1
Colours and shapes that repeat
Joyful Mathematics: Chapter 9
GoalSpot the part that repeats and say what comes next.
New words
pattern · something that repeats in the same orderrepeat · do again and againnext · what comes after
Explanation
A pattern repeats in the same order. Circle, square, circle, square is a pattern. The part that repeats is circle, square. To find what comes next, look for the repeating part. After circle, square, circle comes a square.
Worked examples
Aisha hangs a string for Eid: star, moon, star, moon. The next one is a star.
A Christmas border: tree, tree, gift, tree, tree, gift. The repeating part is tree, tree, gift.
Three shapes can repeat too. This pattern is circle, triangle, square.
Class activity
Sit or stand. Friends make a line: the first child sits, the next two stand, then one sits, two stand, and so on. A new child joins the end. Should they sit or stand? Make a new line pattern and let a friend guess.
Practice
1
What comes next?
A triangle.
2
What comes next?
A star.
3
Clap, clap, stamp, clap, clap, stamp. What comes next?
Clap.
4
What part repeats in red, red, green, red, red, green?
Red, red, green.
5
A pattern goes duck, cow, duck, cow, duck. What comes next?
A cow.