Sequences Worksheets: Find the Rule, Year 6

Year 6 maths worksheets on number sequences and finding the rule: 36 questions in three levels (All, Most, Some) with answers. Free PDF.

7-page A4 PDF from the Tiger Shark Education question bank. All: Fill in missing numbers in a counting pattern. Most: Count on in steps, including 1,000s and more. Some: Find the rule and fill in missing terms. Each level is two pages of six questions, each with a squared working area, and the last page has every answer, with short working for multi-step questions. Each level is also available as its own 3-page PDF. Example questions from the Some level: 2, 4, __, 16, __ / 0.6, 0.8, __, 1.2, 1.4.

What are sequences? A sequence is a list of numbers that follows a rule, such as ‘add 7’ or ‘subtract 3’. Year 6 pupils generate and describe linear number sequences, including those with negative numbers and decimals, find missing terms and describe the rule in words or as a simple expression.

Common mistakes and tips: Children often spot the difference between the first two terms and assume it continues without checking. Some describe the rule from term to term but struggle to find a term far along the sequence. Encourage them to check the rule works for every pair of terms and to use the difference to count on or back.

This topic is part of the Year 6 National Curriculum for maths, and it regularly appears on the KS2 SATs papers. The All, Most and Some levels let you check basic fluency first and then move on to the multi-step, contextual questions found on the reasoning papers.

How teachers use these sheets: as a lesson’s independent task, as a starter to revisit a topic from earlier in the year, or as a revision pack in the weeks before the SATs. Children can mark their own work with the answer page, then explain one mistake to a partner to deepen understanding.

Reasoning and explanation: once children can answer the questions, ask them to explain their method to a partner or write a short explanation of one answer. The SATs reasoning papers include ‘explain how you know’ questions, and talking about methods deepens understanding far more than repeating calculations.

Use All for children working towards the expected standard, Most for secure Year 5 skills and Some for SATs-standard practice: three entry points to the same lesson. Suits whole-class differentiation, intervention groups, homework and SATs revision, and upper KS2 generally.

Part of a set of 42 Year 6 maths topics.