Identify the Rule Worksheets for 3rd Grade
Find the rule that takes you from one number to the next in a pattern. 15 free printable worksheets, each with an answer key.
Save to PinterestFree Identify the Rule Worksheets
Click a worksheet to open the PDF, or grab the matching answer key. Every sheet prints on one page.
Worksheet #1
Worksheet #2
Worksheet #3
Worksheet #4
Worksheet #5
Worksheet #6
Worksheet #7
Worksheet #8
Worksheet #9
Worksheet #10
Worksheet #11
Worksheet #12
Worksheet #13
Worksheet #14
Worksheet #15
Identify the Rule: what children learn
An arithmetic pattern changes by the same amount each step. Children name the rule by finding the jump between two numbers, and the sign shows whether the numbers grow or shrink.
Identify the Rule: worked example
120, 145, 170, 195, 220 Rule: __ +25
Each number is 25 more than the one before it. 145 - 120 = 25, so the rule is +25.
Identify the Rule: a common mistake to watch for
Kids sometimes write only the jump and leave off the sign, so +25 and -25 look the same.
Identify the Rule: how to help at home or in class
Play mystery rule. Secretly pick a rule such as plus 5, write four numbers that follow it, and have your child say the rule with its sign. Then swap, with your child inventing the rule and writing the list while you guess. Remind your child to test the rule on two different neighbouring pairs. When naming rules is quick and signs are never forgotten, extending patterns is the next step.
What is on these Identify the Rule worksheets
This set has 15 different worksheets for 3rd grade, with 8 questions on each and a matching answer key for every sheet. The instruction printed on each worksheet is: “Write the rule, like +5 or -5.”
Example questions like the ones on these worksheets, with their answers:
- 176, 181, 186, 191, 196 Rule: __+5
- 439, 447, 455, 463, 471 Rule: __+8
- 848, 818, 788, 758, 728 Rule: __-30
- 339, 346, 353, 360, 367 Rule: __+7
- 734, 722, 710, 698, 686 Rule: __-12
- 200, 250, 300, 350, 400 Rule: __+50
- 919, 934, 949, 964, 979 Rule: __+15
- 261, 270, 279, 288, 297 Rule: __+9
Every answer on every sheet is checked by a separate program before the worksheet is published. How we check answers