Story or Problem

Why I let my kids use the resource instead of forcing memorization

Both of my kids are visual learners.

Which means if something only lives in their head and not in front of their eyes, it might as well not exist.

One of the biggest things I try to teach them is this:

You are allowed to use your resources.

Charts.
Lists.
Reference pages.
Whatever helps you understand what you're learning.

We don’t have to memorize everything right away.

And the funny thing is that the more they use their resources, the more comfortable they get with the material, and eventually they memorize it anyway.

Using your resources is basically memorizing without the pressure.

The Learning Ladder Educational Resources explains school concepts in clear, parent-friendly language so kids can understand what they’re learning.

And for my kids, math makes a lot more sense when they can see it.

Real Experience

Skip counting was one of those moments

Skip counting was one of those moments where this really showed up.

My kids could count to 100 with no problem.

But ask them to count by 5s and suddenly things got very quiet.

5
10
15
20

...and then the look.

You know the look.

The one that says I know I'm supposed to know this but I do not know this.

For a long time it just felt like they were trying to memorize a random list of numbers.

But skip counting isn’t really about memorizing a list.

It’s about seeing the pattern.

What Didn’t Work

Repeating it over and over just made everyone tired

What definitely did not help was repeating it over and over.

Say it again.
Start over.
Let's try that one more time.

After about three rounds of that, everyone in the room needed a snack.

Repetition without understanding just turns math into frustration.

My kids needed to see what was happening with the numbers.

What Helped

Once they could follow the numbers, it stopped feeling random

Once we started using visual tools, things changed pretty quickly.

When they could look at a chart and follow the pattern with their finger, the numbers suddenly stopped feeling random.

They could see that:

2 → 4 → 6 → 8

was just the same jump over and over again.

But something else helped before skip counting really started to click.

Understanding even numbers.

When kids realize that counting by 2s always lands on even numbers, the pattern suddenly makes a lot more sense.

If your child is still figuring that part out, this post on Even & Odd Numbers: Understanding Number Pairs explains how numbers form pairs and why some numbers always leave one behind.

You can also use the Even & Odd Numbers Cheat Sheet as a simple visual reference while your child practices. (Go get it, it's free!!)

Once my kids understood that connection, skip counting by 2s stopped feeling like a random list and started feeling predictable.

That’s exactly why I made the Skip Counting Chart: Seeing Number Patterns + Worksheets. It gives kids a way to follow the pattern instead of trying to hold it all in their head.

And it turns out something else helped too.

Coloring.

Because honestly, if there is an option to color something, my kids are immediately more interested.

Skill Development

It builds more than skip counting

Coloring the patterns actually does more than keep them engaged.

It helps them slow down and pay attention to the numbers they’re choosing.

It also helps with something else parents don’t always think about during math time.

Pencil grip.

Any activity that gets kids coloring, circling, or tracing helps build those small hand muscles they need for writing later.

So skip counting practice quietly becomes:

• pattern recognition
• early multiplication understanding
• number sense
• fine motor practice

Not bad for one worksheet.

Start Here

Start with one easy pattern

If skip counting feels frustrating for your child, start small.

Pick one pattern.

Counting by 2s is usually the easiest place to begin.

Let your child circle the numbers or color the pattern instead of saying the numbers from memory.

When kids can see the pattern, they stop feeling like the numbers are random.

You can also use something like the Skip Counting Chart: Seeing Number Patterns + Worksheets, which lets kids follow the patterns visually and practice filling in the missing numbers.

The goal isn’t memorization right now.

The goal is recognition.

Try This

Turn it into a pattern hunt

Try turning skip counting into a pattern hunt.

Ask questions like:

Do you notice anything about these numbers?

Where do the numbers land when we count by 5s?

What do you see when we color every number that ends in zero?

My kids especially love the coloring page in the chart.

Partly because coloring is fun.

Partly because it makes the patterns easier to see.

And partly because coloring makes a worksheet feel a lot less like a worksheet.

Skip This If Needed

You do not need the full sequence on day one

If your child starts feeling overwhelmed, skip the long sequences.

You do not need to count by 2s all the way to 100 on day one.

Start with something small like:

2, 4, 6, 8

Or

5, 10, 15, 20

Confidence grows a lot faster when kids experience small wins first.

Here’s the Next Step

Once skip counting clicks, more math starts to feel familiar

Once kids start seeing skip counting patterns, multiplication often becomes much easier later.

It stops feeling like a completely new concept and starts feeling like something familiar.

If you're looking for more tools that help break down school concepts visually, you can explore the Learning Ladder Resource Center, where printable charts and guides help parents explain tricky topics in simple ways.

You can also browse the full shop at The Learning Ladder Educational Resources if you want more print-and-go support tools in one place.

The Real Win

It is not the memorizing that matters most

The real win isn’t when your child memorizes the skip counting sequence.

The real win is when they look at the numbers and say something like:

“Oh... it’s just adding the same number every time.”

That moment means the pattern clicked.

And once kids start seeing patterns in math, a lot of other things suddenly feel a whole lot easier.