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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Classroom Toys Challenge - Repeating Patterns
Discover repeating patterns with this hands-on resource that helps teachers build student confidence through an engaging, easy‑to‑use activity.
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Skip Count Practice Puzzles
Support number pattern learning with this skip count practice activity designed to help students recognise, continue and create skip counting sequences through a hands‑on matching activity.
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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 Machine Worksheet Set
Use this input output machine worksheet set to introduce your students to number patterns while giving them computational practice.
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Input / Output Data Tables and Graphs Worksheets
Differentiate instruction with these data tables and graphs worksheets that have students completing input / output tables and plotting the points on a Cartesian plane.
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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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More and Less Worksheet
Practise adding and subtracting 10 and 100 to a three-digit number.
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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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Roll to 100 Odd and Even Game
Create a fun maths station with this roll to 100 game where students show their knowledge of odd and even numbers up to 100.
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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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Odd and Even Boats Craft Activity
Create a gorgeous boat-themed odd and even craft display all while showing an understanding of odd and even numbers.
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Even or Odd Socks Worksheets
Predict and confirm if a number is odd or even by pairing socks using this fun set of worksheets.
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Skip Counting Exit Tickets
Assess student understanding of skip counting within 1000 by 5s 10s and 100s.
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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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Equations, Tables, and Graphs, Oh My! – Differentiated Worksheets
Use these differentiated worksheets to practise using equations to create patterns within input-output tables and graphs.
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Rearranging Parts Word Problems Worksheet
Extend students with this rearranging parts word problem worksheet.
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Complex Dot-to-dot – Skip Counting by Sevens (Wolf) – Worksheet
A complex dot-to-dot where students demonstrate skip counting by sevens.
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Ten More, Ten Less Task Cards
A set of 24 task cards to enable students to practise identifying ten more and ten less than a number.
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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 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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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 1 - Caterpillar
Join the dots and numbers to make a picture.
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Dot-to-Dot Drawing - Numbers by 1 - Elephant
Join the dots and numbers to make a picture.
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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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Skip Counting by 5s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 5s.
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Skip Counting by 4s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 4s.
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Skip Counting by 3s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 3s.
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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 10 - Horse
Join the dots and numbers to make a picture.
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Properties of Numbers Worksheet Pack
Build student understanding of the properties of numbers with this worksheet pack.
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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.
- 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