About this worksheet

This free Year 7 growing patterns worksheet is written for the Western Australian curriculum and mapped to SCSA content description WA7MNALP1. It targets one skill so students can practise until it sticks: by the end, students can say “I can describe growing patterns with tables and rules, use the rule to find unknown terms, and tell linear from non-linear patterns.”

What’s inside

• Key idea box – a short explanation with worked examples to read before starting.
• A · Fluency (16 questions) – quick practice to build accuracy.
• B · Core (10 questions) – worded problems set in everyday Australian contexts.
• C · Reasoning (4 questions) – explain, justify and spot the error.
• D · Challenge (4 questions) – harder multi-step and problem-solving questions for students ready to stretch.
• Separate marking key – every answer with working, plus mark allocations and marking criteria for reasoning questions.

Skills covered

• Continuing and describing growing patterns
• Writing a rule for the nth term
• Distinguishing linear and non-linear patterns

How to use this worksheet

Start with the Key idea box, then complete Section A without a calculator. Most students should attempt Sections B and C; Section D suits students aiming for the top of the class or preparing for accelerated or extension maths. The worksheet is marked out of 56, and the score box on the last page helps students see which section needs more practice.

Common mistakes to watch for

• Using only the difference as the rule (n + 3 instead of 3n + 2)
• Assuming every pattern is linear
• Mixing up term number and term value
• Not checking the rule against the table

Where this fits in the WA Year 7 sequence

Growing Patterns and Rules sits in the Linear and non-linear patterns and relationships sub-strand of Number and algebra. It is one of a set of short, single-skill EduLift worksheets that split each Year 7 content description into sub-skills. Use the previous and next links to work through the sequence in order.

Common errors we see in tutoring

• Using only the difference as the rule (n + 3 instead of 3n + 2)
• Assuming every pattern is linear
• Mixing up term number and term value
• Not checking the rule against the table