Counting to 100
Counting in ones, twos, fives and tens; Year 1 and Year 2 of the UK National Curriculum.
By the end of Year 2 children should count fluently to 100 in ones, and in 2s, 5s, and 10s. Skip-counting is the foundation of times tables, which start in earnest in Year 2.
Worked examples
Counting in 2s: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 ... 100. All even numbers.
Counting in 5s: 5, 10, 15, 20 ... 100. Useful for telling the time and counting 5p coins.
Counting in 10s from any number: 4, 14, 24, 34, 44 ... 94. The tens digit changes; ones stay the same.
Frequently asked questions
Should we use a hundred square?
Yes. A 1-100 grid (10 wide) lets children see patterns: counting in 10s goes straight down a column, in 5s zig-zags, in 2s skips columns. Most KS1 classrooms use one daily.
Why do they get stuck at multiples of 10?
‘Twenty-nine, thirty’ needs a place-value jump. Children often say ‘twenty-ten’ until the bridge clicks. Practise crossing each ten.
What about counting backwards?
Year 2 expects children to count back in 1s and 10s from any number to 0. Try ‘100, 90, 80 ...’ as a daily warm-up.