Growing Number Patterns

Have you ever noticed numbers that seem to follow a secret rule? A number pattern is a list of numbers that change in the exact same way every time. When a pattern goes up or down by the same amount, we call it a growing number pattern.

Patterns That Go Up

Some patterns get bigger. This means we are adding the same number each time.

Let's look at this pattern: $2, 4, 6, 8, \dots$

How do we get from $2$ to $4$? We add $2$. How do we get from $4$ to $6$? We add $2$ again! The rule is Add $2$.

To find the next number, just add $2$ to the last number: $8 + 2 = 10$ So, the next number is $10$.

Patterns That Go Down

Other patterns get smaller. This means we are subtracting (taking away) the same number each time.

Look at this pattern: $20, 18, 16, 14, \dots$

Did the numbers get bigger or smaller? They got smaller! How do we get from $20$ to $18$? We take away $2$. The rule is Subtract $2$.

To find the next number, subtract $2$ from $14$: $14 - 2 = 12$ The next number is $12$.

How to Find the Secret Rule

You can be a pattern detective! Just follow these easy steps to figure out what comes next:

1. Look at the first two numbers. For example, look at $5$ and $10$.
2. Ask yourself: "Are the numbers getting bigger or smaller?" In this case, they are getting bigger.
3. Count the jumps. How many fingers does it take to count from $5$ to $10$? It takes $5$.

Let's test it on the whole pattern: $5, 10, 15, 20$. The rule is Add $5$. The next number will be $20 + 5 = 25$!