Skip counting is often called counting by 2s or by 5s or by 10s or by 100s. Skip counting really helps with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It is also used a lot for counting things – counting pairs of gloves, groups of five, money, boxes with 100 cans in each box – the list goes on!
To skip count you add the same number over and over.
You can start at any number. When you count normally (like 1,2,3,4,5,6) you add 1 to get the next number. To count by 2s, you add 2 to get the next number.
The example below shows how to count forward by twos starting from 10.
Here a more examples of counting by two. Look for patterns. Patterns help with skip counting.
Can you see a pattern? All the numbers are even numbers.
Can you see a pattern? All the numbers are odd numbers.
We count by fives quite often; counting money and telling the time are two examples. The picture below shows how to count forward by fives starting from 30.
Here a more examples of counting by five. Look for patterns.
Can you see a pattern? The digit in the one's place is either a two or a seven .
Can you see a pattern? The digit in the one's place is either a three or a eight .
The two examples below show counting by tens. Look at the numbers. There is always a pattern.
The three examples below show counting by hundreds. The patterns in all three are the same; the number in the hundreds place goes up by one each time.