- Episode Highlights
- Transcript
Let’s talk about one of the most underestimated math tools out there: your fingers.
In this episode, we’re flipping the script on something that’s often seen as a sign of struggle. We’ll unpack why finger use in math deserves more credit, how it connects to student success, and what it might look like to embrace this tool instead of rushing students past it.
By the end of this episode, you’ll have a whole new perspective on the humble hand, and you might just start celebrating finger counting as a badge of math confidence instead of something to hide.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Hello, Meaning Makers! It’s Jillian from Team Meaningful Math and I’m so happy you’re here with me today. Way back in the fifth episode of our podcast, we talked about Math Practice #5 – “use appropriate tools strategically”. I named a variety of math tools, including one that doesn’t always come to mind when you think about math tools, and that is our fingers.
In that podcast episode I said, “Even our fingers are math tools… they are actually some of our most useful but undervalued math tools, and I could go into a lot more detail on this, but I’ll save that for a future podcast.” Well, today is the day for that podcast! Today we are talking all about why we SHOULD let students use their fingers in math class. Let’s get started!
The Stigma Around Finger Counting
I can still remember hiding my hands under my desk as I used my fingers to add and subtract when I was in elementary school. Come to think of it, I’m sure I did this in middle school and high school too, and honestly, probably into adulthood as well!
Why has there been such shame associated with using our fingers when doing math, so much so that students hide their fingers under their desks or behind their backs as they frantically try to finish counting before anyone will notice? Well, I don’t really have a good answer for you other than, like many outdated educational practices, “that’s just the way it’s always been”.
For whatever reason, the use of fingers in math class has historically been considered babyish and something that should be done away with as soon as possible. But that actually couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, our entire number system, THE BASE TEN NUMBER SYSTEM, is based on the fact that we have ten fingers. So it only makes sense that we would use our fingers while navigating the very system that is based on our ten fingers.
On that note, it’s important to mention, that whenever you discuss or utilize finger work with your students, be mindful that not all students or not all students’ family members may have ten fingers. You might need to adjust the language you use when talking about the idea of showing all your fingers on one hand to make five or all your fingers on both hands to make ten. Make sure to work with students and their families to find a way to make any accommodations for finger counting if needed.
The Science Behind Finger Use in Math
Continuing on, how interesting is this: brain researchers have found that we actually “see” a representation of our fingers in our minds when doing a calculation, even if we didn’t physically use our fingers in the calculation. Isn’t that so cool? Our brains actually picture our fingers when we do mental math!
In a study published in 2015, researchers analyzed a region of the brain known as the somatosensory finger area, which is responsible for the perception and representation of fingers. They discovered that when students (whose ages ranged from 8 to 13) were solving complex subtraction problems, even without their fingers, that somatosensory region lit up.
Finger Gnosia
Another research study found that students’ knowledge of their fingers in first grade correlated to their number comparison and estimation skills in second grade. But what does it mean to have knowledge of our fingers? Well, there’s actually a term that encapsulates this idea, and it’s called “finger gnosia”. Simply put, finger gnosia is an awareness of our fingers.
Here are two examples of what that awareness could look like:
- One of your fingers is touched without you looking, and you are able to move that finger in response.
- You can move your fingers to represent an amount without looking at them.
Research-Backed Benefits of Finger Representation
Research from multiple studies has confirmed that when students go through training on how to perceive and represent their fingers, they are able to improve these skills, and that has led to higher achievement in math.
In fact, researchers discovered that when students (at 6 years of age) were able to improve the quality of their finger representations, many skills, including counting and ordering numbers, improved as well. And this will really blow your mind – they also found that the quality of those students’ finger representations was a strong predictor of future math assessment performance, more so than cognitive processing tests!
So, it definitely seems like finger use in our classrooms should not only be tolerated, it should be encouraged! Stanford math professor and researcher Jo Boaler wrote in an article titled “Why Students Should Use Their Fingers in Math Class”:
Stopping students from using their fingers when they count could, according to new brain research, be akin to halting their mathematical development. Fingers are probably one of our most useful visual aids, and the finger area of our brain is used well into adulthood.
Activities That Build Finger Gnosia
Develop Finger Discrimination Skills
A major recommendation from the neuroscientists leading these studies is that teachers should help develop students’ finger gnosia by helping them develop finger discrimination.
The idea is that in order for students to be able to use their fingers to count, they need awareness of their finger positioning and the ability to move their fingers independently of one another. This type of work is not typically found in math curriculums, so here are some ideas to help your students develop finger discrimination:
- Place colored sticker dots on their fingernails. Perhaps one is pink, one is blue, one green, one yellow, and one red. Give students an image that has shapes in the same colors as the dots, for example a pink square, a blue circle, a green triangle, a yellow oval, and a red rectangle. Have students point at and touch the shape with the finger of the corresponding color. We are so used to pointing with our pointer fingers that using the other fingers to point seems so strange! So if you say “yellow oval,” students will point or touch the shape with their ring finger.
- Have students follow mazes with their fingers. They should try it with each finger – not just their pointer fingers! They can also push an object (like a Unifix cube or a base ten unit cube) along a path or maze using their fingers.
- Have students set their hands out with their fingers spread. Point to a finger and ask students to wiggle that finger. Have them try to keep their other fingers down while they do this. It’s actually harder than it sounds!
- Incorporate the use of finger puppets while reading.
As students develop their finger discrimination, they strengthen their awareness of their fingers – that’s their finger gnosia! This will help them use their fingers for math skills such as counting, adding, and subtracting.
Incorporating Finger Use in the Classroom
Here are some ideas for ways to incorporate and encourage finger use in your classroom:
- Ask students to represent a number on their fingers. Then ask them to show it a different way.
For example, to represent the number four, students will likely put up all the fingers on one hand and keep their thumb down. But then you can ask them to show it in a different way (i.e. 2 fingers on each hand or 3 on one hand and 1 on the other).
They can even get creative with the fingers they use, such as putting 4 on one hand but putting the pinky down instead of the thumb. Place students with a partner and have them work together to represent numbers to 20.
- When students see numbers on a Rekenrek or a ten frame, ask them to make those quantities on their fingers. They should see that five fingers on one hand mimics the row of five on the ten frame and the grouping of five beads on the Rekenrek.
- Show students a number of fingers and ask them to put up how many more fingers are needed to make a given number. For example, you could put up 3 fingers and say, “Show me how many more fingers we need to make 10.”
- Have students put their hands on top of their heads. Ask them to make a given number with their fingers while keeping their hands on their heads.
This is excellent for developing finger gnosia because students cannot see their fingers. They must have that awareness of where their fingers are to be able to move them without looking!
Final Thoughts: It’s Time to Rethink Finger Counting
Meaning-makers, I hope you were able to gain some insights into the importance of using our fingers in math. I hope you found a few ideas that you can take back into your classroom that can support students as they develop and use their finger gnosia.
If you enjoyed this episode, please take a few seconds to leave us a review! We’d love to hear from you, and your review will help bring this information to even more teachers and impact even more students. Thank you for tuning in! Until next time, Meaning-Makers, Have a great one!
