Learn to Count by 10 with These Free Printables

Counting by 10 may be one of the most important math skills students can learn: The concept of "place value" is vital to the math operations of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. Place value refers to the value of the digit based on its position—and those positions are based on multiples of 10, as in the "tens," "hundreds," and thousands" place.

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Why Is Counting by 10 Important?

Base 10 is the numbering system we use, where there are 10 possible digits (0 - 9) in each decimal place. — Andy Crawford, Getty Images

Counting by 10s is also a vital part of understanding money, where there are 10 dimes to a dollar, 10 $1 bills in a $10 bill and 10 $10 bills in a $100-dollar bill. Use these free printable to get students started on the road to learning to skip count by 10s.

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Worksheet 1

Counting by 10's doesn't just mean by beginning at number 10. A child needs to count by 10 starting at different numbers including odd numbers. In this worksheet, students will count by 10, starting from various numbers, including some that are not multiples of 10, such as 25, 35, and so on. This—and the following—printables each contain rows with blank boxes where students will fill in the correct multiple of 10 as they skip count the number.

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Worksheet 2

This printable increases the difficulty level for students just as big. Students fill in the blank boxes in the rows, each of which starts with a number that is not a multiple of 10, such as 11, 44, and eight. Before students tackle this printable, gather a handful or two of dimes—about 100 or so—and demonstrate how students can use the coins to skip count by 10.

This is also a great way to introduce money skills, as you explain that each dime is the equivalent of 10 cents and that there are 10 dimes in a dollar, 50 dimes in $5, and 100 dimes in $10.

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Worksheet 3

In this worksheet, students skip count by 10 in rows that each start with a multiple of 10, such as 10, 30, 50, and 70. Allow students to use the dimes you gathered for the previous slide to help them skip count the numbers. Make sure to spot-check student papers as they fill in the blank boxes in each row while skip counting by 10. You want to be sure each student is doing the work correctly before turning in the worksheet.

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Worksheet # 4

Students will get more practice in counting by 10's in this worksheet that includes mixed problems, where some rows start with multiples of 10, while others do not. Explain to students that most math uses a "base 10 system." Base 10 refers to the numbering system that uses decimal numbers. Base 10 is also called the decimal system or denary system.

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Worksheet 5

These mixed-practice worksheets give students yet more fill-in-the-blank rows, where they determine how to count correctly by 10's depending on the initial number provided at the beginning of the row or at another spot in each row.

If you find that students are still struggling with counting by 10's, The Classroom Key provides a list of activities to reinforce the concept, including creating a hand-print chart, using a calculator, playing hopscotch, and even creating a lace-up plate, which looks similar to a clock, but the numbers you or students write around the plate are all multiples of 10.

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Worksheet # 6

As students get more mixed practice in counting by 10, use colorful visual aids to help guide your young learners, such as this count-by-10 chart from The Curriculum Corner, a resource that aims to provide "free resources for busy teachers."

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Worksheet 7

Before students continue to count by 10s on this worksheet, introduce them to this "100 chart," which—as the name implies—lists numbers from one to 100. The chart gives you and the students plenty of ways to count by 10, starting with various numbers and finishing with much larger numbers that are multiples of 10, such as: 10 to 100; two through 92, and three through 93. Many students learn better when the can actually see the concept, such as counting by 10.

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Worksheet 8

As students continue to practice counting by 10 on this worksheet, use visual aids and free learning videos such as these two offerings from OnlineMathLearning.com, which show an animated child singing a song about counting by 10's, and another that explains counting by 10's in graphic animation depicting multiples of 10—10, 20, 30, 60, etc.—climbing a mountain. Children love videos, and these two provide a great way to explain counting by 10 in a visual manner.

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Worksheet 9

Before students tackle this counting-by-10 worksheet, use books to help illustrate the skill. The website pre-K Pages recommends "Mouse Count," by Ellen Stoll Walsh, where students role-play counting to 10. "They practice counting to 10 and work on fine-motor skills, too," says the website sponsor, Vanessa Levin, an early childhood teacher.

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Worksheet 10

For this final worksheet in your counting-by-10 unit, students practice counting by 10, with each row starting the count at large number, from 645 all the way up to nearly 1,000. As in the previous worksheets, some rows begin with the number—such as 760, which would have students fill in the blanks as 770, 780, 790, and so on—while other rows list a number in a blank within the row but not at the beginning.

For example, the directions for one row explain to students that they need to start at 920 and count by 10s. The third box in the row lists the number 940, and students will need to count backward and forward from there. If students can complete this final worksheet with minimal or no help, they'll have truly mastered the skill of counting by 10.

Count by 10 Worksheets

Why Is Counting by 10 Important?