Advanced Emoji Pattern Worksheets — Kindergarten & Up

A teacher's guide to advanced pattern worksheets

By kindergarten, most children have already met the simplest pattern there is: one thing, then another, then the first again. They can say "red, blue, red, blue" and tell you what comes next. The advanced level asks what happens when the rule gets more interesting. What if one of the icons comes twice? What if there are three icons, or four? What if the pattern runs forward and then backward, like a reflection? Each of these is a different puzzle, and working through them is a quiet training in noticing structure.

This gallery has nineteen kinds of pattern, from AB to a seven-icon unit called ABACABA, plus a mixed-review page that rotates between them. Each row carries a label with the pattern's name, shows six icons, and leaves a blank for the seventh. This guide explains the patterns one family at a time, what each one asks of a child, how to teach them in a sensible order, and how to use the pages so that they build real understanding, not just quick guessing.

An Advanced page. Each row carries the pattern's name, shows six icons, and leaves a dashed box for the seventh.

What is different about the advanced level

The advanced level is not the beginner level with smaller pictures. It is a wider set of skills.

• Six icons before the blank. Enough of the pattern is visible for the rule to be clear, even when the unit is long.
• Many pattern types. Nineteen of them, each testing a distinct rule.
• Each row is labeled. The label, such as "AAB pattern," tells the child, or the adult, which rule is in play. It is a form of support, and it also teaches the vocabulary.
• Two themes. Faces and shapes, as at the beginner level.
• Hundreds of numbered pages for each pattern, so a child who needs more practice has plenty.

The level suits Kindergarten and up. It is named for skill, not grade, and a child of any age who is ready can work through it.

The language: units, letters and labels

A quick review of the vocabulary helps. A pattern is made of a unit, the part that repeats. Teachers name the unit with letters, one letter per different icon. If the same icon appears twice in the unit, it gets the same letter twice.

• ★ ★ ● is AAB. Two of the first icon, then one of the second.
• ★ ● ▲ is ABC. Three different icons.
• ★ ● ★ is ABA. The first icon, the second, and the first again.

The letters do not stand for any particular icon. They describe the shape of the pattern. An AAB pattern can be hearts and moons, circles and squares, or claps and stomps. A child who understands this has taken a first step into abstraction, which is the idea that the same structure can be found in different things.

The nineteen patterns, in families

The patterns can be sorted into families, and it is helpful to teach them in that order. Here are the families, with the unit length for each.

1. Two icons, one repeating (the "AB family")

AB is the base case. AAB and ABB add a counting step: the child has to track how many of the same icon have appeared before switching. AABB, AAAB and ABBB lengthen the runs.

2. Mirrors (the "reflection family")

A mirror pattern reads the same forward and backward, like the word "level" or "noon." The unit is symmetrical, and the child can use the symmetry to help. The unit then repeats, so the pattern runs on.

3. Three icons (the "ABC family")

Three distinct icons strain working memory in a way that two do not. There is no repeated icon to lean on, and the child must hold three items in order.

4. Four icons

The longest and most demanding. A child needs to hold four different items in order, or four doubled items.

Why AAB and ABB are a real step up

It is tempting to think of AAB as only a slightly harder AB, since it still uses two icons. It is actually a different kind of problem.

AB asks the child to track one thing: which icon comes next. AAB asks them to track two things: which icon is current, and how many of it have appeared. After one star, the next is a star. After two stars, the next is a moon. The child has to count, quietly, to two.

That extra task is why many children who handle AB with ease will stall on AAB, and it is not a sign of any difficulty. It is a sign that something new is being asked.

Here are some ways to help.

• Say it in rhythm. "Heart, heart, moon. Heart, heart, moon." The beat carries the count.
• Chunk it. Draw a loop around each unit.
• Use movement. Clap, clap, stomp. Clap, clap, stomp.
• Ask a counting question. "How many hearts so far? Is that enough?"
• Build it first. Make the pattern with blocks, and put a finger on the block you are on.

Reading a mirror pattern

Mirror patterns ask for a new kind of thinking. Instead of "what comes next in a cycle," the child asks "what is the other side of the center?"

Take ABCBA, with a unit of five. The first icon is A, then B, then C at the center, then B again, then A. The unit is a palindrome: it reads the same in both directions. Then the whole unit repeats.

An ABCBA page. Each unit has five icons and reads the same forward and backward. After the first unit, the next one starts again.

On the first row of this page, the icons are sleepy, neutral, wink, neutral, sleepy, and then sleepy again, which is the start of the second unit. So the blank holds a neutral face, the second icon of the next unit.

Teaching a mirror pattern is easiest by pointing to the center. "This is the middle. What is on this side? What is on the other side?" Match first with last, second with fourth. A child who has seen a butterfly, a face or a folded paper cut-out has met symmetry, and it is a natural bridge.

The mixed-review page

A mixed page puts a different pattern in each row. In the sample below, the rows are labeled AABC, ABCC, ABAC, ABCB and ABCBA.

