LEARN · PRACTISE · DISCOVER
Skip Counting by 2s, 5s and 10s
What if you need to count 30 socks? Counting one by one takes ages. There is a faster way: skip counting. When you skip count, you jump over some numbers. Today you will skip count by 2s, 5s and 10s.
Counting by 2s
Socks, shoes and eyes come in pairs. A pair is 2. Count by 2s:
2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20
Example
Lucy has 6 pairs of socks. She counts by 2s: “2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12.” She has 12 socks.
Tip: Whisper the number you skip and say the next one loudly: (1) 2, (3) 4, (5) 6.
Counting by 5s
Each hand has 5 fingers. Count hands by 5s:
5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50
Notice the pattern
When you count by 5s, the numbers always end in 5 or 0. 5, 10, 15, 20… This pattern keeps going all the way to 100!
Counting by 10s
You already know this one! Counting by 10s:
10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100
On the hundred chart, counting by 10s means going straight down the last column.
Which way is fastest?
| Count | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| by 2s | pairs | shoes, eyes, socks |
| by 5s | groups of five | fingers on hands, tally marks |
| by 10s | groups of ten | toes on two feet, tens towers |
Tally marks
Tally marks are a quick way to keep score. Draw four lines, then cross them with a fifth line to make a bundle of 5. Then you can count the bundles by 5s!
Key takeaways
- Skip counting is faster than counting by ones.
- Count pairs by 2s: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.
- Counting by 5s gives numbers ending in 5 or 0.
- Counting by 10s goes down the hundred chart.
Practice
- Count by 2s from 2 to 20.
- Count by 5s: how many fingers are on 4 hands?
- Count by 10s: how many toes are on 6 children?
Answers: 1 is 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20. 2 is 20 fingers (5, 10, 15, 20). 3 is 60 toes (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60).