In Year 3, number patterns stretch to 1,000. Children count in every step from 3 to 9 to back up their times tables, double and halve two-digit numbers, and follow patterns that leap in 25s, 50s and 100s.
What your child will learn
- Count in 3s, 4s, 6s, 7s, 8s and 9s
- Count in 25s, 50s and 100s up to 1,000
- Double numbers to 50 and halve even numbers to 100
- Describe the rule of a pattern and use it to find a missing number
Big jumps, same idea
Counting in 50s works just like counting in 5s: 50, 100, 150, 200. Counting in 25s goes 25, 50, 75, 100 — four jumps make 100, just as four quarters make a dollar. Patterns in 100s only change the hundreds digit.
Doubling bigger numbers
To double a two-digit number, split it into tens and ones. Double 36: double 30 is 60, double 6 is 12, and 60 + 12 = 72. Halving works the same way: half of 72 is half of 60 plus half of 12, which is 30 + 6 = 36.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. Count in 4s: 24, 28, __, 36, 40
- 32
- 30
- 31
- 33
Show answer
Answer: 32. Each number is 4 more than the one before, so the missing number is 32.
2. Count in 4s: 80, __, 88, 92, 96
Show answer
Answer: 84. Each number is 4 more than the one before, so the missing number is 84.
3. Count in 8s: 64, 72, __, 88, 96
Show answer
Answer: 80. Each number is 8 more than the one before, so the missing number is 80.
Tips for grown-ups
- Chant a tricky count, like the 7s, while skipping or bouncing a ball.
- Count 50 sen coins in 50s to see how quickly money adds up.
- Ask “what’s the rule?” before “what’s the answer?” for every pattern.