An Advanced mixed-review page. Each row has a different rule, named in its label. The child has to change rules from one row to the next.

Mixed review is a different test from a dedicated page. On a dedicated page, the rule stays the same, so what the child learns in the first row carries over. On a mixed page, the rule changes. The child must recognize each time which rule applies, and not default to the one they used last. That skill, switching, is hard and useful, and it does not show up on a single-pattern page.

Use mixed review after each pattern has been practiced on its own. If a particular row keeps tripping a child, go back to the dedicated page for that pattern.

A sensible order

A child does not need to work through all nineteen in sequence, and there is no single right order. But a progression that moves from the simplest to the most demanding is a good default.

1. AB. The base case. Revisit if needed.
2. AAB and ABB. The counting step.
3. ABA. The first mirror, and a bridge from AB.
4. ABC. Three different icons.
5. AABB. Two runs.
6. ABBA. A four-icon mirror.
7. AAAB and ABBB. Longer runs.
8. AABC, ABCC, ABAC, ABCB. Three-icon units of four.
9. ABCBA. A five-icon mirror.
10. ABCD. Four distinct icons.
11. AABBAA, AABBCC. Six-icon units.
12. ABACABA and AABBCCDD. The longest.
13. Mixed review. Throughout, as a check.

Spend as long on each as the child needs. A few days on a pattern, with a variety of materials, is typical.

Strategies a child can use

Good pattern solvers have a few strategies, and it helps to teach them directly.

Find the unit. Look for the first icon that repeats, and circle one full unit. "The star comes back here, so my unit is star, star, moon."

Say it aloud. Chant the pattern. Many children can hear what comes next even when they cannot see it.

Count the repeats. In AAB, count the stars before the moon.

Match it up. Put your finger on the first unit and the second, and compare. Where does the second unit end?

Work backward. If the last icon was the second of two stars, the next must be the moon.

Use the label. The row says "ABCBA." What does that tell you?

Check the whole row. Once the answer is in place, say the whole row through, and see if it sounds right.

Predicting beyond the box

A rich extension is to ask a child to look further than the blank. "What would the tenth icon be? The fifteenth? The twentieth?" This is the leap from extending a pattern to understanding it.

A child can answer by continuing the pattern in their head, by writing out the rows, or by counting in units. For AAB, with a unit of three, the third, sixth and ninth icons are all moons. So the twelfth is a moon too, and the thirteenth is a star.

This is, in miniature, what algebra does: it finds a rule that predicts any item in a sequence without writing out all the ones before it. Many children find the question delightful, and it is a good way to stretch a child who finishes quickly.

Common difficulties and what helps

A child copies the last icon. Cover the end of the row, and ask them to say the pattern from the start.

A child confuses AAB and ABB. Say each aloud. "Two, then one" and "one, then two." Use blocks to build both.

A child gets lost in a longer unit. Draw loops around each unit, and point to each icon as you chant.

A child solves it by luck. Ask "how do you know?" every time. A guess has no explanation.

A child is slow. Slow is fine. Accuracy and understanding come first.

A child rushes through a mixed page. Pause between rows, and ask them to name the rule before answering.

A child is bored. Move to a longer or more complex pattern, or ask them to make their own.

Faces and shapes: choosing a theme

Every pattern comes in two themes, and a teacher can use the choice as a tool.

Shapes are bold and clear: circles, squares, triangles, hearts, stars and moons in strong colors. They are good for a child who is learning to name shapes, and for patterns with many different icons, where the difference between one icon and another needs to be easy to see. A child who confuses a circle with a heart will have more trouble with a four-icon pattern.

Faces are friendly emoji with positive or neutral expressions. They draw a child in, and they invite talk. "How is this one feeling?" is a lovely question while looking at a pattern. The faces can be harder to tell apart in a long unit, because they are all round and yellow, so they reward careful looking.

A child who finds one theme easy can try the other for variety, and a child who loses interest in one may come back to it with fresh eyes. The skill is the same either way. All of the icons were checked in grayscale, so pages printed in black and white remain readable.

Pattern work and the brain's habits

Without making large claims, it is fair to say that pattern work asks a child to practice several habits that matter across school.

• Holding information in mind. To continue ABCBA, a child keeps a five-icon unit in memory.
• Looking for structure. A child asks "what is the rule?" instead of "what is the answer?"
• Checking. Saying the whole pattern through is a habit of verifying work.
• Persisting. A longer pattern may need a second look.
• Explaining. "It's a moon because..." is a short argument.

These habits are the ordinary raw material of mathematics, reading and science, and a simple page can exercise them without any fuss.

A week of challenges

For a child who is ready for a little more, here is a week of short extensions. Each takes about ten minutes.

• Monday: Find the unit. On a finished page, circle one unit in each row. Do all the units have the same length?
• Tuesday: Twenty questions. The adult thinks of a pattern, and the child asks yes-or-no questions to find it.
• Wednesday: Mirror hunt. Look for symmetry in the house: a butterfly picture, a face, a window.
• Thursday: The long game. Pick a pattern, and ask what the twentieth item would be. Work it out without writing them all.
• Friday: Make a mixed page. The child makes five rows of different patterns, and a friend solves them.
• Weekend: Pattern walk. Find as many patterns as possible, name them with letters, and photograph or sketch them.

