Patterns

A pattern is an arrangement in which elements follow a recognizable rule or repeat in a particular way. Patterns can involve numbers, shapes, colors, sounds, movements, or other objects. For example, the sequence 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 follows a rule: each number is 2 greater than the one before it. A pattern can also repeat a group of elements, such as circle, square, circle, square. Finding what comes next means identifying the rule that connects the elements.

Some patterns are simple and repeat regularly, while others change according to a less obvious rule. In mathematics, a sequence is an ordered list of numbers or other objects, and a pattern can describe how its terms are related. Not every sequence has an obvious pattern, so it is important to look carefully at the available information rather than assume a rule too quickly. Recognizing patterns is an important part of early mathematical thinking.

Children can practise by completing sequences, sorting objects, predicting what comes next, or creating their own repeating arrangements. For instance, in 5, 10, 15, 20, the numbers increase by 5 each time, so the next number is 25. With shapes, a sequence such as triangle, triangle, circle, triangle, triangle, circle repeats a group of three shapes. Patterns also appear outside mathematics: calendars, rhythms, music, natural forms, and everyday routines can contain regular structures.

Looking for these regularities helps children notice relationships, make predictions, and explain their reasoning. Later, the same ideas support the study of arithmetic, geometry, algebra, and functions, where recognizing a rule can help describe how quantities change. Pattern work is therefore not simply a guessing game; it is an opportunity to observe carefully, test ideas, identify relationships, and use evidence to determine what comes next.