Skip Counting & Even/Odd Numbers

Skip counting means counting by a number other than 1, and even/odd tells us whether a number can be split into two equal groups.

Reading is good — doing is better. Practice Skip counting & even/odd as an interactive lesson.

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Definition

Skip counting is when you count forward or backward by the same number each time instead of counting by ones. Even numbers are whole numbers that can be split into two equal groups with nothing left over (like 6 split into 3 and 3). Odd numbers are whole numbers that always have one left over when you try to split them into two equal groups (like 7 split into 3 and 3 with 1 left over).

Remember the rule

Even numbers end in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8. Odd numbers end in 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9. When skip counting by 2 starting at 2, every number you land on is even!

Key words

Skip counting: Counting by jumping over numbers by the same amount each time, like 2, 4, 6, 8.
Even number: A number that can be split into two equal groups with nothing left over. It always ends in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8.
Odd number: A number that cannot be split into two equal groups. It always ends in 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9.
Pattern: A set of numbers that follow a rule and repeat in a predictable way.
Sequence: Numbers listed in order following a skip-counting rule, like 5, 10, 15, 20.
Equal groups: Groups that have the exact same number of items in each one.
Ones digit: The last digit on the right side of a number, which tells you if the number is even or odd.

Worked examples

Skip count by 2s: 2, 4, 6, ___, ___, ___

→ 8, 10, 12 · Add 2 each time. All of these numbers are even.

Skip count by 5s: 5, 10, 15, ___, ___, ___

→ 20, 25, 30 · Add 5 each time. The numbers end in 5 or 0 and make an easy pattern.

Skip count by 10s starting at 10: 10, 20, 30, ___, ___

→ 40, 50 · Add 10 each time. The ones digit is always 0.

Is 14 even or odd?

→ 14 is even because it ends in 4 and can be split into two equal groups of 7. · Check the ones digit: 4 is on the even list (0,2,4,6,8).

Is 17 even or odd?

→ 17 is odd because it ends in 7 and cannot be split into two equal groups — one person is always left over. · Check the ones digit: 7 is on the odd list (1,3,5,7,9).

Skip count by 2s starting at 1: 1, 3, 5, ___, ___, ___

→ 7, 9, 11 · Starting at an odd number and adding 2 each time gives you all odd numbers.

Common mistakes

Thinking a big number like 100 might be odd — always check just the ones digit. 100 ends in 0, so it is even.
Stopping too early or skipping the wrong amount when skip counting — say each number quietly to yourself to stay on track.
Confusing skip counting by 5s and 10s because both end in 0 sometimes — by 5s you also land on numbers ending in 5 (like 15, 25).
Thinking 0 is odd — 0 is actually even because 0 things can be split into two equal groups of 0.
Forgetting that odd plus odd equals even, and getting surprised when adding two odd numbers gives an even answer.

FAQs

How do I quickly tell if a number is even or odd?

Look only at the last digit (the ones place). If it is 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 the number is even. If it is 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9 the number is odd. That one digit tells you everything you need to know, even for big numbers like 348 (ends in 8, so even).

Why do we learn skip counting?

Skip counting is the first step toward understanding multiplication and addition patterns. When you count by 5s to find 5 groups of 5, you are getting ready for 5 times 5 equals 25!

Can I skip count backward?

Yes! You can skip count backward by subtracting the same number each time. For example, backward by 10s from 50: 50, 40, 30, 20, 10.

Is every even number divisible by 2?

Yes. Even means you can split the number into exactly 2 equal whole groups, which is the same as dividing by 2 with no remainder.

What happens when you add an even and an odd number?

You always get an odd number. For example, 4 (even) plus 3 (odd) equals 7 (odd). You can test this with small numbers using counters.

My child's skip counting sequence has a gap — how do I help them check their work?

Pick any two numbers next to each other in the sequence and subtract the smaller from the larger. That difference should be the same every time. If it is not, that is where the mistake is hiding.

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