Why wriggling their fingers might help your toddler with maths

We all instinctively use our fingers to represent quantity – you might hold your fingers up when ordering several drinks in a noisy café or when asking for a table for two in a restaurant. As well as using their fingers to count, young children often use them when they first do calculations. So, we know moving our fingers and counting are linked, but is this more than just our fingers being readily available – or does using their fingers help your toddler understand numbers?  

Some studies have found that basic numerical abilities are associated with skills linked to moving fingers (fine motor skills), and awareness of fingers (sensory skills) – known in the research papers as ‘finger gnosis’.^[1]  

Being able to move their fingers accurately will help your toddler as they begin to draw, write and use a variety of tools. These studies suggest that this control could also help your toddler understand counting and simple calculations. 

One study even found that making children more aware of their fingers, so developing their sensory skills, improved their performance in maths.^[1] 

While there is more research needed into exactly how fingers and maths abilities are linked, there does seem to be a connection.  

What does this mean for you and your toddler? 

This is interesting research, with more to find out and some disagreement about exactly what has or hasn’t been demonstrated in these studies. But, for you and your toddler it simply means: keep those fingers moving!  

Ways to get your toddler’s fingers moving 

Enjoy finger rhymes together, get them to pick up and move a range of toys and objects and encourage your toddler to dress themselves. 

Give them interesting things to touch with their fingers 

Your toddler will develop their awareness of their fingers from moving them, and also from touching, pushing and pulling a variety of textures. Simple things like bubbles, shaving foam on the shower screen, or playdough will help to develop their sense of where their fingers are and how they move. 

For lots of other ideas, take a look at the fine motor or sensory streams on the activities tab.  

Reference: 

[1] Barrocas, R., Roesch, S., Gawrilow, C., & Moeller, K. (2020). Putting a Finger on Numerical Development – Reviewing the Contributions of Kindergarten Finger Gnosis and Fine Motor Skills to Numerical Abilities. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 1012