Preschool - Math

Preschool Copy and Continue Patterns Worksheet

6 printable versions - Building Confidence - About 3 minutes each

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Copy and Continue Patterns

Preschool - Math - Building Confidence

Worksheet 1

  1. Which picture finishes the pattern?

    Read aloud: Say the row out loud from the beginning. Which picture comes next?

    A left-to-right row of 6 positions with 1 gap.A left-to-right sequence of pictures. 1 position is empty and drawn with a dashed edge.applebuttonapplebuttonapple

  2. Which picture finishes the pattern?

    Read aloud: Say the row out loud from the beginning. Which picture comes next?

    A left-to-right row of 6 positions with 1 gap.A left-to-right sequence of pictures. 1 position is empty and drawn with a dashed edge.leafbellleafbellleaf

  3. Which picture finishes the pattern?

    Read aloud: Say the row out loud from the beginning. Which picture comes next?

    A left-to-right row of 6 positions with 1 gap.A left-to-right sequence of pictures. 1 position is empty and drawn with a dashed edge.flowerkiteflowerkiteflower

  4. Which picture finishes the pattern?

    Read aloud: Say the row out loud from the beginning. Which picture comes next?

    A left-to-right row of 6 positions with 1 gap.A left-to-right sequence of pictures. 1 position is empty and drawn with a dashed edge.cupstarcupstarcup

  5. Which picture finishes the pattern?

    Read aloud: Say the row out loud from the beginning. Which picture comes next?

    A left-to-right row of 6 positions with 1 gap.A left-to-right sequence of pictures. 1 position is empty and drawn with a dashed edge.sockducksockducksock

  6. Which picture finishes the pattern?

    Read aloud: Say the row out loud from the beginning. Which picture comes next?

    A left-to-right row of 6 positions with 1 gap.A left-to-right sequence of pictures. 1 position is empty and drawn with a dashed edge.frogfishfrogfishfrog
PencilGopencilgo.ai

About this worksheet

A repeating pattern is not a tidy-looking row. It is a small unit of pictures that happens again and again, and a child has to find that unit before predicting anything. Many preschoolers copy the picture just before the gap, which is right for an AB row exactly half the time and wrong for everything else. The three sheets close that shortcut one step at a time. Ready sheets alternate two pictures with the gap at the end. Practice sheets use a three-picture unit such as apple, apple, cup, so the picture before the gap is no longer a reliable guide. Stretch sheets use three different pictures and move the gap into the middle of the row, where copying a neighbor fails outright and the only method left is to say the unit from the beginning. Point and say the row out loud with your child, clap once for each complete repeat, and start again from the left whenever the rhythm breaks.

What your child will learn

  • Find the part of a row that repeats
  • Continue an AB, AAB, or ABC pattern
  • Say a pattern aloud to hear its rhythm
  • Fill a gap in the middle of a pattern

Worked example

For apple, duck, apple, duck, apple, gap, say the row aloud. The unit is apple then duck, so a duck belongs in the gap.

Common mistake

Copying the picture next to the gap instead of saying the whole row from the start.

Helpful hint

Start at the left and say every picture out loud.

Sort Shapes That Belong TogetherOver, Under, and Beside

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with copy and continue patterns?
Copying the picture next to the gap instead of saying the whole row from the start.
How can I help my child with copy and continue patterns?
Start at the left and say every picture out loud.
Are these preschool math worksheets free to print?
Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.