None of these needs a worksheet, and all of them go beyond what a page can ask.

Troubleshooting by pattern family

Different families of pattern fail in different ways, and it helps to know what to look for.

AB family (AAB, ABB, AABB, AAAB, ABBB). The usual problem is losing count of the run. A child switches too early or too late. Chant the rhythm, and tap each icon.

Mirror family (ABA, ABBA, ABCBA, ABACABA, AABBAA). The usual problem is treating the pattern as a simple cycle and ignoring the symmetry. Point to the center, and compare each side.

Three-icon family (ABC, AABC, ABCC, ABAC, ABCB). The usual problem is losing the order of three items. Say the unit aloud, and use three different colors of block.

Long units (AABBCC, ABCD, AABBCCDD). The usual problem is memory. Chunk the unit into pairs: AA, BB, CC, DD. Underline each pair.

If a child fails on a family, return to the earlier family and see whether the simpler skill is secure. Nearly always, a step back, a few real objects and a calm voice are all that is needed.

Creating patterns

Making a pattern is a harder task than continuing one, and it is a great sign of understanding. A child who can invent a pattern with a clear unit, and explain it, has mastered the idea.

• Make one with blocks, and ask a friend to continue it.
• Make one with a mistake, and ask a friend to find it.
• Draw one in a row of boxes, and leave the last box blank.
• Set a challenge. "Make an ABC pattern using these three colors."
• Make a pattern from sounds. Drum, drum, clap.
• Translate it. Make the same pattern with a different set of materials.

The best pattern pages a child will ever do are the ones they make themselves.

Patterns beyond the worksheet

Patterns do not stop at the page. Advanced pattern thinking appears throughout the curriculum.

• Skip counting. 5, 10, 15, 20 is a growing pattern. See the number sense pages.
• Number patterns. The logic worksheets include number patterns for Grade 1 and Grade 2.
• Even and odd. Alternating, an AB pattern in the number line.
• Multiplication. The tables are made of patterns.
• Music. Rhythm, rhyme and verse form are patterns.
• Art. Tiling, weaving, borders.
• Nature. Spirals, stripes, petals.

A child who sees patterns everywhere has acquired a habit of mind, not just a worksheet skill.

A sample fifteen-minute session

A session with a six-year-old working on ABC.

1. Minute 0 to 3. Make an ABC pattern with three colors of blocks: red, yellow, blue, red, yellow, blue. Ask, "What comes next?" Let the child place it.
2. Minute 3 to 5. Say the pattern together, and clap to the beat. Translate it to body movement: clap, snap, stomp.
3. Minute 5 to 6. Turn to the page. Read the label of the first row: "ABC pattern." What does that tell us? Three different things.
4. Minute 6 to 11. Work through the first three rows. For each, say the unit aloud, and then the answer. "Triangle, square, moon. Triangle, square, moon. Triangle."
5. Minute 11 to 13. Ask, "What would the ninth icon be?" Count in threes.
6. Minute 13 to 15. Invent a pattern for each other.

The page is about a third of the session. The blocks, the body and the talk are what make it meaningful.

For teachers

A pattern page is a handy tool for a busy classroom.

• Differentiate. Give each child a pattern at the level they need.
• Use as a center. A page, a set of blocks and a partner make a station.
• Use the labels. They give you a quick way to see which rule each child is working on.
• Use as an assessment. A mixed-review page shows who can switch.
• Rotate pages. Hundreds of numbered pages mean no repeats.
• Link to music and art. A rhythm lesson and a pattern page make a good pair.
• Make a class set. The emoji bundles collect ten pages into a single download.

For parents

You do not need training to help with patterns.

• Talk about the rule. "Two hearts, then a moon."
• Ask "how do you know?"
• Play pattern games, in the car, at the table and on walks.
• Let your child create a pattern for you to solve.
• Keep it short. A few rows at a time.
• Praise thinking. "You noticed it comes back."

Questions that come up

Does my child have to do all nineteen patterns? No. Choose the ones that match their stage, and move on when they are ready.

What if my child finds a pattern too hard? Go back to the previous pattern, and use real objects. Return later.

What does the label mean? It names the pattern by letters, so the child, or the adult, knows which rule is in play.

Why do some patterns have a unit longer than six? The page shows six icons, but the label gives the pattern's name, and the child can use it. A seven-icon pattern such as ABACABA is a stretch, and it is meant to be one.

Do the pages have answer keys? Each row follows a single named rule, so the answer can be checked by saying the pattern through.

What comes after patterns? Growing patterns, number patterns and algebra. The logic pages are a natural next step.

Patterns are a child's first lesson in algebra, and it happens to look like play. A child who can find the unit in AABBCCDD, explain it and make up their own has learned to see order in the world, and that is a gift that lasts.