Number Patterns You Should Learn
You should be able to say these patterns quickly by the end of Year 2.
Counting Forwards
Use a number chart.
Count forwards from 0-100 (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, 60-70, 70-80,
80-90, 90-100)
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Count aloud - forwards from 0 to 10
Count aloud - forwards from 10 to 20
Count aloud - forwards from 20 to 30
Count aloud - forwards from 30 to 40
Count aloud - forwards from 40 to 50.
Count aloud - forwards from 50 to 60.
Count aloud - forwards from 60 to 70
Count aloud - forwards from 70 to 80.
Count aloud - forwards from 80 to 90.
Count aloud - forwards from 90 to 100
Vary the number starting point e.g. 9-23, 18-32, 54-76, 59-74, 66-81, 78-90, 86-99
Write the pattern.
Counting Backwards
Use number chart. Counting backwards is usually more challenging for students.
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Count aloud - backwards from 10 to 0
Count aloud - backwards from 20 to 10
Count aloud - backwards from 30 to 20
Count aloud - backwards from 40 to 30
Count aloud - backwards from 50 to 40.
Count aloud - backwards from 60 to 50.
Count aloud - backwards from 70 to 60
Count aloud - backwards from 80 to 70.
Count aloud - backwards from 90 to 80.
Count aloud - backwards from 100 to 90
Then vary the number starting point e.g. 47-31, 88-62, 54-36, 63-42, 99-75
Examples:
 Count aloud - backwards from 13 to 0
 Count aloud - backwards from 24 to 12
 Count aloud - backwards from 33 to 21
 Count aloud - backwards from 44 to 29
 Count aloud - backwards from 56 to 42.
 Count aloud - backwards from 62 to 48.
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Count aloud - backwards from 71 to 57
Count aloud - backwards from 83 to 68.
Count aloud - backwards from 96 to 78.
Count aloud - backwards from 95 to 79
Write the pattern. You may choose to only write only a few of the above patterns in one
session. (10 mins)
TIPS: Counting from one decade back to the previous decade is more challenging for some
students. More time should be spent practising this. (15-7, 24-11, 32-19, 74-59, 85-62, 9379)
Start with the lower numbers first. (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40 etc.)
Allow the student to use a number chart to refer to if necessary. Having their own number
chart to refer to is recommended. They should be able to say the pattern fairly quickly.
Practise writing these patterns as well.
Before and After
Have students refer to a number chart.
 What number comes after a given number? (0-100)
e.g. What comes 1 after 79, 2 after 79, 3 after 79 etc.
 What number comes before a given number? (0-100)
e.g. What comes 1 before 79, 2 before 79, 3 before 79 etc.
TIPS: START WITH LOWER NUMBERS FIRST. (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40, 40-50/10-0, 20-10, 30-20, 40-30,
50-40) BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE HIGHER NUMBERS.
Allow the student to use a number chart to refer to. They should be able to state the before or after
number fairly quickly. Begin with the after numbers. Then move on to numbers before a given number.
They should know the number one after a given number (0-10) before being expected to know the
number one after a given number (20-30).
Make sure they know the number one after or before a given number before moving on to what comes
two or three after or before a given number.
What comes between?
Have students refer to a number chart.
 What number comes between a given number? (0-2, 2-4, 4-6, 6-8. 8-10, 1-3, 5-7, 7-9)
TIPS: START WITH LOWER NUMBERS FIRST. (0-10, 10-20, 20-30) BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE HIGHER
NUMBERS.
On the Decade Forwards and Backwards
Have students refer to a number chart.
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Count forwards on the decade from 0 to 100 e.g. 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, - 100
Count backwards on the decade from 100 to 0 e.g. 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 30 - 0
Count forwards on the decade from 0 to 220 e.g. 0, 10, 20, 30 - 220
Count backwards on the decade from 210 to 0 e.g. 210, 200, 190, 180, 170, 160 etc.
Extension:
 Numbers 100-1000 and beyond
Off the Decade - Forwards
Have students refer to a number chart.
 Count forwards by 10’s off the decade to 121 e.g. 1, 11, 21, 31, 41 … 121
 Count forwards by 10’s off the decade to 122 e.g. 2, 12, 22, 32, 42 … 122
 Count forwards by 10’s off the decade to 123 e.g. 3, 13, 23 ,33 ,43 … 123
 Count forwards by 10’s off the decade to 124 e.g. 4, 14, 24, 34, 44 … 124
 Count forwards by 10’s off the decade to 125 e.g. 5, 15, 25, 35, 45 … 125
 Count forwards by 10’s off the decade to 126 e.g. 6, 16, 26, 36, 46 … 126
 Count forwards by 10’s off the decade to 127 e.g. 7, 17, 27, 37, 47 … 127
 Count forwards by 10’s off the decade to 128 e.g. 8, 18, 28, 38, 48 … 128
 Count forwards by 10’s off the decade to 129 e.g. 9, 19, 29, 39, 49 … 129
WHY DO WE DO THIS?
