For many years, finger counting has been a point of contention in classrooms, with some educators viewing it as a sign of struggling students and others seeing it as an indication of advanced numerical knowledge.
However, a groundbreaking study has now shown that teaching finger-counting methods can significantly improve arithmetic performance in young children. Conducted by Swiss and French research teams, this new evidence challenges the traditional views of how children learn math and offers a promising strategy for early education.
The Finger-Counting Debate
Adults rarely use finger counting for solving basic arithmetic problems, as it is often considered a sign of cognitive difficulty or even pathological problems in mathematics. However, for children under the age of 8, finger counting can be viewed differently.
According to researchers, young children who use their fingers to solve math problems may be demonstrating intelligence rather than struggling.
Dr. Catherine Thevenot, the study’s lead researcher from the University of Lausanne, explains that children who understand that quantities can be represented in multiple ways, such as through their fingers, are exhibiting a higher level of mathematical understanding.
The study, published in the journal Child Development, set out to answer the question of whether finger counting could be an effective teaching tool for arithmetic. The goal was to explore whether children who did not already use their fingers for calculations could be trained to do so and whether this training would enhance their math performance.
The Study: Teaching Finger Counting to Kindergarteners
To explore the potential benefits of finger counting, the study focused on 328 kindergarten children aged 5 and 6, most of whom lived in France. The children were recruited through their teachers, who voluntarily participated in the research.
The experiment followed a structured timeline, starting with a pre-test to assess the children’s math abilities, followed by a two-week finger-counting training session, and then a post-test immediately after the training. A delayed post-test was also conducted to evaluate the long-term effects of the intervention.
The training sessions taught the children how to use their fingers to represent quantities and solve simple addition problems. Children learned to count, add, and manipulate numbers using their fingers in a systematic way. The results were eye-opening, showing a dramatic improvement in performance among children who did not previously use finger counting.
Remarkable Results: A Significant Improvement in Arithmetic Performance
The study’s findings were striking. Children who initially did not use their fingers to solve problems showed a significant increase in their ability to solve arithmetic problems.
Dr. Thevenot explained, “Our findings are highly valuable because, for the first time, we provide a concrete answer to the long-standing question of whether teachers should explicitly teach children to use their fingers for solving addition problems.”
Before the intervention, the children who did not use finger counting were only able to solve around 37% of the addition problems correctly. After just two weeks of finger-counting training, this number jumped to 77%. In contrast, children in the control group, who did not receive finger-counting instruction, showed no significant improvement.
Dr. Thevenot added, “Finger calculation training is effective for over 75% of kindergartners. The next step is to explore how we can support the remaining 25% of children who didn’t respond as well to the intervention.”
This acknowledgment highlights the need for further research to develop methods that can benefit all students, particularly those who struggle with traditional teaching approaches.
Addressing the Concerns of Teachers
The study was born out of frequent discussions Dr. Thevenot had with primary school teachers. Many educators were uncertain about whether they should encourage or discourage finger counting in their classrooms.
“They often asked me whether they should encourage or discourage children from using their fingers to solve calculations,” Dr. Thevenot shared. “Surprisingly, the existing research didn’t offer a clear answer, which left teachers understandably frustrated with my frequent response of ‘I don’t know.’”
This frustration, combined with the lack of concrete evidence, motivated Dr. Thevenot to conduct the research herself. When the results came in, she was amazed by the improvement in arithmetic performance among the children who had been trained to use their fingers.
“Before our intervention, these children were only able to solve about one-third of the addition problems during a pre-test. After training, however, they were solving over three-quarters of them,” she said.
“This improvement truly exceeded my expectations. The difference was striking, especially compared to the control groups, where gains were insignificant.”
A Deeper Understanding of Numbers?
While the study demonstrated clear improvements in arithmetic performance, the researchers are now keen to determine whether the intervention led to a deeper understanding of numbers.
Dr. Thevenot explained, “An important question now is to determine whether what we taught to children goes beyond a mere procedure to solve the problems. In other words, we want to know whether our intervention led to a deeper conceptual understanding of numbers, specifically whether children better grasp how to manipulate the quantities represented by their fingers.”
Initial results suggest that the children may indeed have gained a deeper understanding of numbers through finger-counting training. However, additional experiments are needed to confirm whether the improvements observed are a direct result of the training program.
Implications for Early Education
This research provides valuable insights for educators and parents alike. It suggests that finger counting, often dismissed as a rudimentary or problematic strategy, can actually be an effective tool for teaching arithmetic to young children. Encouraging finger counting in classrooms could help more students develop strong foundational math skills and boost their confidence in solving problems.
As Dr. Thevenot concluded, this study is just the beginning. With more research, educators may soon have a clearer understanding of how to support all students in their journey to mastering mathematics.
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