Year 1 Maths: Learn to Skip-Count by Twos, Fives and Tens

What is Skip Counting?

Hello, super mathematicians! Today, we are going to learn how to skip-count. Skip-counting means counting by a number, but instead of saying every single number, we skip some. It can make counting faster and easier!

Skip Counting by Twos

When we skip-count by twos, we say every second number. We start at two and keep adding two each time.

Example:

• 2, 4, 6, 8, 10…

Key Rule:

• Start at 2 and keep adding 2.

Tips and Tricks:

• You can use your fingers! Count two fingers, then four, then six, and so on.
• Try jumping in twos. Jump two times for 2, four times for 4, and so on!

Skip Counting by Fives

Now let’s skip-count by fives. This means we say every fifth number.

Example:

• 5, 10, 15, 20, 25…

Key Rule:

• Start at 5 and keep adding 5.

Tips and Tricks:

• You can count your fingers in groups of five! Hold out one hand and count five fingers.
• Use a song or rhyme that goes up to 100 by fives.

Skip Counting by Tens

Finally, we will skip-count by tens. This means we say every tenth number.

Example:

• 10, 20, 30, 40, 50…

Key Rule:

• Start at 10 and keep adding 10.

Tips and Tricks:

• Think of counting your toys in groups of ten!
• You can practise with coins. Count ten pence pieces!

Let’s Practice!

Easy Questions

1. What comes after 2 when skip-counting by twos?
2. What comes after 10 when skip-counting by fives?
3. What comes after 20 when skip-counting by tens?
4. Count by twos: 2, 4, __.
5. Count by fives: 5, __, 15.
6. Count by tens: 10, __, 30.
7. What is 6 when skip-counting by twos?
8. What comes after 25 when skip-counting by fives?
9. Count by twos: __, 8, 10.
10. Count by fives: 15, __, 25.

Medium Questions

11. What comes after 12 when skip-counting by twos?
12. What is 40 when skip-counting by tens?
13. What comes after 30 when skip-counting by fives?
14. Count by twos: 14, __, 18.
15. Count by fives: __, 30, 35.
16. Count by tens: 20, 30, __.
17. Count by twos: 2, 4, 6, __, 10.
18. Count by fives: 5, __, 15, 20.
19. Count by tens: __, 50, 60, 70.
20. What is the next number after 16 when skip-counting by twos?

Hard Questions

21. Count by twos starting from 2 up to 20. What are the numbers?
22. Count by fives starting from 5 up to 50. What are the numbers?
23. Count by tens starting from 10 up to 100. What are the numbers?
24. What comes before 18 when skip-counting by twos?
25. What comes before 45 when skip-counting by fives?
26. What comes before 90 when skip-counting by tens?
27. Count by twos: 8, __, __, 12.
28. Count by fives: 25, __, __, 35.
29. Count by tens: 60, __, __, 80.
30. List all the numbers you can make when skip-counting by twos from 2 to 30.

Answers and Explanations

Easy Answers

1. 4. After 2, we add 2 and get 4.
2. 15. After 10, we add 5 to get 15.
3. 30. After 20, we add 10 to get 30.
4. 6. After 4, we add 2 to get 6.
5. 10. After 5, we add 5 to get 10.
6. 20. After 10, we add 10 to get 20.
7. 8. After 6, we add 2 to get 8.
8. 30. After 25, we add 5 to get 30.
9. 6. After 8, we go back to add 2 to get 6.
10. 20. After 15, we add 5 to get 20.

Medium Answers

11. 14. After 12, we add 2 to get 14.
12. 50. After 40, we add 10 to get 50.
13. 35. After 30, we add 5 to get 35.
14. 16. After 14, we add 2 to get 16.
15. 25. After 20, we add 5 to get 25.
16. 40. After 30, we add 10 to get 40.
17. 8. After 6, we add 2 to get 8.
18. 10. After 5, we add 5 to get 10.
19. 40. After 30, we add 10 to get 40.
20. 18. Before 16, we add 2 to get 18.

Hard Answers

21. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20. These are all the numbers we get when we skip-count by twos.
22. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50. These are all the numbers we get when we skip-count by fives.
23. 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100. These are all the numbers we get when we skip-count by tens.
24. 16. Before 18, we subtract 2 to get 16.
25. 40. Before 45, we subtract 5 to get 40.
26. 80. Before 90, we subtract 10 to get 80.
27. 10, 12. After 8, we add 2 to get 10 and then 12.
28. 30, 35. After 25, we add 5 to get 30, then 35.
29. 70, 80. After 60, we add 10 to get 70, then 80.
30. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30. These are the numbers we get when we skip-count by twos from 2 to 30.

Now, let’s have fun skip-counting together!