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.
Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 4.OA.C.5 · analyzing 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 Arizona
In the Arizona Academic Standards, 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.
Source: Arizona Department of Education
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
For every 1 week, there are 7 days. How many days are there for 7 weeks?
📅answer box
49
Hint: Each week adds 7 days. Multiply: 7 × 7.
Question 2
What is the pattern rule?
466, 477, 488, 499
- Start at 477. Add 11 each time.
- Start at 466. Add 11 each time.
- Start at 466. Add 12 each time.
- Start at 466. Subtract 11 each time.
Start at 466. Add 11 each time.
Hint: A pattern rule tells the first number and how it changes. 466 to 477 goes up by 11.
Question 3
Which rule turns each In number into its Out number?
In Out 5 8 6 9 9 12 10 13 - Add 6
- Multiply by 9
- Multiply by 5
- Add 3
Add 3
Hint: Test a rule on every row, not just the first one. A rule that works for 5 → 8 might not work for 6 → 9.
Question 4
How many arms are there for 7 starfish?
Starfish Arms 1 5 2 10 3 15 4 20 answer box
35
Hint: The arms are always 5 times the starfish. Multiply 7 × 5.
Question 5
What number is missing?
402, 390, 378, , 354
- 376
- 356
- 367
- 366
366
Hint: The pattern goes down by 12 each time. 378 − 12 = 366.
Question 6
What number comes next?
407, 422, 437, 452,
answer box
467
Hint: Find the change from one number to the next: 407 to 422 is +15. Do the same to 452.