Number patterns worksheet
Forty questions on number patterns: count up and back by 2s, 3s, 5s, 10s and 100s, find the rule, continue a pattern, spot the mistake and four stories.
Download the free number patterns worksheet (PDF)
Number patterns worksheet
What’s on the worksheet
- 40 questions on number patterns, sized for US Letter paper
- 2 pages of questions plus an answer key on the last page
- Written for grades 1–2, matching Common Core 2.NBT.A.2, 3.OA.D.9
- Name and date lines at the top, and room to show the work
Sample questions from this worksheet
- 2, 4, ▢, 8, 10, ▢
- 50, 45, ▢, 35, 30, ▢
- What is the rule? 90, 80, 70, 60
- 40, 50, 60, 70, ___, ___
- Rule +5: 5, 10, 16, 20, 25. Which number is wrong?
- A plant grows 3 cm every week. It starts at 3 cm. How tall is it after 4 weeks?
Preview the worksheet and answer key
Practice number patterns online
Between worksheets, a few minutes of online practice keeps the skill fresh. The number patterns practice asks for the missing number in a new pattern every time. The hundreds chart helps your child check their own answers. For a game, try Number Race with what comes next.
Make a new number patterns worksheet
Need another page for extra practice, a retake or a second group in class? The free Mathify Kids test maker builds a fresh number patterns worksheet with different numbers every time. Choose how many questions, print it with its own answer key, or let your child take it on screen and see the score straight away.
Number patterns: a worked example (5, 10, ___, 20, ___)
- Find the rule: 5 to 10 is 5 more, so the rule is +5.
- Check it on the next pair if you can.
- Use the rule to fill each gap: 10 + 5 = 15.
- Keep going: 20 + 5 = 25. The pattern is 5, 10, 15, 20, 25.
How to use it at home and in class
At home
Parts A to C suit grade 1, and Parts D and E grade 2. Ask your child to write the jump between each pair of numbers above the boxes, like +2. That one habit makes the rule easy to see. Part E is good for talking: why does 16 not fit? The number patterns lesson has more examples on a hundreds chart. Ten problems a day works better than a whole sheet at once. Mark them together with the answer key, then ask your child to explain one they got wrong: finding the mistake themselves is where the learning happens.
In class
Use the first row as a warm-up, a full page for independent practice, or five questions as an exit ticket. For a retake or a second group, make a new version with the test maker so every child gets different numbers.
Mistakes to watch for
- Finding the rule from only one pair and not checking it.
- Adding when the pattern counts back.
- Writing the rule as a number, such as 5, without saying + or −.
- In Part E, picking the last number instead of the one that breaks the rule.
What to practice before and after number patterns
- Before: ordinal numbers. If this sheet is a struggle, go back a step.
- After: tens and ones, once this one is mostly right.
- Learn it first: the number patterns lesson and the number patterns chart.
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Questions parents ask
How do you find the rule in a number pattern?
Look at how much each number goes up or down from the one before. If it is the same every time, that is the rule, such as +5 or −10.
What grade is this number patterns worksheet for?
It is written for grades 1–2 and matches Common Core standards 2.NBT.A.2, 3.OA.D.9.
Can I get a different version of this number patterns worksheet?
Yes. Use the free Mathify Kids test maker to make a new number patterns worksheet with different numbers every time. You choose how many questions, and every version comes with its own answer key.