Counting with fingers favors the learning of Mathematics
In the absence of a calculator, fingers are good. These limbs have served many people to perform simple operations such as addition or subtraction. Having this area of the body is very common among the youngest, and what is more important, it could be an activity that contributes to the learning of the Maths In the kids.
This is explained from the University of Sheffield Hallam, entity that together with the University of Bristol, have analyzed a total of 140 students between 6 and 7 years. With this work we have analyzed how counting with the fingers has improved the way of performing operations maths and know how to handle each other better between numbers.
A greater understanding of numbers
Those responsible for this study separated the children into three different groups. Everyone had to make different combinations and handle numbers in different ways. Only one of them was exposed to activities using their fingers in order to train the little ones in Mathematics. Other students were asked to participate in games like dominoes, where the numbers and their different mixes played an important role.
The last group was exposed to a combination of numbers learning in the usual way they do in their schools. On the other hand, those children who used their fingers had to represent different figures with their extremities. They were also asked to give a numerical value between 1 and 5 to each of them and then when this number was mentioned, touch with this finger the palm of your other hand.
The results showed that those children who had used their fingers for these activities demonstrated a better understanding of mathematical operations and their minds seemed to understand better the value of the numbers. "This study demonstrates that the fingers provide children with a connection between different representations of numbers, which can be verbal, written or symbolic.Training combined fingers and number games could be a useful tool for teachers to support understanding of children of numbers ", explains the teacher Tim Jay, lead author of this study.
The importance of parents
This is not the first work that focuses on the processes that favor the learning of Mathematics by children. Another study of Technological Institute of Costa Rica, TEC, found a relationship between the attitude of parents and the learning of this subject by children. In this way, a negative attitude on the part of the child's environment will cause the child to end up hating this academic subject and vice versa.
The TEC team detected that almost 68% of students who showed interest in learning mathematics had received at home a motivation from his mother. The percentage was even higher if it was the parents who at home showed a positive attitude towards this subject since in this case it was 74% of students with a high or very high perception level.
In short, the attitude of parents against certain matters is in most cases an example to follow for the little ones in the house. In this way you always have to find a way to motivate your children so that they will be confronted with the best of minds to subjects that initially have no incentive for them, as in this case Mathematics that a priori may seem something boring and complicated, but with enough encouragement can be something fun.
Damián Montero
