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Level 2Grade 2skill: skip_count· 7 min read

Skip Counting by 2s, 5s and 10s

In short: Skip counting means jumping forward by the same amount every time: by 2s (2, 4, 6, 8), by 5s (5, 10, 15, 20), or by 10s (10, 20, 30, 40). Keep every jump equal, and use the ones digit to check your work - by 5s always ends in 5 or 0, by 10s keeps the same ones digit.

How to skip count by 2s, 5s and 10s

The one rule behind skip counting is that every jump is exactly the same size. Once you pick a step, you keep adding that same amount, and no single jump is ever bigger or smaller than the others. If the gaps between your numbers are not all equal, you are not skip counting yet.

You also do not have to start at the step number. You can skip count by 10 starting at 4: 4, 14, 24, 34. The step stays 10 even though the start is not a 10, so watch the size of each jump rather than the number you begin with.

  1. Choose your step size: 2, 5, or 10.
  2. Say your starting number out loud.
  3. Add the step to get the next number, then add the same step again.
  4. Keep the jumps equal every single time until you reach the end.

The ones-digit trick that checks your work Why it works

Count by 2
The ones digit follows the loop 2, 4, 6, 8, 0 and then repeats. Every number is even.

2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 - the ones digits are 2, 4, 6, 8, 0, 2, 4.

Count by 5
The ones digit switches back and forth: 5, 0, 5, 0. It is always a 5 or a 0.

5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 - the ones digits are 5, 0, 5, 0, 5, 0.

Count by 10
The ones digit never changes from where you started. Only the tens digit grows.

3, 13, 23, 33, 43 - the ones digit stays 3 the whole way.

Here is the one idea worth remembering: the ones digit tells you if you slipped. If you are counting by 5s and land on 23, you know instantly it is wrong, because counting by 5s can only end in a 5 or a 0. That is a free error-checker you carry in your head.

Worked examples

Skip count by 2s starting at 2. Write the first six numbers. = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
  1. Start at 2.
  2. Add 2: 2 + 2 = 4.
  3. Add 2 again: 4 + 2 = 6, then 6 + 2 = 8, then 8 + 2 = 10, then 10 + 2 = 12.
  4. Check: every ones digit is 2, 4, 6, 8, 0, 2 - all even. Correct.
Fill in the blank: 5, 10, ___, 20, 25. = 15
  1. The step is 5 because 10 - 5 = 5.
  2. The number before the blank is 10, so add 5: 10 + 5 = 15.
  3. Check the other way: 20 - 5 = 15. Both agree.
Tricky: skip count by 10s starting at 4. Write five numbers. = 4, 14, 24, 34, 44
  1. Start at 4, even though 4 is not a 10.
  2. Add 10 each time: 4 + 10 = 14, 14 + 10 = 24, 24 + 10 = 34, 34 + 10 = 44.
  3. Check with the ones-digit trick: counting by 10 keeps the ones digit the same, and every number ends in 4. Correct.
Tricky: skip count by 5s backwards from 30. Write six numbers. = 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5
  1. Going backwards means subtract the step of 5 each time.
  2. 30 - 5 = 25, 25 - 5 = 20, 20 - 5 = 15, 15 - 5 = 10, 10 - 5 = 5.
  3. Check: every number ends in 0 or 5, which is the count-by-5 pattern. Correct.

Common mistakes

Stopping one jump too early (or too late)

✗ 50

The question asks for the 6th number when you count by 10s from 10: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60. A student who counts the starting number as jump number two, or who stops one number short, lands on 50 - the 5th number instead of the 6th.

Fix: Point to each number as you say it and count the positions on your fingers: 10 is 1st, 20 is 2nd, 30 is 3rd, 40 is 4th, 50 is 5th, 60 is 6th. The answer is 60.

off_by_one

Jumping by the wrong amount

✗ 25

For 5, 10, 15, ___ the step is 5, so the answer is 20. A student who jumps by 10 instead of 5 does 15 + 10 and writes 25. The jump size was wrong, not the adding.

Fix: Before you jump, find the step by subtracting two numbers you can see: 10 - 5 = 5. Add that exact step: 15 + 5 = 20.

wrong_operation

Writing the digit in the wrong column

✗ 6

For 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, ___ counting by 10s the next number is 60. A student who counts six tens but writes just 6 has put the digit in the ones column instead of the tens column - a x10 size mistake.

Fix: Say the full number, not the count: six tens is 60, not 6. When you skip count by 10, every answer should end in 0.

place_value_slip

Practice skip counting

Try these - watch your jump size and use the ones-digit trick to check every answer.

Where this leads next

Next up

Frequently asked questions

What is skip counting?

Skip counting is counting forward or backward by the same amount each time instead of by ones. Counting by 5s you say 5, 10, 15, 20, jumping 5 every time.

Do I have to start at the step number?

No. You can start anywhere. Skip counting by 10 from 4 gives 4, 14, 24, 34 - the step stays 10 even though the start is not a 10.

How can my child quickly check a skip-counting answer?

Look at the ones digit. By 2s ends even, by 5s ends in 5 or 0, and by 10s keeps the same ones digit as the start. A broken pattern means a slip.

Why do children learn skip counting in Grade 2?

It is the bridge to multiplication. Counting by 5s three times (5, 10, 15) is the same as 5 x 3, which makes times tables easier later.