Counting on fingers..... (Full Version)

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peculiar_lady2 -> Counting on fingers..... (6/20/2008 10:06:41 PM)

ok...what is your take on this one. I was always told by all of my teachers and parents to never count on my fingers, and they always stopped me when I started to do that. Hubby though was always taught to do it....so he tells the kids to do that if they can't figure it out. So what is your take on this one? Is it fine in young kids? Should we stay away from it?



VisitorinWaiting -> RE: Counting on fingers..... (6/20/2008 11:05:44 PM)

LOL...I still use my fingers! My children are young, so I don't have any results from teaching and seeing how it went...but I plan to teach them to use their fingers because it's the way I was taught, and I still use it...so I think to try to teach them anything different than what I do myself would be rather difficult. My husband and my father do most math stuff in their head, and I just stare at them amazed that they did it all in their head. I have to write it down and use my fingers...but I still get the right answer...just takes me a little longer to get there. BTW, math is my favorite subject, and I always did well in it in school...all the way through college...



cindybode -> RE: Counting on fingers..... (6/20/2008 11:25:00 PM)

So . . . what's the point? The point is to get the correct answer, yes? Is it really important how they get it? Personally I don't have a problem with counting on fingers. If you want me to use/not use a particular method, I need to know that there's a good reason for it, and no once has ever convinced me that it makes that much difference.



Sunnymom -> RE: Counting on fingers..... (6/21/2008 7:21:01 AM)

That's funny- the same people who will buy base 10 manipulatives will tell kids not to count on their fingers.

Unlike batteries, fingers come included with the package for free. [8D]



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Counting on fingers..... (6/21/2008 9:55:47 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Sunnymom

Unlike batteries, fingers come included with the package for free. [8D]

LOL...true!!!!!


I never understood it either Cindy...growing up that is....I just complied because that's what everyone always said. I never really thought about it before, until the other night I was listening to hubby talk to one of the kids. He (the kid) couldn't count something right and hubby said "When in doubt, use your fingers"....lol. The way my parents made it out to be though, it was like it was proven to not be good for you if you were allowed to use your fingers...so I didn't know if that was true or if there were studied on it or what.



Jenny-Fair -> RE: Counting on fingers..... (6/21/2008 10:55:50 AM)

Just teach them to do it correctly. You don't take 5 + 6 and count out 11 fingers. You say 'five' and then count out six fingers on your way to 11. If that makes sense.

I think it's probably a lot like using a multiplication table instead of memorizing the facts. You WILL know the answers without the fingers/table eventually, but your frustration level will be much lower in the meantime.



peculiar_lady2 -> RE: Counting on fingers..... (6/21/2008 12:21:55 PM)

quote:

Just teach them to do it correctly. You don't take 5 + 6 and count out 11 fingers. You say 'five' and then count out six fingers on your way to 11. If that makes sense.

LOL....ummm.yeah that would be important!@!!!!!



OneOfHisJewels -> RE: Counting on fingers..... (6/21/2008 2:10:59 PM)

My mom has a math degree. When we were little, she discouraged counting on fingers, as did my teachers (I think she regrets get, especially in regards to myself). Now, she has the total opposite view, and sees no point in turning kids off to math, by picking on them for using their fingers if that's what they need to do. When she tutors kids now, she allows that if they need it. Her views have changed a lot over the years![:D]



Ellie-Mae -> RE: Counting on fingers..... (6/21/2008 2:20:32 PM)

We take it on an individual bases. We let my eldest count on his fingers an not memorize multiplication facts thinking that he would memorize just from using them so often. He didn't, and math time got very loooooooong, so we took time out at fourth grade to work on either memorizing the facts or at least being able to fugure them out in their heads.

We still let the younger ones use their fingers, but encourage them to try to come up with it in their heads. We give them lots of praise and show them how fast math is when we do it in our heads. We don't put a lot of pressure on them, but our unspoken gaol is to have mostly finger free math by fourth grade.



PrincessDonna -> RE: Counting on fingers..... (6/21/2008 2:36:12 PM)

When they're little, I think it's just like any other manipulative you could have them use. The point is for them to get the concept and get the right answer.

Around 2nd-3rd grade, I think it's important to work on speed and accuracy because you don't want to still be adding on your fingers when you're trying to learn multiplication.



singingmom -> RE: Counting on fingers..... (6/21/2008 4:59:01 PM)

I still use my fingers!! [and toes] LOL

[:D]



Karaboo2 -> RE: Counting on fingers..... (6/21/2008 11:29:19 PM)

As a kid, I didn't use fingers for actual counting, but we *were* taught to use them as a "cheat" for learning some of the 9x table (9x1 to 9x10) [;)]



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