Children learn numbers better when they count with their fingers

Children who start using their fingers early are more likely to become better at calculating later, a Swiss study has found. Photo: dpa/Marcel Kusch

Counting on fingers in primary school is not a sign of weakness but an important tool for learning mathematics, according to a long-term study by researchers in Switzerland published in Developmental Psychology.

The team found that children learn arithmetic better when they use their hands. Parents and teachers should not stop children from counting on their fingers, said study author Catherine Thevenot of the University of Lausanne.