Skip Counting (2s, 5s, 10s)

After students learn to count by 1, the next step is to learn to skip count. 

Skip counting is used in many math operations:

• Skip counting is the basis for multiplication. For students just learning times tables, knowing how to skip count 2s, 5s, and 10s, makes learning the 2s, 5s, and 10s times table easy.
• Skip counting also helps make addition and subtraction faster as students who can skip count can add and subtract multiples quickly.
• Finally, skip counting helps with time and money which is often counted in 5s (nickels) and 10s (dimes). 

When we teach skip counting, we often start orally.  But, if students have a hard time, use a hundreds table, showing students the patterns in counting (10s go down the far right side, 5s go down the middle).

When learning to skip count by 2, students should learn the difference between even numbers (those divisible by 2) and odd numbers (not divisible by 2).

It's always easiest to skip count starting on a skip count number (so, counting by 2s starting at 2, or counting by 10s starting at 30). But, more advanced students should be able to skip count by 2s and 10s starting on any number. (We typically only ask students to skip count by 5s when starting on multiples of 5.)

The worksheets below ask students to skip count from various starting points.