How can I help DS 'get' sequences?

[theotherboleyngirl]

DS (5) Yr 1 is very able at maths. But he just can't seem to 'get' sequences. I've tried explaining about patterns, and counting forwards/backwards but he just looks at it blankly. If you give him the first missing number he then fills in the rest no problem, but figuring out what the first one is seems impossible. I don't really get it because he's top stream, and top of the top stream, but just this bit seems to get him. He does maths books for fun (strange boy!) and sails through them until he gets to a sequencing page when he's confused again.

Is there a better way to explain? A game we can play? Any ideas?

I am being thick - can you give some examples?

maybe I haven't got the right term

like 2 blank 4 blank 6 blank

you fill in the blanks with 3, 5, 7

Play sudoku?

Hi theotherboleyngirl

Try laying out buttons or raisins or smarties. Then if for example you're showing a sequence of counting up +3 each time - lower the 2 between - so #1 smarty up, #2 - #3 moved down, #4 smarty up, # 5 - #6 smarty down, #7 smarty up.

Now have your DS write down the numbers that are counted (the up smarties) - so 1, 4, 7, etc... So how many smarties were added to 1 - (2 down + 1 up) = 3. And 1 + 3 = 4. Is that right. Do we have #1 and #4 up. Yes we do. that's right so you can eat the two down smarties, and carry on...

the other thing I do with my DDs is to write out 1 - 20 (for example) and then circle the numbers in the pattern. That give the intervals between numbers. You have to really stress that you have to add 1 for the new number in the sequence. So 1, 4, 7 - 2 numbers between not circled + the next number circled - so pattern is +3. Then show it as a sum. check it again against the number line, etc...

HTH

those are great suggestions, thank you. Will try them.

You could also try some of these sheets: www.senteacher.org/Worksheet/20/Primary.xhtml

I've used them with children a bit older than him, but probably a similar level.

Make sure you change the 'seed' number!

Start with sequences that are nothing to do with numbers!

Striped socks and wrapping paper work well. So do beads, making necklaces etc.

Then use things like pasta shapes, buttons, raisins etc. 2 pasta, 1 button, 2 pasta, 1 button. This slowly introduces number into sequences.

Also showing the gaps between the numbers can help.

1. 3. 5. 7. 9

2. 2. 2. 2

Sorry the formatting is a bit off, on my iPhone!!