Fun with Numbers - Skip Counting

Skip counting is a method of counting where we add a fixed number (other than $1$) to get the next number in the sequence. Imagine a rabbit hopping over a specific number of stones on a path, landing only on every $n$-th stone.

Skip Counting by $2$s follows a pattern where the sequence moves through even or odd numbers by adding $2$ each time, such as $2, 4, 6, 8...$ or $1, 3, 5, 7...$. Visually, this is like counting pairs of socks or shoes where each addition adds two items to the total.

Skip Counting by $5$s is identified by numbers that always end in the digits $0$ or $5$. A visual way to understand this is by counting the fingers on multiple hands: $5, 10, 15, 20$, and so on.

Skip Counting by $10$s is one of the simplest patterns because only the tens digit changes (until you cross a hundred). For example, $110, 120, 130, 140$. Imagine a tower built with blocks of $10$, where each new block increases the height by exactly $10$ units.

Skip Counting by $50$s involves large jumps and creates a repeating pattern every two steps, such as $50, 100, 150, 200$. Think of a cricket match where runs are tracked in half-centuries ($50$ runs) and full centuries ($100$ runs).

Backward Skip Counting involves subtracting the skip value repeatedly to move down the number line. Imagine a countdown for a rocket launch or walking down a staircase while skipping every second step: $50, 48, 46, 44$.

To identify the skip counting rule in an unknown sequence, we find the difference between two numbers that are next to each other. On a number line, this represents the 'size' of the jump between points.