Grade 6 Number Patterns Worksheets — Arithmetic and Geometric Sequences
Grade 6 is where patterns earn proper names. A sequence that climbs by the same amount each time is arithmetic; one that multiplies by the same amount is geometric. Both are here, on separate pages: Continue the Sequence and Find the Missing Term take the arithmetic side, Doubling and Halving covers a ratio of 2, and Multiplying Sequences goes on to 3, 4 and 5. Name the Rule and Two Rules Together complete the six Grade 6 skills, and most levels leave two blanks per sequence so students must hold the rule rather than copy a neighbour.
Pick the skill and its level, choose how many problems with the count stepper, and the worksheet updates as you go; tick the answer key box for a separate marking page, then print or save the PDF. The link reproduces the exact same sheet, which makes reteaching and retesting straightforward.
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Number Patterns · Grade 6
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Grade 6 · 2 pages · A4More Grade 6 number patterns skills
Each one generates a different kind of question, with its own three levels and answer key.
- Continue the SequenceWork out the rule from the terms shown, then write the ones that come next.
- Find the Missing TermThe gap is inside the sequence, so the rule has to be read from both sides of it.
- Name the RuleRead a sequence and write, in words, what its rule does at every step.
- Doubling and HalvingRuns that double at every step, and the same runs read backwards.
- Two Rules TogetherPatterns where two different jumps take turns, one term at a time.
- Multiplying SequencesSequences that grow by a fixed ratio each step, and the same runs in reverse.
What each level generates
Grade 6 continue the sequence — the exact skill behind each difficulty setting, straight from the generator.
- Level 1Count on in equal steps
- Level 2Count back in equal steps
- Level 3Steps that grow
Grade levels follow the progression common to most English-language curricula — not one specific national curriculum. Every level shows exactly what it generates, so you can check the fit with your own program. See the full scope & sequence →
What Grade 6 number patterns should cover
Most curricula formalise two families in Grade 6: arithmetic sequences with a constant difference and geometric sequences with a constant ratio. Continue the Sequence counts on and back in jumps of 30, 40 and 50 before moving to steps that grow; Multiplying Sequences opens on Triple it each time, runs thirds back down, then stretches to ratios of 4 and 5 — so a sequence like 4, 12, 36 must be told apart from 30, 70, 110.
Continue the Sequence suits the additive warm-up; Multiplying Sequences is the working page once students reliably tell adding from multiplying, with Doubling and Halving bridging the two. A fair benchmark is a 10-problem sheet in about ten minutes, with the rule — 'add 40' or 'times 3' — written beside every sequence before the blanks are filled.
Teaching arithmetic versus geometric
The key habit is checking the difference and the ratio of the first pair, then testing both against the next pair. A constant difference means arithmetic; a constant ratio means geometric. Insisting on this two-pair check stops the most common Grade 6 error: reading 3, 9 and writing 'add 6' when the sequence is really times 3.
Geometric sequences grow fast, so the arithmetic becomes real work by the third or fourth term — 2, 6, 18, 54 is a short multiplication drill in disguise. When a sheet comes back clean, press Shuffle for a fresh set at the same settings rather than moving on; one accurate sheet shows understanding, three shows fluency.
Frequently asked questions
▸What is the difference between an arithmetic and a geometric sequence?
An arithmetic sequence adds the same number each time (5, 8, 11 adds 3); a geometric sequence multiplies by the same number each time (5, 15, 45 times 3). Grade 6 introduces both and asks students to tell them apart from the terms.
▸What pattern rules are expected in Grade 6?
Arithmetic sequences with larger constant differences and geometric sequences with a constant ratio, continuing the sequence and stating the rule in each case. Continue the Sequence and Find the Missing Term cover the additive half; Doubling and Halving handles a ratio of 2, and Multiplying Sequences runs from Triple it each time up to ratios of 4 and 5.
▸Why do most sequences have two missing numbers?
One blank at the end can be guessed from its neighbours; two blanks force the student to find the actual rule and apply it twice. That is the real Grade 6 skill. Where a sheet does leave a single gap it is never an easy one — Find the Missing Term puts it inside the run, or removes the first term altogether.
▸How many problems make a good Grade 6 session?
8 to 12. Geometric terms involve genuine multiplication, so a focused shorter set beats a long careless one. Use the count stepper to size the sheet to the time you have.
▸Can I get the exact same worksheet again later?
Yes — the web address stores your exact sheet, so bookmarking or sharing the link reproduces the identical problems and answer key. Shuffle makes a fresh set at the same settings when you want a variant.