Repeating Patterns

A repeating pattern is built from a small group that repeats over and over. That group is called the core. Once you spot the core, you can carry the pattern on forever — and say what comes next without drawing every step.

In circle, square, circle, square, circle, square, … the core is circle, square. It just keeps repeating, so the next shape must be a circle, then a square, and so on.

Find the core, then carry on

Step through the pattern. Find the core, then repeat it to work out what comes next.

the core is the group of shapes (or numbers, or colours) that repeats;
to continue a pattern, repeat the core from where it left off;
a growing pattern changes by the same amount each step instead of repeating — like 2, 4, 6, 8, \dots (add 2 each time). That idea grows up into the term-to-term rule of a number sequence.