What comes next?

Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher

"What comes next?" is written for 1st Grade (Ages 6-7), and it covers Common Core 1.OA.A.1. If your little one is a year younger but already steady on number patterns, the page still works. You may just need to read the instructions out loud. And if they are older and what comes next? never quite stuck, this is a short review rather than busywork.

Popular with 1st Grade teachers · Downloaded 583 times
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What comes next?
What comes next?

Circle the picture that comes next in each repeating AB or ABC pattern Part of our what comes next? number patterns collection. Aligned to Common Core standards.

How do I use this worksheet?

Before handing out the worksheet, briefly introduce the concept with a short oral warm-up or a visual model on the board. Let students work through the first item together as a class, then finish the rest independently or with a partner, encouraging them to talk through their thinking: "What strategy are you using? How do you know that is right?" After completing the worksheet, review any missed problems together and discuss the reasoning rather than just the answer. For extra support, let students use manipulatives or draw pictures alongside the written problems. These what comes next? worksheets work well as daily practice, homework, or a focused review activity.

What students will practice

  • Students will recognize and apply what comes next? concepts using number lines, ten-frames, and drawn models.
  • Students will solve problems involving what comes next? with increasing accuracy and confidence.
  • Students will connect what comes next? skills to real-world situations and explain their reasoning clearly.


Curriculum Links

Common Core State Standards

Operations and Algebraic Thinking · 1st Grade

1.OA.A.1

Standard: Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions.

View all 1.OA.A.1 worksheets →

Find this in the curriculum

Browse the grade, subject, and topic this belongs to.

FAQ

How do I use this what comes next? worksheet?

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Before handing out the worksheet, briefly introduce the concept with a short oral warm-up or a visual model on the board. Let students work through the first item together as a class, then finish the rest independently or with a partner, encouraging them to talk through their thinking: "What strategy are you using? How do you know that is right?" After completing the worksheet, review any missed problems together and discuss the reasoning rather than just the answer. For extra support, let students use manipulatives or draw pictures alongside the written problems. These what comes next? worksheets work well as daily practice, homework, or a focused review activity.

What does this worksheet teach?

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These what comes next? worksheets for 1st grade give students the structured, hands-on practice they need to build confidence and fluency. Students work through a range of problem formats, from visual models and diagrams to written equations and word problems, so they encounter what comes next? from every angle. Each worksheet is designed to build on prior knowledge while introducing the level of challenge appropriate for 1st grade. Practicing what comes next? at this stage strengthens the mathematical foundations that support more advanced concepts in later grades.

Can I use this what comes next? worksheet for homeschool or classroom?

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Yes, both. We made it for 1st Grade number patterns, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with what comes next?. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

What does this what comes after worksheet practice?

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Finding the number that comes just after a given number, working within 1 to 20. This is harder than counting from 1, because your child has to enter the sequence in the middle and know their place without a running start.

Why not just let my child count from 1 each time?

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Counting from 1 works, and it is fine to start there. But it hides whether your child actually knows the order or is just replaying a chant. Being able to drop into the sequence anywhere is what shows the numbers have become a mental line rather than a song.

How high should my kindergartener work?

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Working confidently within 1 to 20 is the kindergarten target, so this page sits right at grade level. Solid to 20 matters far more than shaky to 100.

What cognitive skill does 'what comes next?' develop beyond simple pattern memorization?

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It develops predictive reasoning - students must identify the underlying rule of a sequence and apply it to produce new terms.

How do 'what comes next?' activities differ for numbers versus objects in 1st grade?

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Object patterns focus on attribute repetition (color, shape, size), while number patterns introduce arithmetic rules like add 2 or add 5.

Are 'what comes next?' questions used in 1st grade standardized assessments?

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Pattern-completion questions appear in many state assessments and benchmark tools as indicators of early mathematical reasoning readiness.

How many 1st Grade what comes next? worksheets are there?

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1 printable worksheet, all free to preview. Downloads are included with a ClassWeekly free trial, and every page prints on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.

What age are what comes next? worksheets for?

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These are written for 1st Grade students, roughly ages 6-7. Many teachers also use them a grade up for review or a grade down as an extension, so use the preview to judge the fit for a particular child.

Are these what comes next? worksheets aligned to Common Core?

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Yes. Each one shows the Common Core code it covers on its own page, so you can check the alignment yourself rather than taking our word for it.

Can I use these what comes next? worksheets for homeschool?

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Yes. Nothing here assumes a classroom of 25, so they work the same one-to-one at the kitchen table as they do in a 1st Grade classroom, a literacy centre, or a tutoring session.

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Worksheet Details

Grade1st Grade
SubjectMath
TopicNumber Patterns
Standard1.OA.A.1
Pages1 page
DifficultyMedium

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