Year 1: Shape patterns that repeat
Part of the Year 1 2-d and 3-d shapes chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Shape patterns that repeat
A pattern is something that repeats again and again. Look at these shapes: a circle, a square, a circle, a square. What comes next? The pattern is circle, square. It keeps going.
To find what comes next, first find the part that repeats. Then copy it on to the gap.
Key ideas
- A pattern repeats. Find the part that repeats.
- A repeating part can be 2 shapes or 3 shapes.
- Copy the repeating part on to the gap.
- Check that the pattern still goes the same way.
Method. Find the part that repeats, then copy it on.
- Find the part that repeats. Look for the smallest group that comes back again and again.Repeat: square, circle
- Copy the pattern on to the gap. Keep the same order, one shape at a time.shape 5 is square
- Write the missing shape. square
Check. Read the pattern again. It goes square, circle, then square, circle again. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess. Look at the shapes before the gap and copy the repeat.
Method. Find the part that repeats, then copy it on.
- Find the part that repeats. Look for the smallest group that comes back again and again.Repeat: triangle, triangle, square
- Copy the pattern on to the gap. Keep the same order, one shape at a time.shape 7 is triangle
- Write the missing shape. triangle
Check. Read the pattern again. It goes triangle, triangle, square, then triangle, triangle, square again. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess. Look at the shapes before the gap and copy the repeat.
Method. Find the part that repeats, then copy it on.
- Find the part that repeats. Look for the smallest group that comes back again and again.Repeat: circle, square, square
- Copy the pattern on to the gap. Keep the same order, one shape at a time.shape 7 is circle
- Write the missing shape. circle
Check. Read the pattern again. It goes circle, square, square, then circle, square, square again. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess. Look at the shapes before the gap and copy the repeat.
Watch out
Watch out: check the whole repeating part. In circle, square, square the repeat has 3 shapes, not 2. The 4th shape is a circle again, not a square.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Make a pattern with buttons or coins, such as big, small, small. Ask your child to point to the part that repeats and to copy it on to the next gap.
Exercise 3F Repeating patterns
Non-calculatorMethod. Find the part that repeats, then copy it on.
- Find the part that repeats. Look for the smallest group that comes back again and again.Repeat: circle, square
- Copy the pattern on to the gap. Keep the same order, one shape at a time.shape 5 is circle
- Write the missing shape. circle
Check. Read the pattern again. It goes circle, square, then circle, square again. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess. Look at the shapes before the gap and copy the repeat.
Method. Find the part that repeats, then copy it on.
- Find the part that repeats. Look for the smallest group that comes back again and again.Repeat: triangle, square
- Copy the pattern on to the gap. Keep the same order, one shape at a time.shape 6 is square
- Write the missing shape. square
Check. Read the pattern again. It goes triangle, square, then triangle, square again. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess. Look at the shapes before the gap and copy the repeat.
Method. Find the part that repeats, then copy it on.
- Find the part that repeats. Look for the smallest group that comes back again and again.Repeat: circle, circle, square
- Copy the pattern on to the gap. Keep the same order, one shape at a time.shape 6 is square
- Write the missing shape. square
Check. Read the pattern again. It goes circle, circle, square, then circle, circle, square again. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess. Look at the shapes before the gap and copy the repeat.
Method. Find the part that repeats, then copy it on.
- Find the part that repeats. Look for the smallest group that comes back again and again.Repeat: circle, triangle, square
- Copy the pattern on to the gap. Keep the same order, one shape at a time.shape 2 is triangle; shape 5 is triangle
- Write the missing shape. triangle, triangle
Check. Read the pattern again. It goes circle, triangle, square, then circle, triangle, square again. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess. Look at the shapes before the gap and copy the repeat.
Method. Find the part that repeats, then copy it on.
- Find the part that repeats. Look for the smallest group that comes back again and again.Repeat: triangle, circle, circle
- Copy the pattern on to the gap. Keep the same order, one shape at a time.shape 9 is circle
- Write the missing shape. circle
Check. Read the pattern again. It goes triangle, circle, circle, then triangle, circle, circle again. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess. Look at the shapes before the gap and copy the repeat.
Method. Find the part that repeats, then copy it on.
- Find the part that repeats. Look for the smallest group that comes back again and again.Repeat: square, circle, triangle
- Copy the pattern on to the gap. Keep the same order, one shape at a time.shape 7 is square
- Write the missing shape. square
Check. Read the pattern again. It goes square, circle, triangle, then square, circle, triangle again. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess. Look at the shapes before the gap and copy the repeat.
Method. Find the part that repeats, then copy it on.
- Find the part that repeats. Look for the smallest group that comes back again and again.Repeat: circle, square
- Copy the pattern on to the gap. Keep the same order, one shape at a time.shape 5 is circle; shape 6 is square
- Write the missing shape. circle, square
Check. Read the pattern again. It goes circle, square, then circle, square again. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess. Look at the shapes before the gap and copy the repeat.
Method. Find the part that repeats, then copy it on.
- Find the part that repeats. Look for the smallest group that comes back again and again.Repeat: circle, square
- Copy the pattern on to the gap. Keep the same order, one shape at a time.shape 4 is square
- Write the missing shape. square
Check. Read the pattern again. It goes circle, square, then circle, square again. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess. Look at the shapes before the gap and copy the repeat.
Method. Find the part that repeats, then copy it on.
- Find the part that repeats. Look for the smallest group that comes back again and again.Repeat: triangle, triangle, circle
- Copy the pattern on to the gap. Keep the same order, one shape at a time.shape 6 is circle
- Write the missing shape. circle
Check. Read the pattern again. It goes triangle, triangle, circle, then triangle, triangle, circle again. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess. Look at the shapes before the gap and copy the repeat.
Method. Find the part that repeats, then copy it on.
- Find the part that repeats. Look for the smallest group that comes back again and again.Repeat: square, triangle, triangle
- Copy the pattern on to the gap. Keep the same order, one shape at a time.shape 5 is triangle
- Write the missing shape. triangle
Check. Read the pattern again. It goes square, triangle, triangle, then square, triangle, triangle again. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess. Look at the shapes before the gap and copy the repeat.
Method. Find the part that repeats, then copy it on.
- Find the part that repeats. Look for the smallest group that comes back again and again.Repeat: rectangle, circle
- Copy the pattern on to the gap. Keep the same order, one shape at a time.shape 6 is circle
- Write the missing shape. circle
Check. Read the pattern again. It goes rectangle, circle, then rectangle, circle again. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess. Look at the shapes before the gap and copy the repeat.
Method. Look at the pattern. The shapes take turns: cube, sphere, cube, sphere, cube.
- Look at the pattern. The shapes go cube, sphere, cube, sphere, cube.cube, sphere, cube, sphere, cube
- Find the next shape. After a cube comes a sphere, because the shapes take turns.cube, sphere, cube, sphere, cube, sphere
- Write the answer. sphere
Check. The shape after each sphere is a cube, so the one after the last cube is a sphere. ✓
Watch out. Do not copy the last shape. Look at which shape came before it.
Method. Find the part that repeats, then copy it on.
- Find the part that repeats. Look for the smallest group that comes back again and again.Repeat: circle, square, triangle
- Copy the pattern on to the gap. Keep the same order, one shape at a time.shape 10 is circle
- Write the missing shape. Yes, he is right. The 10th shape is a circle.
Check. Read the pattern again. It goes circle, square, triangle, then circle, square, triangle again. ✓
Watch out. Do not guess. Look at the shapes before the gap and copy the repeat.