Unit 10

Patterns

Find the rule that repeats or grows, and use it to say what comes next.

1. Read

   What comes next?

   Every morning, Nani draws a rangoli at the door. Today she is making a border: a lotus, a leaf, a leaf, a lotus, a leaf, a leaf.

   "What comes next?" she asks Ishaan.

   Ishaan thinks. "A lotus!"

   "How do you know?"

   "Because it goes lotus, leaf, leaf, then lotus again. It goes round and round!"

   Ishaan found the rule, and that is all a pattern is.

   A pattern has a rule

   A pattern is something that follows a rule. When you know the rule, you can predict what comes next, even when you cannot see it yet.

   Repeating patterns

   In a repeating pattern, one part comes again and again. That part is called the core.

   

   Look at the first row: red, blue, red, blue, red, blue. The core is red, blue. It repeats. The next bead is red.

   We can use letters to describe the shape of a pattern. Each different thing gets its own letter.

   Pattern	Letters	Core
   red, blue, red, blue ...	A B A B ...	A B
   red, red, blue, red, red, blue ...	A A B A A B ...	A A B
   clap, stomp, snap, clap, stomp, snap ...	A B C A B C ...	A B C

   Patterns are not only for colours. There are patterns in sounds (clap, stomp, stomp), movements (jump, jump, spin), shapes and numbers. Different things can have the same pattern. Red, blue, red, blue and clap, stomp, clap, stomp are both A B A B.

   Example. Lotus, leaf, leaf, lotus, leaf, leaf, lotus, leaf, leaf. What is the 10th thing? The core is lotus, leaf, leaf. It has 3 things. The 3rd, 6th and 9th are leaves. The 10th starts the core again, so it is a lotus.

   Growing patterns

   In a growing pattern, the pattern gets bigger by the same amount each time.

   

   The rows have 2, 4, 6, 8 blocks. Each row has 2 more than the row before. The rule is "add 2 each time". Row 5 will have 10.

   Number patterns work the same way. Skip counting is a growing number pattern.

   

   Counting by 5s goes 5, 10, 15, 20, 25. The rule is add 5 each time. Counting by 10s goes 10, 20, 30, 40, 50. The rule is add 10 each time.

   How to find the rule

   1. Look at the first few things. Say them out loud.
   2. Does a part come again? Then it is repeating. Find the core.
   3. Does it get bigger by the same amount each time? Then it is growing. Find the amount.
   4. Test your rule on the things you can see. Does it work every time?
   5. Use the rule to say what comes next.

   Mistakes to watch for

   • Looking at only two things. Red, blue could continue as red, blue, red, blue or as red, blue, blue, blue. You need to see the core repeat at least twice before you can be sure.
   • Not every list is a pattern. 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 12 has no rule. A pattern must let you say what comes next.
   • The pattern ends in the middle of the core. A pattern might stop after "red, red", so the next one is "blue", not "red".

   Try it: Make a pattern with three kinds of leaves, stones or beads. Ask a friend to say what comes next. Then make a growing pattern with stones: 1 stone, 2 stones, 3 stones. What is the rule?

   For the grown-up helping

   Patterns are everywhere: the stripes on a sari border, the beat of a song, the days of the week, steps of a staircase. Point them out. Let your child say the pattern aloud and clap or move it before talking about letters. Ask "What comes next?" and then "How do you know?", because the reasoning matters more than the answer. It is normal for children to find growing patterns harder than repeating ones. Use blocks or stones to build each step.

2. Lab

   The pattern maker

   Finish six patterns by choosing what comes next, then make a pattern of your own.

   Your goals

   • Fill in the missing parts of six patterns, using the rule.
   • Make your own repeating pattern with at least two kinds of beads.

   🔒 The interactive lab opens once you register. Register to do this.

3. Activity

   Pattern walk and body beats

   Your child finds patterns around the home, makes patterns with objects and with their body, and builds a growing pattern. About 20 minutes.

   You'll need

   • About 30 small objects of 2 or 3 kinds (stones, leaves, buttons, spoons)
   • Paper and a pencil

   Steps

   1. Walk around the home or outside. Find 3 patterns (tiles, a fence, a cloth border, steps, the days of the week). Ask "What repeats? What comes next?"
   2. Make a pattern on the floor with 2 kinds of objects, such as stone, leaf, stone, leaf. Ask your child to say what comes next, and to tell you the rule.
   3. Make a sound pattern: clap, stomp, stomp, clap, stomp, stomp. Your child continues it for four more beats. Then they make one for you to continue.
   4. Make a pattern with 3 kinds of objects (an A B C pattern). Leave a gap in the middle and ask your child to find the missing one and explain how they know.
   5. Build a growing pattern with stones: 1 stone, then 2, then 3, then 4. Ask: How many in the next row? What is the rule?
   6. Count by 5s or 10s together: 5, 10, 15, 20 ... Ask: What do you add each time?

   Safety

   • Do not pick up anything sharp, dirty or prickly outdoors. Wash hands after handling leaves and stones.
   • Keep small objects away from babies and toddlers.

   🔒 Keeping a log of the activity is for registered learners. Register to do this.

4. Quick check

   Patterns check

   Six questions. Find the rule each time.

   1. 1.What colour is the bead that goes in the box?

      
      • Red
      • Blue
      • Green

      Choose one

   2. 2.Count by 5s. What number comes next? 5, 10, 15, 20, ___

      Answer with a number

   3. 3.A pattern goes clap, stomp, stomp, clap, stomp, stomp. What comes next?

      • Clap
      • Stomp

      Choose one

   4. 4.These rows of blocks grow by the same amount each time. How many blocks will be in row 5?

      

      Answer with a number

   5. 5.What is the rule for this pattern? 3, 6, 9, 12

      • Add 3 each time
      • Add 6 each time
      • Add 1 each time

      Choose one

   6. 6.Which of these are repeating patterns? Pick all that apply.

      • red, blue, red, blue, red, blue
      • 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3
      • 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 12
      • A, B, B, A, B, B

      Choose all that apply

   🔒 Answering and checking are for registered learners. Register to do this.

5. Quick check

   New puzzles

   Patterns hide in new places. Find the rule and use it.

   1. 1.A cloth border goes sun, moon, star, sun, moon, star, sun, moon, star, and keeps going. What is the 11th picture in the border?

      • A sun
      • A moon
      • A star

      Choose one

   2. 2.Ana jumps along a path and says 6, 16, 26, 36. What number does she say next?

      Answer with a number

   3. 3.A necklace repeats red, yellow, green, red, yellow, green. It has 9 beads in all. How many of the beads are yellow?

      Answer with a number

   4. 4.Lila saves ₹2 on day 1, ₹4 on day 2, ₹6 on day 3, and she keeps adding ₹2 more each day. How much does she save on day 6?

      Answer with a number

   🔒 Answering and checking are for registered learners. Register to do this.

6. Activity

   Tell it back

   Your child explains, in their own words, what a pattern is and how they know what comes next. Three minutes.

   Steps

   1. Make a pattern with objects, such as stone, leaf, leaf, stone, leaf, leaf, stone. Ask: What comes next? How do you know?
   2. Ask: What is the rule of this pattern? Can you say it in your own words?
   3. Ask your child to make a pattern of their own, and to tell you the rule.
   4. Write down what your child says in their own words.

   🔒 Keeping a log of the activity is for registered learners. Register to do this.