Courseversity

Lesson

Number patterns

Primary EducationGrade 1MathematicsCV-PRI-G01-MATH-ALG-U01-L0435–45 min

You will learn

  • Recognise number patterns.
  • Count on by 1, 2, 5 and 10.
  • Find the rule of a number pattern.
  • Continue a number pattern.

Version 0.1 · published for early use · expert review pending Standards alignment: pending verification. Not yet reviewed against the Courseversity scorecard.

Student lesson

Words to know

number pattern
A pattern made with numbers.
rule
What happens each time.
skip count
Count in jumps of the same size.
sequence
Numbers in an order.

1. Discover: counting jumps

2, 4, 6, 8… What comes next? How do you know?

2. Understand: number patterns

A number pattern follows a rule. For 2, 4, 6, 8, the rule is “add 2” each time. Next is 10.

Other patterns: counting by 5: 5, 10, 15, 20. Counting by 10: 10, 20, 30, 40. Counting back: 10, 9, 8, 7.

To find the rule, see how much the numbers change each time.

Remember: Find the rule (how much changes each time). Use it to continue the pattern.

3. Explore: skip counting

Use a number line to 30.

  1. Start at 0. Jump 2 each time: 0, 2, 4, 6.
  2. Start at 5. Jump 5 each time.
  3. Start at 10. Count back by 1.
  4. Write each pattern and its rule.
Think about it: what did you notice?

Count by 2: 2, 4, 6, 8. Count by 5: 5, 10, 15. Count back by 1: 10, 9, 8.

4. Practise

Guided practice

Question 1. 2, 4, 6, 8, __. Next?

10.

Question 2. 5, 10, 15, __. Next?

20.

Question 3. What is the rule for 10, 20, 30?

add 10.

Independent practice

  1. Continue: 3, 6, 9, __
  2. Continue: 20, 18, 16, __
  3. What is the rule for 1, 3, 5, 7?
  4. Make a pattern that counts by 5.
  5. Fill the gap: 10, 20, __, 40

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

5. Apply: everyday mathematics

Each pack has 5 pencils. How many pencils in 1, 2, 3 and 4 packs?

Show a sample answer

5, 10, 15, 20 pencils.

6. Common mistake

Mistake: Guessing the next number without finding the rule.
Fix: Check the change between each pair of numbers.

7. Check and master

Answer all questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. 2, 4, 6, 8, __. Next?

2. 5, 10, 15, __. Next?

3. The rule for 10, 20, 30, 40 is…

4. The rule for 10, 9, 8, 7 is…

5. Fill the gap: 1, 3, __, 7

Challenge. Find the next two numbers: 4, 8, 12, 16, __, __

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

8. Key takeaways

  • A number pattern has a rule.
  • Count by 2s, 5s and 10s.
  • Find how the numbers change.

9. Next lesson

Next lesson: Continuing patterns. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Printable worksheet

  1. Next: 3, 6, 9, __
  2. Next: 20, 18, 16, __
  3. Rule for 5, 10, 15?
  4. Fill: 10, 20, __, 40
  5. Next: 1, 2, 3, 4, __

Homework

Make two number patterns at home (count by 2s and by 10s). Write them down and say the rule.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
Next: 3, 6, 9, __ 12 2
Next: 20, 18, 16, __ 14 2
Rule for 5, 10, 15? add 5 2
Fill: 10, 20, __, 40 30 2
Next: 1, 2, 3, 4, __ 5 2
Total 10

Practice answers: Worksheet: 1 12; 2 14; 3 add 5; 4 30; 5 5.

Quiz answers: 1 A, 2 B, 3 C, 4 A, 5 B, challenge C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Recognise number patterns Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Count on by 1, 2, 5 and 10 Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Find the rule of a number pattern Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Continue a number pattern Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Proposed Courseversity thresholds for this page: Bronze = at least 3 of 5 core questions correct; Silver = all 5; Gold = all 5 plus the challenge. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Guessing the next number without finding the rule. Check the change between each pair of numbers.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects first, then pictures.
  3. Show a simpler example: Count by 2s with a number line and objects.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: recognise number patterns; count on by 1, 2, 5 and 10; find the rule of a number pattern; continue a number pattern.

Prerequisite knowledge. Counting to 100 and in tens; Lessons 1 to 3.

Materials. Counters (stones, seeds or bottle tops), paper, pencils, board or chalkboard. Low-resource options: use stones, seeds, sticks, bottle tops or drawings in the sand or on the board instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Gather the counters and draw the example pictures on the board before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 35–45 minutes.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Start with the Discover situation and let learners suggest ideas before you teach.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the Understand section with real objects first, then pictures, then symbols and words.

Guided activity (10 min). Use a number line to 30. Learners follow the Explore steps in pairs.

Independent activity (10 min). Learners complete the independent practice and the worksheet.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Teacher explanation notes. Use the concrete, pictorial, abstract order: real objects first, then pictures, then symbols and words. Return to real objects whenever a learner needs support.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use real objects and work with a partner; say each step aloud together. Extension. Ask learners to make up their own example and explain it to a partner.

Formative assessment. Listen to learner explanations, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Guessing the next number without finding the rule. Check the change between each pair of numbers.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz and worksheet on this page. The 10-mark scheme and all answers are in the answer key above. Re-check every answer and the marking scheme before publication.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Count by 2s with a number line and objects. Enrichment. Invite learners to find or create three more examples at home or in the classroom and explain them. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which concepts learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

Alignment is pending verification and no external endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points named in the Courseversity standard: Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Specific standard codes will be added once checked against the official documents.

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