If you know that 71+10=81, then 71+11=82 [71+10 =81 + 1 more =82]
If you know that 71+10=81, then 71+12=83 [71+10 =81 + 2 more =83]
THIS IS CALLED THE JUMP STRATEGY. BEGIN BY ADDING ON ‘ONE’ BEFORE ADDING ON ‘TWO’ OR ‘THREE’.
Off the Decade - Backwards
Have students refer to a number chart.
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Count backwards by 10’s off the decade to 1 e.g. 101,91,81,71,61,51,41,31,21,11,1
Count backwards by 10’s off the decade to 2 e.g. 102,92,82,72,62,52,42,32,22,12,2
Count backwards by 10’s off the decade to 3 e.g. 103,93,83,73,63,53,43,33,23,13,3
Count backwards by 10’s off the decade to 4 e.g. 104,94,84,74,64,54,44,34,24,14,4
Count backwards by 10’s off the decade to 5 e.g. 105,95,85,75,65,55,45,35,25,15,5
Count backwards by 10’s off the decade to 6 e.g. 106,96,86,76,66,56,46,36,26,16,6
Count backwards by 10’s off the decade to 7 e.g. 107,97,87,77,67,57,47,37,27,17,7
Count backwards by 10’s off the decade to 8 e.g. 108,98,88,78,68,58,48,38,28,18,8
Count backwards by 10’s off the decade to 9 e.g. 109,99,89,79,69,59,49,39,29,19,9
WHY DO WE DO THIS?
If you know that 71-10=61, then 71-11=60 [71-10 =61 take way 1 more is =60]
If you know that 71-10=61, then 71-12=59 [71-10 =61 take away 2 more =59]
THIS IS CALLED THE JUMP STRATEGY. BEGIN BY SUBTRACTING ‘ONE’ BEFORE SUBTRACTING ‘TWO’ OR ‘THREE’.
Counting by twos - forwards and backwards
Have students refer to a number chart.
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Count forwards by twos [even] from 0 up to 100 e.g. 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 …
Count backwards by twos [even] from 100 down to 0 e.g. 100, 98, 96, 94, 92, 90 …
Count forwards by twos [odd] from 1 up to 101 e.g. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 …
Count backwards by twos [odd] from 101 down to 1 e.g. 101, 99, 97, 95, 93, 91 …
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You might want to do this. Say/write 10-12 numbers at a time and vary the starting
point. Always start with the lower numbers first i.e. below 20 before moving to the
higher numbers.
0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 (even)
22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 0 (even)
1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 (odd)
29, 27, 25, 23, 21, 19, 17, 15, 13, 11 (odd)
Counting by fives – forwards and backwards
Have students refer to a number chart.
 Count forwards by 5’s to 20/30/40/50/60/70/80/90/100 - Vary the starting point e.g.
35-100
 Count forwards by 5’s to 100 - Vary the starting point e.g. 45-100, 25-100, 65-100
 Count forwards by 5’s to 125 (and beyond] - Vary the starting point e.g. 45-120
 Count backwards by 5’s starting at 20/30/40/50/60/70/80/90/100
 Count backwards by 5’s starting at 125 (125, 120, 115, 110, 100, 95, 90, 85) - more
difficult
 Count backwards by 5’s starting at numbers above 200 (extension)
 Always refer to a number chart in the early years. Say the pattern aloud as well.
 Practise writing the five pattern forwards and backwards starting at any number.
Further Patterns
Some of these patterns provide extension.
 Count by ones to 200, then 300, then 400, then 500, then 600 etc. to 1000 (Start at
random numbers i.e. 250-284)
 Count backwards by 1’s [numbers 100-0, 200-100, 300-200,400-300, 500-400 etc.] (Start
at random numbers 330-289, 580-539) Make sure the students see the connection
between higher and lower number patterns.
 Count by 4’s e.g. 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48
 Count by 3’s e.g. 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24
Extension: Any of the above patterns may start at any number e.g. counting by threes,
starting at one e.g. 1, 4, 7, 10, 13
Refer to a number chart if necessary.
TIPS (Just suggestions)
 Always allow a student to refer to a number chart when introducing a concept.
 Saying a pattern out aloud reinforces the memory of number sequences. The teacher
should do this when introducing new number patterns.
 Writing number patterns also reinforces the memory of number sequences.
 Counting backwards is generally harder to do. Practise this more often.
 Keep to the lower numbers before moving on to higher numbers beyond 100.
 The same number sequence can be practised over a week if need be. Consolidate!
 If reciting a forward pattern for example, keep to the same pattern for that teaching
session. Remember, switching from a forward to a backward pattern in the same
learning session may confuse some students.
EXTENSION: Any pattern (forward or backward) can be extended past 100 i.e. 100-200, 200-300 etc.
Kim Milliken 2020