Counting by 2s, 5s and 10s (Simple Guide for Young Learners)
Before a child ever sees a times table written down, they can usually count in twos, fives, and tens without even realising they're doing early multiplication. It's one of the gentlest ways into number patterns I know.
Counting by 2s, 5s, or 10s simply means counting in jumps of that size instead of counting one at a time. It sounds small, but it quietly builds the foundation for multiplication tables a year or two later.
Counting by 2s
Counting by 2s goes 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and so on — each number is 2 more than the last. Socks are a perfect example, since they naturally come in pairs. Counting 5 pairs of socks by 2s gives 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 — ten socks in total.
Counting by 5s
Counting by 5s goes 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and so on. Hands are the easiest real-life example — each hand has 5 fingers, so counting 4 hands by 5s gives 5, 10, 15, 20 fingers in total.
Counting by 10s
Counting by 10s goes 10, 20, 30, 40, and so on. This is exactly how many children first learn to count money using 10p coins, or count out loud to 100 quickly without stopping at every single number.
Why this matters for later maths
Counting in jumps is really repeated addition in disguise, which is exactly what multiplication is. A child who can confidently count by 5s already half-understands the 5 times table, long before they ever see it written as 5 × 4 = 20.
Practice questions
- Continue counting by 2s: 12, 14, __, 18. Answer: 16
- Continue counting by 5s: 20, 25, __, 35. Answer: 30
- Continue counting by 10s: 50, 60, __, 80. Answer: 70
- How many is 6 groups of 2? Answer: 12
- How many fingers are on 4 hands, counting by 5s? Answer: 20
Common mistakes I see in the classroom
The most common slip is losing the rhythm partway through and dropping back to counting by ones without noticing. Saying the numbers out loud, with a little emphasis on each jump, helps keep the pattern steady.
Another common mistake happens when starting from a number that isn't already in the pattern — for example, trying to count by 5s starting from 3. It helps to always start from a number already in that counting sequence, like 0 or 5, until the pattern feels secure.
Tips for parents
Counting stairs by 2s on the way up, or counting out loud while sorting laundry into pairs, turns an everyday moment into quiet, natural practice without ever calling it a maths lesson.
Tips for teachers
I like using a hundred square on the wall and having students physically touch or highlight every number in the pattern as they count. Seeing the pattern light up across the grid makes the jumps visual, not just something spoken.
How step-by-step learning tools help
A step-by-step maths tool can show each counting jump clearly, one at a time, and offer unlimited fresh counting sequences for a child to practise at their own pace, building the pattern recognition that later multiplication tables rely on.
Frequently asked questions
Why do children learn to count by 2s, 5s, and 10s specifically? These three patterns are the easiest to spot in daily life — pairs, hands, and money — which makes them the gentlest starting point before other counting patterns.
At what age should a child start counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s? Most children begin around age 5 to 6, usually starting with counting by 10s, since it closely matches counting to 100.
Is counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s the same as multiplication? It's the groundwork for it — counting in jumps is repeated addition, and multiplication is simply a faster way of writing that same repeated addition.
What if my child can count by 10s but struggles with 2s or 5s? That's common — 10s often feel easiest because they match counting to 100. Practising 2s and 5s separately, using real objects like socks or fingers, usually closes the gap quickly.
Can this help with telling the time? Yes — clocks are marked in 5-minute jumps around the face, so confident counting by 5s makes reading an analogue clock noticeably easier.
Small Jumps Build Big Number Sense
Counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s feels almost too simple to matter, which is exactly why it works so well. By the time multiplication tables arrive, a child who's counted this way for years already trusts the pattern, instead of meeting it for the first time.