What is skip counting?
Skip counting means counting forward by the same number each time instead of by ones: 2, 4, 6, 8 when counting by 2, or 5, 10, 15, 20 when counting by 5. Each number is the one before plus the step. It is the quickest way to count a pile of objects in groups, it is how children read the minute hand on a clock, and it is the first step toward the times tables: counting by 3 four times lands on 12, which is 4 × 3.
| Count by | First numbers | Where children meet it |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 | Pairs of socks, shoes, even numbers |
| 5 | 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 | Nickels, tally marks, minutes on a clock |
| 10 | 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 | Dimes, tens and ones, the hundreds chart |
| 3 and 4 | 3, 6, 9, 12 · 4, 8, 12, 16 | The next times tables |
How to teach skip counting
- Start with real groups. Count pairs of shoes by 2 or hands by 5 so each jump stands for something.
- See the pattern. Read the skip counting chart row by row: counting by 5 always ends in 5 or 0, counting by 10 always ends in 0, counting by 2 lands on every even number.
- Jump on a number line. Each arc is one more group, so 6 jumps of 4 land on 24.
- Fill in the gaps. Missing-number rows make children find the step from the numbers they can see, then keep going.
- Start somewhere else. Counting by 10 from 37 (37, 47, 57) is the step from skip counting to adding tens in your head.
| Grade | Skip counting skill | Common Core |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | Count to 100 by ones and by tens | K.CC.A.1 |
| 2nd grade | Skip count by 5s, 10s and 100s within 1000 | 2.NBT.A.2 |
| 2nd grade | Tell time to the nearest five minutes | 2.MD.C.7 |
| 3rd grade | Multiply and divide within 100 | 3.OA.C.7 |
Skip counting chart and worksheets
Skip counting chart: one colored row for each number you pick, with its first 10 or 12 multiples. Choose 2 to 12 for a full skip counting chart 1–12 style poster for the classroom wall, or a single row such as skip counting by 2 for a desk strip. In black and white the rows print as plain boxes.
Missing numbers: 8 to 12 rows of eight boxes with 2, 3 or 4 numbers left out. The first two numbers in every row are always shown, so children can work out the step before they fill the gaps. Start from 0 or a multiple for beginners, or from any number for a challenge. New worksheet draws new rows; mixed sheets use each number in turn and then shuffle the rows.
Number line jumps: 3 to 6 number lines, each with ten jumps of the same size drawn as arcs and labeled +2, +5 and so on. Leave the landing numbers blank to fill in, or show them for a reference sheet. With Answers set to Show, every missing number appears in red. These printable skip counting worksheets suit 1st to 3rd grade. For counting by 10 on a 1–100 grid, use the hundreds chart; to see counting by 5 on a clock, the telling time worksheets; and when the steps turn into times tables, the multiplication chart.
How we tested this tool
We checked the tool by script in Google Chrome on Windows across 1,620 sheets: charts, missing-number worksheets and number lines for every count-by choice from 2 to 12 and the mixed sets, every row, gap and start option, with and without answers, on Letter and A4, about 13,000 rows and lines in all. Every chart cell is the right multiple; every worksheet row goes up by exactly its step, hides exactly the number of boxes chosen and never the first two, starts on a multiple when "0 or a multiple" is picked, and no two rows on a page are the same; every number line has ten equal jumps landing on 0, n, 2n and so on, with the right numbers shown, hidden or filled in red on the answer key. Nothing leaves the page and no two numbers or labels overlap. The first version could only start a row at 0, n, 2n or 3n, so a page counting by one number repeated rows; it now chooses from twelve starting points. We printed sheets to PDF with Microsoft Edge (one US Letter portrait page) and tested the page at a 375 px phone width.
Frequently asked questions
What is skip counting in math?
Counting forward by the same amount each time instead of by ones, such as 3, 6, 9, 12 when counting by 3. Each number is the one before plus the step, so skip counting is repeated addition.
How do you teach skip counting by 2?
Start with things that come in pairs, such as shoes or eyes, and count them 2, 4, 6, 8. Then point out the pattern: skip counting by 2 from 0 lands on every even number, and the last digit repeats 2, 4, 6, 8, 0.
Why is skip counting by 5 useful?
It is how children count nickels and tally marks, and how they read the minute hand: each number on a clock face is 5 more minutes. Counting by 5 always ends in 5 or 0, which makes mistakes easy to spot.
How is skip counting related to multiplication?
Each jump adds one more group, so the number you land on after a few jumps is the product. Four jumps of 3 land on 12, which is 4 × 3. A skip counting chart from 2 to 12 is a times table read row by row.
Can I print a skip counting chart?
Yes. Choose Skip counting chart, pick the numbers (from a single row such as skip counting by 10 up to every number from 2 to 12) and 10 or 12 numbers per row, then print or save it as a PDF.
Is there an answer key?
Yes. Set Answers to Show and print again. Missing numbers and number line landing points appear in red on the same sheet, until you press New worksheet.