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Why does my child still count on their fingers?
Fingers are a great early math tool, and many children still use them now and then in 3rd or 4th grade. On its own it isn't a sign of a learning problem. It usually means some facts aren't automatic yet, so your child is counting up one at a time to get the answer.
It starts to matter when the math gets longer. In the US Common Core standards, children are expected to know addition facts with single digits from memory by the end of 2nd grade, and multiplication facts with single digits by the end of 3rd grade. A child who counts to find 8 + 7 = 15 or 6 × 7 = 42 in the middle of a long division problem gets slower and more likely to slip.
Strategies that replace counting
- Make ten. 8 + 5 = 8 + 2 + 3 = 13: move 2 to the 8 to make 10, then add the rest.
- Near doubles. 7 + 8 = 7 + 7 + 1 = 15.
- Break up a times fact. 6 × 7 = 6 × 5 + 6 × 2 = 42, instead of counting by 6s on fingers.
- Use a known neighbor. 9 × 6 = 10 × 6 − 6 = 54.
8 facts to try without fingers
- 8 + 5 = ?
- 7 + 8 = ?
- 9 + 6 = ?
- 6 + 6 = ?
- 6 × 7 = ?
- 9 × 6 = ?
- 4 × 8 = ?
- 7 × 3 = ?
Show answers
- 8 + 5 = 13
- 7 + 8 = 15
- 9 + 6 = 15
- 6 + 6 = 12
- 6 × 7 = 42
- 9 × 6 = 54
- 4 × 8 = 32
- 7 × 3 = 21
Tips for parents
- Don't ban fingers. Teach a faster strategy, and the fingers fade on their own.
- Find out which facts your child counts for. It's usually a small group, not all of them.
- If counting is slow and frequent across all facts, mention it to your child's teacher.
Questions parents ask
Is it bad if my 4th grader counts on fingers?
Not by itself. It usually means some facts aren't automatic yet. It's worth working on because it slows down longer problems, but it's common and very fixable.