As a topic, this has always been one that I am willing to debate. It goes without saying, all of us will probably have been told off once or twice for using our fingers to count. But why is this an issue?
As an adult I still find myself from time to time using my hands for maths, hiding my hands under the table trying not to get embarrassed by it. Personally, I believe that as teachers we should be encouraging the use of hands in maths. They are tools that we have right in front of us, so why not!
For some, the use of their hands in maths is a sort of comfort zone. It helps with confidence levels in ensuring that they are doing their maths and counting correct. It can also make maths easier for people.
The above video was something I found recently, and had never in fact seen or heard of before, and I certainly wish I had. The six, seven and eight times tables were always ones that I struggled with in school and now wish I knew this trick to help me with them. It is so easy and simple to use and takes less than a minute to do. This could make so many children’s life’s easier and boost their confidence in maths. It also makes maths seem even so slightly more fun.
This is not the only trick out there we can do with our fingers in maths. Simply type in finger counting and millions come up on YouTube. It should be essential that teachers teach and utilise these within their lessons as it may just make a difference to some of their students. They would certainly have made a difference to myself.