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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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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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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100 Chart with Missing Numbers
Practice counting forward beginning from a given number with this set of 100 charts and recording sheets.
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Hundreds Boards with Missing Numbers - 1-100 and 101-200
A set of 12 hundreds boards worksheets with missing numbers.
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Prime Numbers - Assorted Backgrounds
Prime numbers displayed on a hundreds board.
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Composite Numbers - Assorted Backgrounds
Composite numbers displayed on a hundreds board.
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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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Dot-to-Dot Drawing - Numbers by 5 - Dinosaur
Join the dots and numbers to make a picture.
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Finding Unknown Values Interactive Task Cards
Strengthen student understanding of finding unknown values with this interactive task card resource.
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Classroom Number Line to 100 - Including Factors
Help your students as they learn about number sense and factors with this Classroom Number Line to 100.
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Repeating Patterns Task Cards
Practise recognising, copying and describing different repeating patterns using pony beads and our set of 30 Repeating Patterns Task Cards.
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Input Output Games - 'The Cupcake Catastrophe' Escape Room
Play input output games like this ‘Cupcake Catastrophe’ escape room to put the 'FUN' in functions!
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Properties of Odd and Even Numbers Exit Tickets
Check for student understanding with these Odd and Even Properties exit tickets for the classroom.
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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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Odd and Even Interactive Task Cards
Practise determining if a number is odd or even with this space-themed interactive activity.
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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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Odd and Even Numbers PowerPoint
A 23 slide editable PowerPoint template to use when introducing odd and even numbers to younger students.
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Graphing Numerical Equations – Google Slides Interactive Activity
Recognise and analyse patterns in graphs, input-output tables and equations with this interactive 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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Ratio Tables – Worksheet
Determine missing values to show the relationship between quantities with this ratio tables worksheet.
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Naming Number Patterns Board Game
Play this number patterns board game which includes 36 question cards.
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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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Missing Numbers in a Sequence – Task Cards
A set of 12 task cards to consolidate students' understanding of counting forwards and backwards by 1s.
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Numbers 1-20
A bright number board representing numbers 1-20.
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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 Pattern Worksheets - 1 to 20
An professor themed place value worksheet to use in the classroom when completing number patterns.
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Dot-to-Dot Drawing - Numbers by 3 - Kite
Join the dots and numbers to make a picture.
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Dot-to-Dot Drawing - Numbers by 2 - Frog
Join the dots and numbers to make a picture.
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Skip Counting Robot Template
A fun robot template to help students skip count by 2s, 5s and 10s.
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Skip Counting by 6s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 6s.
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Skip Counting by 4s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 4s.
- Number Patterns Worksheets
- Number Patterns Games
- Number Patterns Posters
- Number Patterns Templates
- Number Patterns Teaching Presentations
- 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