Counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s: Number Patterns
Imagine you have 20 shoes to count. Counting them one by one takes a long time! But shoes come in pairs. If you count two at a time — 2, 4, 6, 8 — you finish way faster. This speedy way of counting is called skip counting. You skip some numbers and jump ahead. Today you will learn to skip count by 2s, 5s, and 10s.
What You'll Learn
You will be able to: - Skip count out loud by 2s, 5s, and 10s - Spot the pattern each one makes - Use skip counting to count a group faster
Counting by 2s
When you count by 2s, you say: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12... Each time you add one more 2. These are called even numbers. A fun trick: think of things that come in twos, like socks, eyes, and shoes. Two socks, four socks, six socks!
Counting by 5s
When you count by 5s, you say: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25... Your hand is perfect for this! One hand has 5 fingers. Two hands have 10. Every number you say ends in a 5 or a 0. That is the pattern: 5, 10, 15, 20 — 5, 0, 5, 0!
Counting by 10s
When you count by 10s, you say: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50... Think of dimes. Each dime is worth 10 cents. Every number ends in a 0. Counting by 10s is the fastest jump of all.
Counting by 5s? The numbers end in 5 or 0. Counting by 10s? They always end in 0. The last number is a clue to which count you are doing!
Flashcards — click each card to reveal the answer
You are counting shoes by 2s: 2, 4, 6, 8. What number comes next?
When you count by 10s, what do all the numbers end in?
Skip Count Around Your Home
1. Find a pile of socks (or crayons) and put them in pairs. 2. Skip count them by 2s out loud: 2, 4, 6... and write down the last number. 3. Now hold up your hands and count fingers by 5s: 5, 10. 4. Find some coins or buttons and make groups of 10, then count by 10s. 5. Draw a picture of the group you counted and write the total number under it. Show a grown-up how fast skip counting is!
Want to keep learning?
Sign up for free to access the full curriculum — all subjects, all ages.
Start Learning Free