Math question?

[Charika30]

How do u moms feel about children using their fingers to add and subtract? Is it frowned upon? I used to encourage mine not to. And would encourage them to use a number line or manipulatives. But it's gotten to the point where i am just tired and let them lol unsure emoticon. As long as they r getting the problems right and understanding it. I just dont like how it looks, especially for older kids. My son hides the fact that he counting on his fingers. But I see and know that he is lol...

[StephanieU]

Up through secund grade I think it is fine. By the end of secund grade, they should be starting to memorize the facts because having them memorized really helps with multiplication, division, and harder adding and subtracting. Fingers ate just as good as manipulatives. They are the manipulative you always have with you.

[mrsrandolph]

I am 40 years old. I was a teacher and an administrator, and I USE MY FINGERS!!

[Nealewill]

I guess I would ask, how do you feel about it?

Me personally, I hate when I see my kids counting on their fingers for addition and subtraction. They know how to do it and faster without their fingers. But while they are doing skip counting for multiplication purposes, I get frustrated when they don't use their fingers LOL.

I really do think it is a personal choice. I want my kids to think! If they need their fingers to think and they are efficient and quick, let them use their fingers. If their fingers are slowing them down, then I wouldn't let them use them. Just my opinion.

[jjn3beans]

I would let them. They're just like manipulatives. Each child is different, and my non-mathy child still uses her fingers every once in a while (though she has known problems with memory and is mildly dyslexic), while my extremely mathy child has no reason to. My youngest never learned to use them, but uses manipulative blocks so quickly, I wonder if she even uses them.

[MomtoJGJE]

I like math... I do math well... I think math. I used my fingers for FOREVER. I still move my fingers like I'm using them, but it's not what's happening in my head. I cannot tell you when the switch was made from actually using them to just moving them, but I do know it was before middle school. I remember knowing the answers but still moving my fingers in 3rd grade. I don't remember if I was "checking" myself or not at that point.

So from my experience, they will use SOMETHING as long as they need it. Manipulatives, fingers, dots, imaginary spots, something will be used until they no longer need it.

[cking0503]

GREAT suggestions and advice. I feel much better. Thanks, ladies!

[my3sons]

I agree - totally fine to use what you have 'at hand' to solve math problems! This is normal, and most of the time, dc give it up on their own. It is better to use fingers, tapping, hands, etc. to quickly and accurately solve a math problem than it is to stare in the air and eventually just guess, feeling like you have no 'helps' or 'tools' to use to solve the problem. I will say I do encourage our kids not to always start with '1' when counting up using their hands. So, if it's 5 + 3, better to start with 5 and use 3 fingers to count the 6-7-8. Of course, it's pretty quick and a pretty smart visual to just look at your hands and see 5 fingers on one hand and hold up 3 on the other and 'see' 8 too. They give it up usually, and only use it for the toughies.

In Christ,
Julie

[Charika30]

Yes, I do this too Julie. So glad I can let them continue doing what works without discouraging them or making them feel it's "wrong"...Thank you!

[Mommamo]

I move my fingers a lot too, but don't actually use them! How funny that others are the exact same way. I have always let my kids if they needed them. I think it helps to cement that picture in their minds, and eventually they don't need it anymore.