Completing number patterns 0-10 (stairs)

Tips on how to use this exercise at home and at school.

Completing number patterns 0-10 (stairs)

Early maths concepts


In this exercise, the child works with a number line in the form of stairs. Showing numbers on the stairs allows children who are not yet confident in the relationships between numbers, to better understand ascending and descending series.


What is this exercise good for?
If the child already understands quantity and its numerical expression, the next step is to automatically work with the sequence of numbers. 

Who is this exercise suitable for?
Generally, it belongs in preschool or early school play. Some children solve the problem intuitively and naturally, some children need to work through these problems.

Methodological recommendations
Either read aloud the instructions to the child, play them from the app or let the child read them by themselves.

In the settings we choose:

  • the number field
  • the number of numbers to add
  • whether we want a descending or ascending series or random

The child has to realize what the task in the assignment is, then complete the row in his/her "head" and with that, move the correct number to the correct place.

Tips for similar activities outside the app
We can use real stairs, maybe put numbers on them and the child will move up them. Similarly, we can also use the number sequence written on the cards. 

We can also play a game involving the whole family reciting the number series.

One player controls the game - they 'kick out a number', announce whether they want a descending or ascending row and whoever they point to counts one at a time. Players must be alert because they never know when they will be asked to continue the number line. 

Example of a game: a family of five (Mum, Dad, Emma, Honza and Lucy) play a number line. Daddy "kicks" the number 6, says "ascending" and points to Lucy. Lucka goes on to name all the numbers that follow the six, "seven, eight, nine, ten..." and then quickly points to Honza and says "descending". Honza continues "nine, eight, seven..." then points to mom "descending" and after mom lists the numbers, points to Emma with the instruction "ascending." All members recite the number series in their "heads" to reinforce the relationship between the numbers and their sequence.