Finger Representation 1

< 5.4 Representing Numbers 1-9 using real life examples | Topic Index | 5.6 Simple Counting >

In the previous chapter we saw the various ways in which numbers from 1 to 9 can be represented and learnt through matching activities. In this chapter we will see representation of these numbers on our fingers.

Fingers are Available 24X7

Fingers are calculators available with us 24X7 and 365 days.

We get our lessons in perceptual numbers mostly through our fingers.

Some Finger Representation Activities

We give below some suggestions for representing numbers up to 9 with fingers.




 * 1) Numbers less than 5
 * 2) With one hand - Children are normally asked to show a number with fingers in only one hand. It is only for numbers greater than 5 that they are asked to use both hands.
 * 3) With both hands - However, children should also be asked to represent numbers less than 5 also using fingers from both hands. They should be able to show 4 in combinations of 1 & 3, 2 & 2 and 3 & 1 fingers. This has many advantages.
 * 4) One is that automatically some addition facts are being observed & internalised by them as patterns viz 4 = 3+1 = 2 +2 = 1+3 etc
 * 5) Second is that it avoids a misconception, created inadvertently by some teachers that One & Two make Twelve.
 * 6) Children should also be encouraged to use fingers which may not be next to each other. Such representations emphasize the fact that they are only "representations" which can be interpreted as per "rules" made by us.
 * 7) Numbers greater than 5 (up to 9)
 * 8) Children can represent numbers up to 9 with fingers of both hands.
 * 9) They should also be encouraged to represent the numbers with various combinations of fingers. For example, 7 can be represented as 2 (LH) &amp; 5(RH) or 3 (LH) &amp; 4(RH) & so on.
 * 10) These would again reinforce simple addition facts.

Finger representations should be practiced in various ways such that the numbers represented can be "seen" perceptually as designs rather than by "counting"

Fingers are Versatile Manipulatives

Up to now, we have mostly been talking about numbers up to 9. If we have talked about numbers more than 9, it has been only in the spoken form.

There are strategies even for representing numbers greater than 9 and for getting multiplication facts up to 9, using fingers. However, before we can learn these strategies, we need to understand the idea of a Number System & the concept of Place Value System.

< 5.4 Representing Numbers 1-9 using real life examples | Topic Index | 5.6 Simple Counting >