Skip Counting Patterns

Grade 1 · Math · Study Guide

Learn how to skip count by 2s, 5s, and 10s to count faster and spot number patterns.

Skip counting means jumping over numbers by the same amount each time instead of counting one by one. It is a fast and fun way to count bigger groups! When you skip count by 2s, you say every other number: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. This is great for counting pairs of things like socks or shoes.

When you skip count by 5s, you count groups of five: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25. Nickels are worth 5 cents each, so skip counting by 5s helps you count money! When you skip count by 10s, you count groups of ten: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50. Your fingers and dimes both come in groups that you can count by 10s.

Skip counting also helps you see patterns on a number chart. On a hundreds chart, numbers in the 2s column make a diagonal stripe, the 5s column ends in 5 or 0, and the 10s always end in 0. Recognizing these patterns makes math so much faster!

Skip Counting Sequences
Skip By	Sequence (first 5)	Ends In
2s	2, 4, 6, 8, 10	Even numbers only
5s	5, 10, 15, 20, 25	5 or 0
10s	10, 20, 30, 40, 50	Always 0

Key terms

skip counting: Counting by jumping forward by the same number each time instead of counting by ones
pattern: Something that repeats in a predictable way
count by 2s: Add 2 each time: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10...
count by 5s: Add 5 each time: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25...
count by 10s: Add 10 each time: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50...

Flashcards

Skip Count by 2s: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12... (add 2 each time)
Skip Count by 5s: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25... (add 5 each time)
Skip Count by 10s: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50... (add 10 each time)
What comes after 15 when counting by 5s?: 20
What comes after 8 when counting by 2s?: 10
What comes after 40 when counting by 10s?: 50

Practice questions

What comes next? 10, 20, 30, ___
1. 35
2. 40
3. 50
4. 31
Show answer
Answer: 40
10, 20, 30, 40 — skip counting by 10s; add 10 each time
When you skip count by 5s, every number ends in 5 or 0.
Show answer
Answer: True
All multiples of 5 end in either 5 or 0
Skip count by 2s: 4, 6, ___, 10
Show answer
Answer: 8
4, 6, 8, 10 — skip counting by 2s; add 2 to 6 to get 8
Which sequence shows skip counting by 5s?
1. 5, 6, 7, 8
2. 5, 10, 15, 20
3. 2, 4, 6, 8
4. 10, 20, 30, 40
Show answer
Answer: 5, 10, 15, 20
Each number increases by 5 — the skip-counting-by-5s pattern
There are 3 bundles of 10 crayons. How many crayons in all?
1. 13
2. 30
3. 20
4. 25
Show answer
Answer: 30
3 bundles of 10: 10, 20, 30 — skip count by 10s

Fun facts

When you skip count by 2s, you are saying all the even numbers!
A spider has 8 legs — if you had 3 spiders, you could skip count by 8s: 8, 16, 24 to find the total legs!

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