A pattern is something that repeats in a way you can predict. Stripes on a shirt, day and night, the tiles on a floor — patterns are everywhere. Spotting patterns and working out what comes next is a big part of thinking like a mathematician, and it is fun.
Repeating patterns
A repeating pattern is a small part that happens over and over. To find the pattern, look for the part that repeats — call it the 'unit'. In a red, blue, red, blue pattern, the unit is 'red, blue', and it just keeps going.
Once you know the repeating unit, you can say what comes next. Look at the shapes below: circle, square, circle, square… so the next one must be a circle.
Circle, square, circle, square… what comes next? A circle!
Growing patterns
Some patterns grow instead of just repeating. Counting by twos — 2, 4, 6, 8 — is a growing pattern, because each number is 2 more than the one before. To find what comes next, work out the rule (here, 'add 2') and use it: after 8 comes 10.
Number patterns like counting by twos, fives, or tens are growing patterns you will use a lot as you learn more maths.
Worked example
What comes next: 2, 4, 6, 8, ?
Look at how the numbers change: each one is 2 more than the last.
The rule is 'add 2'.
8 + 2 = 10.
Answer: The next number is 10.
Patterns are everywhere
Once you start looking, you will see patterns all around: the days of the week repeat, a caterpillar's stripes repeat, and a song has a chorus that repeats. Finding the repeating part or the rule lets you predict what happens next.
Making your own patterns with blocks, colours, or claps is a great way to practise — start a pattern and ask a friend what comes next.
Check yourself
Try these. Pick an answer to see whether it's right and why.
In the pattern red, blue, red, blue, red… what comes next?
The repeating unit is 'red, blue', so after red comes blue.
What is the repeating part of circle, square, circle, square?
The unit that repeats is 'circle, square' — it keeps happening over and over.
What comes next: 5, 10, 15, 20, ?
The rule is 'add 5', so after 20 comes 25.
What kind of pattern is 2, 4, 6, 8?
It grows by adding 2 each time, so it is a growing pattern.
What comes next: triangle, triangle, circle, triangle, triangle, circle, ?
The unit is 'triangle, triangle, circle', so the next one starts the unit again with a triangle.
In a nutshell
A repeating pattern has a small unit that happens over and over; find the unit to know what comes next.
A growing pattern changes by a rule, like 'add 2' — use the rule to find the next number.
Patterns are everywhere; making your own is a fun way to practise.
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