Finger gnosis- what is it and how can it help?

Finger gnosis is counting on fingers.Neuroscience research has shown that good finger gnosis is linked to higher attainment in mathematics (Berteletti and Booth). A way to support your child is to ask them to show you various numbers on their fingers from 0 to 7. Do this in an informal way, for example, whilst they are in the bath or shower, at dinner, on the walk home from school etc.

Sets- how you can help your child with this concept.

Sets are basic to children’s thinking. They are also the base of our number system. Children need lots of opportunities to work with sets. This is matching,sorting, combining, comparing and ordering. Examples of this might be when tidying toys. 

We have used baskets to sort construction materials using a single attribute. In the example below, we used colour. In our outside area, we sort metal objects into the mud kitchen and plastic into the water area, so this attribute is what material the object is made from.

You could sort Lego according to colour, nail polishes according to colour, cutlery according to type, fruit and vegetables according to colour or teddies and dolls, big shoes, little shoes etc.

Once your child has grasped this concept, you can compare and ask what things are different? Is there anything the same? eg, bananas and lemons are BOTH yellow but one rolls on a table and one doesn’t. A collection of spoons are ALL spoons but some are wooden, some are metal.

Practical things you can do to help your child.

Instill number, or what scientists call 'numerosity', in your child, use mathematical vocabulary in day to day chats with your child.

Instead of saying 'Clear the cups off the table to make more room' say 'Clear the 3 cups off the table to make more area.'

When climbing up and down stairs, count the stairs. This teaches number sequencing, and if you ask at the end, 'how many steps?' it also teaches how many things in a set (cardinality).

When putting shopping away, say 'put the 2 tins of cat food on the bottom shelf next to the cat biscuits.' This will teach cardinality and positional language.  Children often struggle with 'in front of' and 'behind.'

Look for numbers whilst out and about. 'How many people in the car?' 'How many aeroplanes in the sky?'