Skip Counting and Patterns

What You Need:

• Dry erase board
• Dry erase markers

What You Do:

1. Sit down with your child, and use the dry erase markers and board to write out a sequence of numbers with a distinct pattern. For example, write 10, 8, 6, 4.
2. Discuss with your child whether the order of numbers is ascending (getting bigger in value) or descending (becoming smaller in value).
3. Using the example, explain that the pattern you wrote is descending.
4. Instruct your child to find the difference between the numbers that are next to each other. In the example, this number would be two.
5. Write a new sequence with one number missing, such as 12, 9, __, 3.
6. Have your child find the difference between the numbers (3) and fill in the missing number.
7. Create different sequences and have your child find the missing numbers!

Challenge your child by making the difference bigger. Do this until he is comfortable with skip counting!