How to Teach Skip Counting to Your Child

By the Practice Buds team · October 25, 2026

Short answer

Skip counting means counting forward or backward by a number other than one, such as 2, 4, 6, 8. Teach it in this order: tens first, then fives, then twos, then threes and fours. Say the numbers aloud with a rhythm, then write them down, and use printable skip counting worksheets to make the patterns automatic.

Why kids find this hard

Counting by ones is a habit your child has practiced for years. Skip counting asks them to hold two things in mind at once: where they are on the number path, and how big each jump is. When attention slips, they fall back to ones.

Chanting is the other trap. Many children can recite "2, 4, 6, 8, 10" like a song but cannot start from 14 or say what comes after 26. They have memorized a tune, not a pattern. The goal is to start anywhere and keep going.

Skip counting also matters later. Every times table is a skip count in disguise, so a child who is shaky here will feel it in 3rd grade multiplication.

How to teach it

Keep sessions to 10 minutes. You need a hundred chart (a grid of 1 to 100) and a pencil.

  1. Start with counting by tens. Point to the end of each row on the hundred chart and say 10, 20, 30 aloud together. Notice that the tens digit goes up by one each time.
  2. Move to fives. Color every fifth square on the chart. Have your child spot that the numbers always end in 5 or 0.
  3. Say it with a beat. Clap or tap a pencil on each number, so the rhythm carries the jump size.
  4. Use real objects. Count pairs of socks by 2s, or nickels by 5s. A real group makes the jump mean something.
  5. Add the "start anywhere" game. Say a number such as 35 and ask your child to count by 5s from there.
  6. Count backward. Counting down by 10s from 100 and by 5s from 50 comes next, because it prepares subtraction.
  7. Write the pattern on paper, with a small curved arrow and "+5" over each jump, so your child can see the rule.
  8. Add twos, then threes and fours, one new number per week. Move on only when your child can start from any number.

Worked example

Fill in the missing numbers: 35, 40, __, 50, __, 60.

Step 1: Find the jump size. 40 − 35 = 5, so the rule is "count by 5s."

Step 2: Check the rule on another pair. 50 − 40 = 10, and there is one blank between them, so two jumps of 5 fit. 40 + 5 = 45, and 45 + 5 = 50.

Step 3: Fill the second blank. 50 + 5 = 55, and 55 + 5 = 60, which matches the number at the end.

The finished pattern is 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60. Notice that your child tested the rule on more than one pair before filling anything in. That habit prevents most wrong answers.

Try a backward one: 90, 80, __, 60. Since 90 − 10 = 80, the rule is minus 10, and 80 − 10 = 70, so the blank is 70.

Common mistakes

Losing the pattern at a new decade. When counting by 5s, your child goes 40, 45, 60 instead of 40, 45, 50. Spot it when the chant suddenly speeds up around a round number. Fix it by having them point at the hundred chart as they count, so they see 50 sitting right there.

Dropping back to counting by ones. Your child starts at 2, 4, 6 and then says 7. Spot it when the answers lose their even rhythm. Fix it by clapping on every number and letting the clap carry the jump.

Mixing up starting at an odd number. Counting by 2s from 7 gives 7, 9, 11, not 8, 10. Spot it when your child changes to evens halfway. Fix it by asking, "What is 7 plus 2?" and checking the answer: 7 + 2 = 9.

Checking only the first jump. On 12, 15, 18, your child sees +3 and then guesses. Spot it when the last blank breaks the rule. Fix it by testing the rule on at least two pairs before writing.

Practice ladder

First (2nd grade, weeks 1 to 2): Count by 10s and 5s to 100, forward only, using the hundred chart.

Next (2nd grade, weeks 3 to 4): Count by 2s, then start from any number and go backward. Try number patterns where your child finds the missing terms and states the rule.

Then (3rd grade): Count by 3s, 4s and 6s, and draw equal jumps. Multiplication on a number line shows how 4 jumps of 3 land on 12, since 4 × 3 = 12.

Later (3rd to 4th grade): Connect skip counting to facts. Counting 7, 14, 21, 28 is the same as the 7s table, and times tables worksheets pick up from there. Our guide on how to help your child memorize multiplication facts continues the path. The whole counting topic is laid out in teaching order.

FAQ

Should my child learn the skip counting chants by heart? Chants are a good start, but always follow them with a "start anywhere" round. If your child can only begin at 2 or 5, the memory is still a tune.

Is skip counting the same as multiplication? They are close cousins. Skip counting is the road, and multiplication is the shortcut. Counting by 5s four times lands on 20, and 4 × 5 = 20.

My child is in 3rd grade and still counts on fingers. Is that a problem? Fingers are fine as a tool. Try keeping a count of jumps on one hand while saying the numbers aloud. Over time, the numbers become automatic.

How long should we practice each day? Five to ten minutes is plenty. A short daily round in the car or at dinner beats one long weekend session.

Practice at home

Short, regular practice works best, and a printed hundred chart makes patterns easy to see. Printing needs a free account.

Start with skip counting worksheets, and browse the counting topic when you want more.