Printable Growing and Shrinking Patterns Worksheets

Printable growing and shrinking patterns worksheets for 1st and 2nd grade, with an answer key on every sheet. The sets below cover 4 different skills, so you can start where your child actually is. Available as ordering activities and sorting activities.

Targeted Practice by Skill

About Growing and Shrinking Patterns

What this skill is

Growing and shrinking patterns feature sequences that systematically increase or decrease by a fixed rule at each step (e.g., adding 2 blocks each step: 2, 4, 6, 8).

When children learn it

Growing patterns are taught in 1st through 3rd grade, aligned to 2.OA.C.3.

Teaching Tips

  • Count items in each step and write digits underneath to find the step increase rule.
  • Build growing tower steps with stacking blocks.

Common Mistakes

  • Treating growing patterns as repeating patterns.
  • Miscounting step increases.