Counting in 2s, 5s and 10s

Method

1. Start concrete by physically grouping objects into pairs, fives or tens (e.g. socks into pairs, or counters into groups of 5 on a tray) and count the groups, saying the running total after each group is added: '2... 4... 6...'. This ties the skip-counting words to a real quantity rather than a memorised chant.
2. Move to a pictorial hundred square or number line with every 2nd, 5th or 10th number highlighted, and have the child trace the pattern with a finger while saying the numbers, noticing what stays the same each time (the ones digit repeats in a fixed pattern for 2s and 10s, and alternates between 0 and 5 for 5s).
3. Practise counting on from zero first until the sequence itself is secure and can be said fluently in one breath.
4. Then deliberately practise starting from a non-zero multiple, such as 'start at 20 and count on in 10s' or 'start at 12 and count on in 2s', since this is the step most children skip in their own head and is exactly what the Year 2 curriculum requires.
5. Practise counting backwards in the same steps once forwards counting from any start point is secure, e.g. 'count back in 5s from 30': this uses the same skip-counting pattern in reverse and is needed for later division reasoning.
6. Connect the pattern explicitly to coins and to the times tables once the sequence itself is fluent: counting 5, 10, 15, 20 in 5p coins previews the 5 times table, and counting 2, 4, 6, 8 previews the 2 times table, even before the multiplication language is introduced.
7. Watch for children who count in 2s but lose the thread on odd starting numbers (e.g. asked to count in 2s from 7, they may default back to the even sequence 8, 10, 12 instead of the correct odd sequence 7, 9, 11, 13): check which sequence is intended before marking as wrong if the task does not specify starting from an even number.

Practice questions

Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.

Free printable worksheet