1st Grade free printable pattern worksheets: Fun & engaging activities

A pattern is a set of elements that follows a rule or logic. The elements can be anything, such as shapes, colors, sizes, numbers, letters, sounds, or actions. To identify a pattern, you need to look for the following features:

• The core is the smallest part of the pattern that repeats itself. For example, in the pattern ABABAB, the core is AB.
• The term is one element of the pattern. For example, in the pattern, ABABAB, each A and B is a term.
• The length is the number of terms in the core. For example, in the pattern ABABAB, the length is 2.
• The order is the way the terms are arranged in the core. For example, in the pattern ABABAB, the order is A, followed by B.

To identify a pattern, you need to look for the core, the term, the length, and the order of the elements. Then you can describe the pattern using words or symbols.

There are three main types of patterns that 1st graders need to learn: repeating patterns, growing patterns, and shrinking patterns.

• Repeating patterns: A repeating pattern is a pattern that has a core that repeats itself over and over again. For example, ABABAB is a repeating pattern with a core of AB.

  Repeating patterns can have different lengths and orders. For example, ABCABC is a repeating pattern with a length of 3 and an order of ABC.

• Growing patterns: A growing pattern is a pattern that has a core that increases in size or quantity with each repetition. For example, ABBCCCDDD is a growing pattern with a core of ABBCCCDDD.

  Growing patterns can have different rules or logic for how they grow. For example, ABAABAAABA is a growing pattern that adds one more A with each repetition.

• Shrinking patterns: A shrinking pattern is a pattern that has a core that decreases in size or quantity with each repetition. For example, ABCDEDCBA is a shrinking pattern with a core of ABCDEDCBA.

  Shrinking patterns can have different rules or logic for how they shrink. For example, ABCDEEDCBA is a shrinking pattern that removes one letter from the middle with each repetition.

To help your 1st grader practice their pattern recognition skills, we've created free printable pattern worksheets you can download and print at home. All these worksheets are available in Mathskills4kids, covering different types of patterns and different difficulty levels. Here's how to use them effectively:

Color Pattern: What Comes Next?

This worksheet has color patterns your child needs to complete by coloring the next term. The patterns are repeating patterns with different lengths and orders. This worksheet helps your child to:

• Recognize and extend color patterns
• Identify the core, the term, the length, and the order of color patterns
• Use visual cues to find the logic of color patterns

Size Pattern: What Comes Next?

This worksheet has size patterns your child needs to complete by drawing or circling the next term. The patterns are repeating patterns with different lengths and orders. The terms are shapes that vary in size from small to large or vice versa. This worksheet helps your child to:

• Recognize and extend size patterns
• Identify the core, the term, the length, and the order of size patterns
• Use spatial cues to find the logic of size patterns

Copy the Pattern

This worksheet has patterns your child needs to copy by drawing or coloring the same terms. These copy patterns are repeating, growing, and shrinking patterns with different cores and rules. The terms are shapes, numbers, or letters. This worksheet helps your child to:

• Recognize and copy different types of patterns
• Identify the core and the rule of different types of patterns
• Use symbolic cues to find the logic of different types of patterns

AB and AABB Patterns

This worksheet has patterns your child needs to complete by writing the next term. The patterns are repeating patterns with a length of 2 or 4. The terms are letters from A to Z. This worksheet helps your child to:

• Recognize and extend AB and AABB patterns
• Identify the core, the term, the length, and the order of AB and AABB patterns
• Use alphabetical cues to find the logic of AB and AABB patterns

Besides using the free printable pattern worksheets, you can also try fun and engaging activities to reinforce your child's pattern skills.

Here are some ideas:

• Make a pattern with objects: You can use any objects you have at home, such as Lego bricks, buttons, beads, coins, stickers, etc.

  Arrange them in a pattern and ask your child to identify the core, the term, the length, and the order of the pattern. Then ask your child to extend the pattern by adding more objects.

  You can also ask your child to make their own pattern with objects and explain it to you.

• Make a pattern with sounds: You can use any sounds you can make with your voice or body, such as clapping, snapping, tapping, humming, etc.

  Make a sound pattern and ask your child to listen and repeat it. Then ask your child to complete the pattern by making the next sound.

  You can also ask your child to make and explain their own sound pattern.

• Make a pattern with actions: You can use any actions you can do with your body, such as jumping, hopping, skipping, spinning, etc.

  Do an action pattern and ask your child to watch and copy it. Then ask your child to complete the pattern by doing the next action.

  You can also ask your child to make and explain their own action pattern.