4th grade · Math · Unit 6 of 15
Patterns & Tables
Growing and shrinking patterns
What your child practices
Extending increasing and decreasing number patterns, naming pattern rules, finding rules in input/output tables, and describing how two quantities are related.
Alabama Course of Study content standard: 4.5 · making and describing number patterns that follow a given rule
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- A table lists each step and its number.
- Find how much the numbers change each step.
- Use that rule to carry on the pattern.
Example: A pattern starts at 4 and adds 3 each time. What is the 5th number? 4, 7, 10, 13, 16. The 5th number is 16. Answer: 16
Patterns & Tables in Alabama
In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 6 of 15 in 4th grade Math, after Decimals and before Equations.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
What is the pattern rule?
311, 299, 287, 275
- Start at 299. Subtract 12 each time.
- Start at 311. Subtract 13 each time.
- Start at 311. Add 12 each time.
- Start at 311. Subtract 12 each time.
Start at 311. Subtract 12 each time.
Hint: A pattern rule tells the first number and how it changes. 311 to 299 goes down by 12.
Question 2
What number is missing?
44, 64, 84, , 124
- 94
- 114
- 105
- 104
104
Hint: The pattern goes up by 20 each time. 84 + 20 = 104.
Question 3
Which rule turns each In number into its Out number?
In Out 6 14 7 15 8 16 10 18 - Subtract 1
- Multiply by 2
- Add 8
- Subtract 3
Add 8
Hint: Test a rule on every row, not just the first one. A rule that works for 6 → 14 might not work for 7 → 15.
Question 4
What number comes next?
386, 371, 356, 341,
- 336
- 311
- 356
- 326
326
Hint: Find the change from one number to the next: 386 to 371 is −15. Do the same to 341.
Question 5
For every 1 bike, there are 2 wheels. How many wheels are there for 6 bikes?
🚲answer box
12
Hint: Each bike adds 2 wheels. Multiply: 6 × 2.
Question 6
Jay spends the same amount of money every week. How many dollars will be left after week 5?
Week Dollars left 0 100 1 85 2 70 3 55 - 25
- 10
- 55
- 40
25
Hint: The number goes down by 15 each week. Keep subtracting 15 until you reach week 5.