A repeating pattern is formed by a fixed core of elements—such as shapes, colors, letters, or numbers—that recurs in the same order, and creating one requires selecting and repeating that core so the pattern can be extended and its next terms predicted. The learner distinguishes a repeating pattern from a pattern that merely changes or grows, without requiring general rules, variables, or more advanced numerical sequences.
A repeating pattern has a small group of items, called the core, that repeats in the same order.
Example: Create a pattern that repeats red, blue, yellow.
The pattern is:
red, blue, yellow | red, blue, yellow | red, blue, yellow
The next color is red, because the core starts over after yellow.
To check your pattern, look for the group that keeps repeating. A repeating pattern stays in the same order. A pattern that gets bigger or changes each time is not a repeating pattern.
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