Art of Counting Fingers – -simple mental math skills for kids

For Age 4+

Teaching beginning learners to count their fingers in various combinations is more than a simple task of teaching them to count from one to ten. It is a good way to:

1. Train the young minds to think outside the box
2. Enhance their fine motor skills by manipulating their fingers in groups of combinations
3. Help them differentiate their left hand from right
4. Enlighten them with basic “matching numbers” when learning to add within ten

*Teacher should simultatneously demonstrate when giving directions.

            One–

Teacher:          Show me one with your left hand:

                                                     Index finger

                                                     Thumb

                                                     Pinky

                                         Now with your right hand.

Two–

Teacher:          Show me two with your left hand:

                                                    Index and middle

                                                     Ring and middle

                                                     Ring and pinky

                                                     Ring and index

                                                     Thumb and pinky

                                         Now, with your right hand

            Three–

                        Teacher:      Show me three with your left hand:

                                                            Ring, middle and index

                                                            Pinky, ring and middle

                                                            Middle, index and thumb

                                                            Pinky, ring, and index, etc.

                                                Now do the same with your right hand.

Four–

                 Teacher:   Show me four with your left hand first, then right.

                                                        (all four except thumb)

 

          *Now let’s play the “combination games” with both your hands:

(this is when the concept of“matching number” within ten be introduced)

   Teacher:   Show me the combinations of four with both your hands side by side:

 

         (2 + 2 = 4)       middle and index on both hands side by side, or:

                                      Pinky and thumb on both hands side by side, or:

                                      Pinky and ring on both hands side by side, or:

                                       Ring and index on both hands side by side, or:

                                      Index and thumb on both hands side by side, etc.

          (3 + 1 = 4)      ring, middle and index on left + index on right, or:

                                   Pinky, ring and middle on left + pinky on right, or: 

                                   Middle, index and thumb on left + thumb on right, etc.

 

         (1 + 3 = 4)      index on left + index, middle and ring on right, or:

                                     index on left + thumb, index and middle on right, or:

                                     index on left + middle, ring and pinky on right, or:

                                     index on left + index, middle and pinky on right, etc.

            Five–

                    Show me combinations of five with both your hands side by side:

 

                (4 + 1 = 5)       pinky, ring, middle and index on left + thumb

                                          Piny, ring, middle and index on left + index

                                          Pinky, ring, middle and index on left + pinky

 

                (1 + 4 = 5)    index on left + index, middle, ring and pinky on right, or:

                                       thumb on left + index, middle, ring and pinky on right, or:                  

                                       pinky on left +  index, middle, ring and pinky on right, etc.

 

               (3 + 2 = 5)   ring, middle, index on left + index and middle on right, or:

                                     Pinky, ring and middle on left + thumb and index on right, or:

                                     Middle, index and thumb on left + thum and pinky on right, etc.

 

               (2 + 3 = 5)   middle and index on left + index, middle and ring on right, or:

                                      Pinky and thumb on left + thumb, index and middle on right, or:

                                      Index and thumb on left + middle, right and pinky on right, etc.

            Six–

             Teacher:  Show me combinations of six with both your hands side by side:

            (3 + 3 = 6)   Ring, middle and index on both hands side by side or:

                                  Middle, index and thumb on both hands side by side, or:

                                  Pinky, ring and middle on both hands side by side, etc.

 

            (4 + 2 = 6)   pinky, ring, middle and index on left + index and middle on right, or:

                                   Pinky, ring, middle and index on left + thumb and index on right, or:

                                   Pinky, ring, middle and index on left + thumb and pinky on right, etc.

 

            (2 + 4 = 6)  Middle and index on left + index, middle, ring and pinky on right, or:

                                  Index and thumb on left + index, middle, ring and pinky on right, or:

                                  Pinky and thumb on left + index, middle, ring and pinky on right, etc.

 

             (5 + 1 = 6)   all five on left + index on right, or:

                                   all five on left + thumb on right, or:

                                    all five on left + pinky on right, etc.

 

             (1 + 5 = 6)    index on left + all five on right; or:

                                    thumb on left + all five on right, or:

                                    pinky on left + all five on right, etc.

            Seven–

              Teacher: Show me combinations of seven with both your hands side by side:

 

                 (5 + 2 = 7)    all five on left hand + index and middle on right, or:

                                        all five on left + thumb and index on right, or:

                                        all five on left + thumb and pinky on right

 

                 (2 + 5 = 7)    middle and index on left + all five on right, or:

                                        index and thumb on left + all five on right, or:

                                         pinky and thumb on left + all five on right, etc.

 

            (4 + 3 = 7)  all four except thumb on left + index, middle and ring on right, or:

                                  all four except thumb on left + thumb, index and middle on right, or:

                                  all four except thumb on left + middle, ring and pinky on right, or:

                                  all four except thumb on left + index, middle and pinky, etc.

 

            (3 + 4 = 7)  pinky, ring and middle on left + all four except thumb on right, or:

                                 ring, middle and index on left + all four except thumb on right, or: 

                                 middle, index and thumb on left + all four except thumb on right, or:

                                 pinky, ring and index on left + all four except thumb on right, etc.

 

            Eight –

               Teacher: Show me combinations of eight with both your hands side by side:

 

                (5 + 3 = 8)  all five on left + thumb, index and middle on right, or:

                                      all five on left + index, middle and ring on right, or:

                                      all five on left +  middle, ring and pinky on right, or:

                                      all five one left + index, middle and pinky on right, etc.

 

                (3 + 5 = 8)  middle, index and thumb on left + all five on right, or:

                                      ring, middle and index on left + all five on right, or:

                                      pinky, ring and middle on left + all five on right, or:

                                       pinky, ring and index on left + all five on right, etc.

 

                 (4 + 4 = 8) all four except thumb on left + all four except thumb on right

 

            Nine–

                 Teacher: show me combinations of nine with both your hands side by side:

 

                    (5 + 4 = 9)       all five on left + all four except thumb on right

                    (4 + 5 = 9)       all four except thumb on left + all five on right

 

            Ten–

                       Teacher:      Now, who can tell me how many 5’s make ten?

 

                        (5 + 5 = 10)     Show all ten fingers on both hands

*(This is also a good chance to practice their counting skills within ten: Forward; Backward; By even numbers; By odd numbers.)

 

*When it comes to adding up to 8, 9 or 10 in cominations, it’s limited by counting fingers.

**Next lesson: How many ways can we add up to 8, 9, and 10 (matching numbers) by using:

 

                                                 ten pennies

                                                 two nickels

                                                one dime

 

7 + 1 = 8                                 8 + 1 = 9                                 9 + 1 = 10

1 + 7 = 8                                 1 + 8 = 9                                 1 + 9 = 10

 

6 + 2 = 8                                 7 + 2 = 9                                 8 + 2 = 10

2 + 6 = 8                                 2 + 7 = 9                                 2 + 8 = 10

 

5 + 3 = 8                                 6 + 3 = 9                                 7 + 3 = 10

3 + 5 = 8                                 3 + 6 = 9                                 3 + 7 = 10

 

4 + 4 = 8                                 5 + 4 = 9                                 6 + 4 = 10

                                                 4 + 5 = 9                                 4 + 6 = 10

 

                                                                                                5 + 5 = 10

 

*Make sure to point out to your young learners that, every time a number is a 5 or larger than five, they can use a nickel to replace five pennies.