pack
Support maths instruction with additive pattern worksheets designed for teachers who want a low-prep way to help students recognise, describe and create additive patterns.
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Dot-to-Dot Drawing - Numbers by 10 - Horse
Join the dots and numbers to make a picture.
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Prime, Composite and Square Numbers Worksheet Pack
Build confidence with this prime and composite numbers worksheet pack.
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Number Patterns Year 6 Worksheet Pack
Build confidence with number patterns Year 6 using this engaging worksheet pack that helps students identify patterns, find the rule and explain their mathematical thinking.
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Sequencing Activities — Numbers 1-9 Sausage Dog
Use our sequencing activities like this sausage dog to help your students practise ordering the numbers 1 - 9.
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Odd and Even Word Problems
Extend students with these odd and even number word problems and worksheets.
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Ordering Numbers Worksheets - Halloween Cut and Paste
Share these ordering numbers worksheets with your students for some spook-tacular Halloween fun!
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Skip Counting by 1, 2, 5 and 10 Sorting Activity
Set up this sorting activity as a small group or rotation task for your students to practise thier skip counting skills.
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Charts of Odd and Even Numbers Up to 500
Encourage your students to identify odd and even numbers with this set of number charts up to 500.
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I Have Who Has: Skip Counting by 2, 3, 4, 5, 10
Teaching skip counting? Introduce your students to our I Have Who Has - style whole class games with this fun and interactive card activity!
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10 More, 10 Less, 100 More, 100 Less — I Have, Who Has Game
Find the number ten more than, ten less than, one hundred more than, and one hundred less than the given number in this fun whole-class game!
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Skip Counting by 10s I Have, Who Has Game
Use this fast-paced whole class game to help your students practise skip counting by tens.
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10 More 10 Less Sorting Card Game
Engage your students and have them practise reading statements about values 10 more or 10 less, then and determining if the statement is accurate.
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Input-Output Tables and Graphing Task Cards
Practise reading input-output tables and plotting points in the first quadrant with this set of task cards.
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Evaluating Expressions – Match-Up Activity
Practise substituting values for variables while evaluating expressions with this match-up activity.
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Exponential Expressions – Match-Up Activity
Match numerical expressions with exponents to their expanded expressions and solutions with this match-up activity.
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Algebraic Expressions – Task Cards
Read, write and solve algebraic expressions with this set of 24 task cards.
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Identifying Prime and Composite Numbers – Worksheet
Use understanding of factors to identify composite and prime numbers with this worksheet.
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1-100 Number Chart - Sequencing Activity
Count by 1’s with your primary students by arranging number tiles 1-100.
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Complex Dot-to-dot – Skip Counting by Threes (Castle) – Worksheet
A complex dot-to-dot where students demonstrate skip counting by threes.
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Guided Maths Groups – National Numeracy Learning Progression – Student Tracker
An individual student tracker for sub-elements of the National Numeracy Learning Progression.
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Number Talks - Number Pairs Task Cards
Build number sense skills with this set of 26 task cards.
- Number Patterns Worksheets
- Number Patterns Games
- Number Patterns Templates
- Number Patterns Teaching Presentations
- Number Patterns Posters
- Number Patterns for Foundation Year
- Number Patterns for Year 1
- Number Patterns for Year 2
- Number Patterns for Year 3
- Number Patterns for Year 4
- Number Patterns for Year 5
- Number Patterns for Year 6
- Number Patterns for Year 7