Use Repeated Addition with 5s

Repeated addition of fives means adding five again and again.

Each nickel is five cents.

Read it: Skip-count the equal groups

3 trays sit in a row, 3 apples on each. You could count every apple from 1 — or skip-count the trays: 3, 6, 9.

1. Count the apples on 1 tray: 3.
2. Skip-count a 3 for each tray: 3, 6, 9.
3. Name the total from the last skip: 3 + 3 + 3 = 9.

Counting every apple from 1 works, but it is slow, and a skipped apple throws the whole count off.

Each tray holds the same 3 apples, so you only need that 3 again, not a new count.

3, 6, 9 are running totals — the last one is how many apples you have.

When every tray is the same, skip-count the trays, not the apples.

6 trays, with 5 apples on each. Add the 5s: how many apples? — 30. 6 trays with 5 apples in each: skip-count the trays — 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30.