Patterns are everywhere around us. Recognising, copying, continuing, describing and creating patterns help develop an understanding of number relationships.

Predict or set counting patterns

Use a hundreds chart (PDF 224kB) to help idenitfy and create number patterns.

ABCYa has an interactive hundred square¹, and this² is a more advanced one that can go to 1000. Shodor has a single operation function machine³.

Math Games⁴ have a large number of self-marking practice and review questions broken up by year.

PhET has a series of interactives⁵ that introduce multi-operation functions.

Early Stage 1 and Stage 1

Match and continue coloured bead patterns⁶.

Complete a pattern of shapes⁷ or shape characters⁸. Learn about repeating patterns in the world⁹.

¹⁰

Practice skip counting in Number Bubble¹¹ or choose what comes next in Pattern mania¹².

Stage 2 and Stage 3

Mathforlove.com¹³ has a variety of interesting activities that emphasise creativity and exploration. Easy to access, lots of space in the problems to explore.

Use the following Geogebra interactives to produce square¹⁴ and triangular numbers¹⁵. Balance number sentences¹⁶ and investigate different number patterns¹⁷.

PhET has a series of interactive¹⁸ equation balancing activities that build from numbers and shapes to variables and operations.

For teachers

Access resources for mathematics teaching¹⁹, as well as Best Start Kindergarten Assessment²⁰ resources.

NRICH²¹ has lots of resources, including games and interactive worksheets, and they have teacher-focused material²² as well (refers to UK curriculum). Here are some puzzles²³ that should spark discussion about patterns and strategies.

Shodor has lesson plans based on exploring Pascal's Triangle²⁴ and linking to fractals²⁵, including interactive applets.

GeoGebra can be used to explore patterns²⁶ and help visualise graphing algebra.

Register at learningclip for free to get access to interactives²⁷ and videos on number patterns and sequences.

The Fibonacci sequence²⁸ is a great link between the patterns that we see in algebra and patterns in the world outside the classroom. Geogebra has lots of visualisations of constructing spirals, but you can also use it to explore the relationship between numbers²⁹ in the sequence.

Assess Stage 2 students’ understanding of counting rules³⁰.

See also Sites2See: Number³¹, Measurement³² and Space and Geometry³³ for Primary.