Counting Sets of Nickels (Counting by 5s) - First Grade Mathematics

Just as counting dimes uses skip counting by 10s, counting nickels uses another of your favorite mathematical rhythms: skip counting by 5s! Each nickel is worth five cents, so every time you tap a nickel, your count jumps forward by five. Counting nickels is like high-fiving your way through a pile of coins. In this chapter, you will master counting sets of nickels up to 50 cents and beyond, record your totals with the cent symbol, and notice the alternating 5 and 0 pattern.

Counting by Fives with Nickels

Every nickel adds 5¢ to your running total.

Counting a Set of 6 Nickels:
  (5c)       (5c)       (5c)       (5c)       (5c)       (5c)
   |          |          |          |          |          |
  5¢         10¢        15¢        20¢        25¢        30¢

Total Value: 30¢ (Thirty Cents!)

The Alternating Rhythmic Pattern

Notice the endings as you count nickels: 5¢, 10¢, 15¢, 20¢, 25¢, 30¢, 35¢, 40¢, 45¢, 50¢! The ones digit always dances back and forth between 5 and 0.

Pairing Nickels to Make Dimes

Did you know that two nickels make a dime?

The Nickel-Dime Partnership:
[ Nickel 1 (5¢) ] + [ Nickel 2 (5¢) ] = 10¢ (The Value of 1 Dime!)

The 2-for-1 Trade

Whenever you have two nickels, you can push them together and think of them as one group of 10¢! 4 nickels = 2 pairs of nickels = 20¢ (two dimes!). 6 nickels = 3 pairs of nickels = 30¢ (three dimes!). Thinking in pairs helps you check your counting by 5s!

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Count this group of nickels by 5s and write the total value: (5¢) (5¢) (5¢) (5¢) (5¢).

Exercise 2: How many nickels do you need to pay for a pencil that costs 25¢?

Exercise 3: You have 8 nickels in your hand. How many cents do you have in all?

Exercise 4: Explain how grouping nickels into pairs helps you count them faster.

Solutions and Explanations

Solution to Exercise 1: Counting by 5s: 5¢, 10¢, 15¢, 20¢, 25¢. The total value is 25¢.

Solution to Exercise 2: You need 5 nickels to make 25¢ (5, 10, 15, 20, 25).

Solution to Exercise 3: 8 nickels equal 40¢ (counting by 5s: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40).

Solution to Exercise 4: Since each pair of nickels equals 10 cents (5¢ + 5¢ = 10¢), pairing them lets you count by 10s instead of by 5s, which is faster and easier to track.