Education Finger counting is a springboard for math success, says study
Counting with fingers in elementary school is an important tool for mathematical learning. Through long-term observations, researchers in Switzerland found that children learn arithmetic better when they use their hands.
23.11.2025, 06:25
SDA
Parents and teachers should therefore not discourage children from counting with their fingers, study author Catherine Thevenot from the University of Lausanne told the German news agency DPA. "Children should never be ashamed of using their fingers," said the psychologist.
Thevenot and her colleague Marie Krenger followed the long-term development of around 200 Swiss children aged between four and a half and seven and a half. They were observed at regular intervals as they added up.
The results showed that the earlier the children used their fingers, the more likely they were to be good at arithmetic later on. The results were published in the journal "Developmental Psychology".
