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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More and Less Worksheet
Practise adding and subtracting 10 and 100 to a three-digit number.
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Divisible by 2 - Task Cards
Help your students practice determining if a number is divisible by 2 with this set of task cards.
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Divisible by 2 Maze Worksheets
Help students practise determining if a number is divisible by 2 with this fun set of maze worksheets.
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Divisible by 2 Sorting Activity
Explore numbers divisible by 2 with this fun snowboard-themed sorting activity.
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Divisible by 2 Interactive Activity
Explore the divisibility rule of 2 with your students using this fun ocean-themed interactive activity.
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Patterns in Multiplication Cut and Paste
Teach your students about odd and even products in multiplication with this cut-and-paste worksheet.
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Odd and Even Patterns in Multiplication Task Cards
Help your students discover patterns in odd and even numbers in multiplication sums with this set of task cards.
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The Case of the Missing Trophy Mystery (Odd and Even Properties)
Explore odd and even properties in multiplication sums with this fun and engaging mystery project.
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Odd and Even Colour-by-Number Worksheets
Practise identifying if the sum of two numbers is odd or even with this fun set of colour-by-number worksheets.
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Groups of Objects Odd or Even Worksheets
Practise determining if a group of objects (up to 20) is an odd or even number of members.
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Roll and Multiply Interactive Activity
Teach your students the multiplication strategy of repeated addition using this colourful interactive dice game!
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Roll and Colour Worksheet for Ten More, Ten Less
Use this interactive worksheet to help students practise finding the number that is 10 more and 10 less than a given number.
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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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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 – Paper Chain Activity
Use your understanding of the order of operations to evaluate expressions with one or two variables with this paper chain activity.
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Algebraic Expressions – Interactive Activity
Practise writing, reading and solving algebraic expressions with this set of interactive activities.
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Writing Equations – Worksheet
Practise writing equations to represent a situation with this maths worksheet designed for year 7 students.
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Ratio Tables – Worksheet
Determine missing values to show the relationship between quantities with this ratio tables worksheet.
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100 Days and Still Poppin! Counting to 100 Worksheet
Add to your stockpile of 100th Day of School ideas with a Pop-It-themed 100th Day of School worksheet.
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Cinderella's Shoes - Skip Counting Worksheet
Count Cinderella's shoes using skip counting by 2s.
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Python Patterns – Match-Up Activity
An activity for students to consolidate copying and creating patterns.
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Patterns Maths Investigation - Bands of Friendship
A mathematics investigation involving patterns, embedded in a real-world context.
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Number Sequencing 1 to 20 - Worksheet
A monster themed place value worksheet to use when identifying the missing numbers in a sequence.
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Pattern Activity Cards - Little Red Hen
Pattern activities using pictures from The Little Red Hen.
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Pattern Activity Cards - Fruit
Pattern activities using fruit.
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Pattern Activity Cards - Birds
Pattern activities using birds.
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Ten Add Bowling Active Learning
A whole class active game that encourages learning through a physical setting.
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1-10 Bug Counting Worksheet
A simple worksheet to help students with their counting skills.
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Skip Counting Robot Strips - 2s, 5s and 10s
A set of 12 skip counting robot strips to help students skip count by 2s, 5s and 10s.
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Hundreds Board – Blank
A blank black and white hundreds chart that can be used for a variety of activities.
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Basic Algebra Symbols Poster
A poster with eight basic mathematics algebra symbols to display in your classroom.
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Dot-to-Dot Drawing - Numbers by 5 - Dinosaur
Join the dots and numbers to make a picture.
- Number Patterns Worksheets
- Number Patterns Games
- Number Patterns Posters
- Number Patterns Templates
- Number Patterns for Preschool/Kindergarten
- 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