Swiss Study Highlights Importance of Finger Counting in Early Math Development
November 23, 2025590 VistasTiempo de lectura: 2 minutos
Tamaño de fuente
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Recent research from Switzerland indicates that children's use of their fingers for counting during early education is not indicative of a lack of ability; rather, it plays a vital role in developing their mathematical skills over time.
Researchers Catherine Tschiervin and Marie Kreinger from the University of Lausanne tracked the arithmetic development of around 200 children aged between four and a half and seven and a half years, without directing them on whether to use finger counting. The children were periodically observed while solving addition problems.
The findings, published in the journal Developmental Psychology, concluded that those who utilized finger counting early on were better equipped to transition to mental calculations and performed better on tests. Conversely, children who never used their fingers exhibited weaker performance.
Tschiervin told a German news agency that parents and teachers should refrain from punishing or shaming children for using their fingers, stressing, "Children should feel proud to count on their fingers; it is an important educational tool."
The researchers noted that children who stopped using their fingers after the age of seven had built a solid foundation for calculations through this early method, allowing them to develop their skills further. In contrast, those who never used their fingers or continued to rely on them after age eight did not achieve the same level of development.
While continued reliance on manual counting after age eight may indicate challenges, Tschiervin emphasizes that reprimanding is not the solution, as fingers remain a supportive tool that can help children catch up later.
This study reaffirms one of the simplest and most effective learning methods, confirming that the path to success in mathematics can indeed begin... at the tips of the fingers.
Researchers Catherine Tschiervin and Marie Kreinger from the University of Lausanne tracked the arithmetic development of around 200 children aged between four and a half and seven and a half years, without directing them on whether to use finger counting. The children were periodically observed while solving addition problems.
The findings, published in the journal Developmental Psychology, concluded that those who utilized finger counting early on were better equipped to transition to mental calculations and performed better on tests. Conversely, children who never used their fingers exhibited weaker performance.
Tschiervin told a German news agency that parents and teachers should refrain from punishing or shaming children for using their fingers, stressing, "Children should feel proud to count on their fingers; it is an important educational tool."
The researchers noted that children who stopped using their fingers after the age of seven had built a solid foundation for calculations through this early method, allowing them to develop their skills further. In contrast, those who never used their fingers or continued to rely on them after age eight did not achieve the same level of development.
While continued reliance on manual counting after age eight may indicate challenges, Tschiervin emphasizes that reprimanding is not the solution, as fingers remain a supportive tool that can help children catch up later.
This study reaffirms one of the simplest and most effective learning methods, confirming that the path to success in mathematics can indeed begin... at the tips of the fingers.
