Skip Counting
Skip counting is a basic skill that young children can master. Counting by 10’s is essential for an
understanding of place value. Counting by 5’s is a strategy that is often used to read time on analog clocks as well
as to count coin values. However, skip counting can be something of an abstract concept to teach. This is why I
highly encourage the use of a visual support in the form of a hundreds chart.
You can use the chart to explain to your child that counting by 10’s means counting only the numbers that
end in zero. Let your student, color, circle or highlight the numbers used to count by 10’s. Doing this let’s your child
see the number pattern that emerges as well as provides a handy visual support to use anytime he needs to count
by 10’s. Don’t worry. Your child won’t need this visual support forever. But while he is learning it can really make a
positive difference.
Use the same strategy for counting by 5’s but add that skip counting by 5’s means counting only the
numbers that end in 5 and 0. Again, use a 100’s chart as a visual support.
Skip counting by 2’a requires a bit more explanation. Provide ten small manipulatives such as pennies,
counters or buttons. Then have your child try and create two equal groups for each number one through ten. If
the number can create two equal groups, then we color or circle that number. Numbers that can be broken into two
equal groups are called ~ EVEN numbers.
Further explain that an even number is any number that ends in 2, 4, 6, 8 or 0. When we count by 2’s, we
are only counting even numbers. Allow your child to find all the EVEN numbers on a 100’s chart and then color,
highlight or circle them. Then practice using the chart to count by 2’s.
Keep these 100’s charts in a handy place and allow your child to use these charts as a visual support for as
long as he needs them. Click here for a document that includes a 100’s chart like the ones shown above. As well as
other skip counting supports.