Patterns and sequences

A pattern is something that repeats in the same way again and again. Like red, blue, red, blue, red, blue. Computers learn by spotting patterns too!

The next shape is a circle. The pattern goes circle, square, over and over, so after square comes circle again.

The next number is 5. We are counting up by adding one each time, so after 4 comes 5.

The next number is 10. We are counting by twos, adding 2 each time, so after 8 comes 10.

A sequence means things put in a special order, one after another. Like the days of the week or numbers counting up.

Computers find patterns to help them guess what comes next. If a computer sees a pattern, it can predict the next thing, just like you guessing the next color in a string of beads.

After clap comes stomp. The pattern keeps going clap then stomp, again and again, so a clap is always followed by a stomp.

The missing color is yellow. The pattern is red then yellow over and over, so after red comes yellow.

Stripes on a zebra are a pattern because the black and white stripes repeat. Patterns are things that repeat in a regular way.

The next day is Thursday. The days of the week always come in the same order, so after Wednesday comes Thursday.

After big comes small. The pattern keeps switching between big and small, so a big is always followed by a small.

The next number is 25. We are counting by fives, adding 5 each time, so after 20 comes 25.

After two cats comes a dog. The pattern is two cats then a dog, again and again. Computers learn patterns like this to make good guesses.

A rule is the idea that tells you how a pattern works. For example, the rule 'add 2' makes the pattern 2, 4, 6, 8. Knowing the rule helps you find what comes next.

The missing number is 30. We are counting by tens, so between 20 and 40 comes 30.

After B comes A. The pattern is A then B repeating, so once we finish a B we start again with A.

Traffic lights follow a repeating pattern: green, then yellow, then red, then green again. This pattern repeats all day to keep cars safe.

The next shape is square. The pattern is two triangles then a square, repeating, so after two triangles comes a square.

A phone watches the patterns of words people use together. When it sees you start a sentence, it guesses the next word from those patterns. That is why it can finish your sentence sometimes!

The next number is 9. These are odd numbers and we add 2 each time, so after 7 comes 9.

Every pattern has something that repeats. The repeating part can be colors, shapes, sounds, or numbers, but there is always a part that keeps coming back.

The next number is 8. Each number is doubled, so 4 doubled is 8. Doubling means adding a number to itself.

The green is wrong because the pattern should be red, blue repeating. In that spot it should be blue, not green. Finding the odd one out helps us check patterns.

The next season is Winter. The seasons always come in the same order and then start over, so after Autumn comes Winter.

Finding patterns helps us understand the world and guess what happens next. Computers use this same skill to learn from examples, like sorting photos of cats and dogs by their patterns.

After down comes up. The pattern is up, up, down repeating, so once we finish a down we start again with up.

The missing number is 12. We are counting by threes, so after 9 comes 12, then 15.

It is a sound pattern. The drum makes the same boom and tap repeat over and over, which makes the rhythm we can dance to.

It should put a small toy. The pattern is two big then one small, repeating. Robots use patterns to do tasks in the right order.

The next number is 6. This sequence counts down by taking away one each time, so after 7 comes 6.

The petals on a flower show a pattern because they repeat in a circle. Nature is full of patterns like stripes, spots, and petals.

Sorting puts things in order by a rule, like smallest to biggest. The order is the pattern. Computers sort lots of things this way, like names from A to Z.

The missing letter is B. The pattern repeats A, B, C, so between A and C comes B.

The next number is 8. These are even numbers and we add 2 each time, so after 6 comes 8.

A smart speaker listens to the pattern of notes in the song. Each song has its own special pattern, so the speaker matches the notes to find the right song.

A sun would not belong because the pattern only uses star and moon over and over. Things that break the repeat do not belong in the pattern.

The next letter is E. The alphabet always goes in the same order, so after D comes E.

Calendars repeat the same days and months in order again and again. Every week has the same seven days, and that repeating order is a pattern that helps us know what day it is.

It says 4. The rule is to add 1 each time, so after 3 comes 4. Computers follow rules step by step like this, very quickly.

start = 1
add 1 each time
1, 2, 3, 4

A sequence follows an order or a rule, so you can guess what comes next. A random mess has no order, so you cannot guess. Patterns and sequences always have an order.