Multiplying by Skip Counting Up to 99

Skip counting means moving forward by the same amount over and over again, instead of counting one by one. When you skip count, you are already doing multiplication, you just have not written it as a multiplication statement yet. Every time you land on a new number, you have added the same "jump" one more time.

For example, if you skip count by 4 six times, you say: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24. You landed on 24 after 6 jumps of size 4. That is exactly what the multiplication fact \( 4 \times 6 = 24 \) tells you.

A number line makes skip counting easy to see. Each jump is the same length, and the number of jumps matches the second factor in the multiplication statement.

Notice that the number line shows the same idea as repeated addition as multiplication: \( 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 24 \). Skip counting is just a faster way to say the same jumps out loud.

Follow these steps whenever you want to multiply by skip counting up to 99:

1. Decide which number you are skip counting by (this is the size of each jump).
2. Decide how many jumps you need to make (this is the number of groups).
3. Say the numbers out loud or write them down, one jump at a time.
4. The last number you land on is the product.

For \( 7 \times 5 \), skip count by 7 five times: 7, 14, 21, 28, 35. You land on 35, so \( 7 \times 5 = 35 \).

Example 1: Find \( 6 \times 4 \) by skip counting by 6 four times.

6, 12, 18, 24. After 4 jumps of 6, you land on 24, so \( 6 \times 4 = 24 \).

Example 2: Find \( 9 \times 3 \) by skip counting by 9 three times.

9, 18, 27. After 3 jumps of 9, you land on 27, so \( 9 \times 3 = 27 \).

Example 3: Find \( 10 \times 8 \) by skip counting by 10 eight times.

10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80. After 8 jumps of 10, you land on 80, so \( 10 \times 8 = 80 \).

Numbers like 2, 5, and 10 are the easiest to skip count by because their patterns are simple to remember, which makes them a great starting point before moving on to trickier numbers like 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Skip counting works because multiplication is really about combining equal groups. When you learned to count equal groups up to 99, you were counting how many items are in several same-size groups. Skip counting speeds that process up by treating each jump as one whole group, so you do not have to count every single item.

Once you can skip count confidently, you are ready to write full multiplication statements for the jumps you made, which turns the number line pattern into a permanent multiplication fact you can reuse.

When practicing, try these tips to build speed and accuracy:

• Start with skip counting by 2, 5, and 10, since these patterns are the most familiar.
• Say each number in the skip count out loud before writing the multiplication fact.
• Check your answer by counting the total number of jumps to make sure it matches the second factor.
• Draw a quick number line if you lose track of a jump, especially with larger numbers closer to 99.

Related lessons

• Math 2