Having the ability to recognize holes in a numeric pattern is a valuable skill for students to have. Below you will find a huge selection of worksheets that key in on this exact skill. The worksheets are presented in number and visual form to help students find what works best for them. To be honest, it is different for every student. Some students find that images are very helpful and other find them to be too much of a distraction and they lose sight of their overall goal. Students will use these worksheets, lessons, and quizzes to practice their counting skills. They will learn how to evaluate a number set to determine which numbers are missing in the set so that they can fill in the blanks.
Print Find the Missing Number Worksheets
Click the buttons to print each worksheet and associated answer key.
Missing Numbers Lesson
Follow the steps below the number set and write the missing numbers in the blanks.
Missing Numbers Practice Sheet
Students will complete the counting sequences found at each problem. The first problem is completed and explained for you.
Straight Missing Sequence Worksheet
This series of rectangular boxes are missing 2-3 sections of their pre-set range of numbers.
Missing Number Sequences
There are ten number sequences here that are missing 2 or 3 values that belong to the sequence. Shore that up for us.
Complete the Counts Worksheet
There is a slightly different look to these sequences. If you print them in color, students will appreciate it. This will really help be able to master this skill.
Warm Up Worksheet
We use a wide range of visuals here that stray away from the traditional standard geometric shapes.
Counting Sequence Lesson
Start from the number where the number start missing. Fill in the blanks in consecutive sequence.
Missing Number in Tens Worksheet 1
A nice mix of different counting range sequences can be found here.
Review Worksheet
Review the method for determining the range of a given set of numbers and filling in the blanks for any numbers that are missing.
Mixed Skills Quiz
Can you fill in all those missing numbers? The go from simple black and white versions to full color versions.
Do Now Worksheet
This is a great worksheet to either review this topic or to introduce it and see where the kids are at.
How to Find the Missing Number in a Pattern
Math includes dealing with all sorts of problem-solving activities. Missing number problems can help students learn about numerical patterns. Missing numbers are even part of many competitive entrance exams for colleges because they require exceptional problem-solving and logical skills.
What Are Missing Number Patterns?
Often, you will encounter a problem where a series of numbers are given with some missing numbers. You need to detect the pattern the numbers are following to guess what the missing number is. This means finding similar patterns of change between the numbers and filling in the missing numbers in the series.
Understanding Series of Missing Numbers
Numbers series are a collection of digits that follow a specific formula or a rule. There are different series types, and one type is a missing number series. The goal is to find the missing number by deducing the rule the series follows.
How to Find the Missing Number in A Pattern?
The missing number is always according to the main rule of the series. Once you identify the overarching rule, it can be easy to estimate what the missing number is.
Here are the steps you need to follow to find the missing number in the pattern given:
1. Take out 2-3 numbers to check what rule is applied is when you are looking for the missing number. For example, when you have 6 numbers in the pattern, you must pick the first three numbers to find out which rule you need to apply.
2. When choosing which number you need to apply, select numbers that are easier to work with. Use numbers that have easy factors of 2, 5, or 10.
3. Some common rules that are applied that you need to check for are sums, cubes, or squares.
4. Check whether the order of the series is ascending or descending.
5. Calculate what the difference between the numbers is.
6. Estimate what the solution can be based on the differences.
Let's Take a Look at Examples
1.Find the missing number: 1, 2, 6, 24, ?
You can use the first 4 numbers to find the solution. The first number is 1. To get it, the rule can be 0 + 1 or 1 x 1. The second number is 2, which means either 1 + 1 was done or 1 x 2 was to get to 2. Now, take a look at the third number in the series, which is 6. Since 2 + 2 is 4, the first rule isn't being used. However, 6 is obtained by multiplying 2 with 3.
Hence, the rule being used is 1 x 1, 1 x 2, 2 x 3, 6 x 4, and so on. So, the missing digit can be found by multiplying 24 with 5.
Solution: 120.
2. Find the missing number: 30, 23, ?, 9
The series is in descending order. The first two numbers have a difference of 7. Subtracting 7 from 23 gives you 16. You can check if you have come to the right solution by subtracting 7 from 16 to get 9.
Solution: 16.
Now you know how to find the missing number in a pattern!
A great way to solidify your ability to count is to work with broken counting sequences. You will be presented with a series of five to ten numbers that are either in sequential order or skip counts. Fill in any and all of the missing numbers. The easier sheets are found at the top of this page. As you move down the worksheets get progressively more difficult. Students will practice their counting by identifying the missing numbers in a given range. Students will fill in the blanks in charts and number lines. This is skill really helps catapult their ability to add and subtract. When you think about it naming a number that is two places higher than the current value is the same as adding two. If you go in the reverse direction it is the same thing as subtracting. When you build a solid foundation of number sense, multiplication facts come easier too. While we focus this skill in our counting section it has boundless applications.