Let's solve the problem step by step. The task is to
count backwards and fill in the missing numbers on each number line.
We’ll go through each line one at a time, identifying the pattern (which is counting backward by 1), and fill in the blanks accordingly.
---
Line 1:
```
[ ] 28 27 [ ] 25 24 [ ]
```
- Counting backwards: 29 → 28 → 27 → 26 → 25 → 24 → 23
- So:
- First blank:
29
- Second blank:
26
- Third blank:
23
✔ Answer: 29, 26, 23
---
Line 2:
```
35 34 [ ] 32 31 [ ] [ ]
```
- Sequence: 35 → 34 → 33 → 32 → 31 → 30 → 29
- So:
- First blank:
33
- Second blank:
30
- Third blank:
29
✔ Answer: 33, 30, 29
---
Line 3:
```
44 43 42 [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
```
- Counting down from 42: 41, 40, 39, 38
- So:
- Blanks:
41, 40, 39, 38
✔ Answer: 41, 40, 39, 38
---
Line 4:
```
70 69 68 [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
```
- After 68: 67, 66, 65, 64
- So:
- Blanks:
67, 66, 65, 64
✔ Answer: 67, 66, 65, 64
---
Line 5:
```
53 52 51 [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
```
- After 51: 50, 49, 48, 47
- So:
- Blanks:
50, 49, 48, 47
✔ Answer: 50, 49, 48, 47
---
Line 6:
```
86 [ ] [ ] 83 82 81 [ ]
```
- From 86 to 83: 86 → 85 → 84 → 83
- Then 82, 81 → next is 80
- So:
- First blank:
85
- Second blank:
84
- Last blank:
80
✔ Answer: 85, 84, 80
---
Line 7:
```
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] 87 86
```
- Counting backward from 87 to 86: so before 87 are 88, 89, 90, 91, 92
- So going backwards:
- 92 → 91 → 90 → 89 → 88 → 87 → 86
- So the blanks (from left to right):
92, 91, 90, 89, 88
✔ Answer: 92, 91, 90, 89, 88
---
Line 8:
```
78 [ ] [ ] 75 74 [ ] 72
```
- From 78 to 75: 78 → 77 → 76 → 75
- Then 74 → 73 → 72
- So:
- First blank:
77
- Second blank:
76
- Third blank:
73
✔ Answer: 77, 76, 73
---
✔ Final Answers for Each Line:
1.
29, 26, 23
2.
33, 30, 29
3.
41, 40, 39, 38
4.
67, 66, 65, 64
5.
50, 49, 48, 47
6.
85, 84, 80
7.
92, 91, 90, 89, 88
8.
77, 76, 73
---
📝 Explanation:
All lines follow the pattern of
counting backwards by 1. We simply subtract 1 from the previous number to get the next one. For lines where numbers are missing in the middle or at the ends, we use the known numbers to determine the sequence.
For example:
- If you see 28 and 27, the number before 28 must be 29.
- If you see 83 and 82, then the number before 83 is 84, and so on.
This builds number sense and understanding of numerical order — especially decreasing sequences.
Let me know if you'd like this as a printable answer sheet!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of number lines counting backwards worksheet.
