Basically you use the 3 joints on each finger, plus the pad to count to 4 on each finger
so we start with
then on to the next fingers
and finally the thumg to finish on 20
Is anyone else familliar with this method? or anything simillar?
Friday, October 5, 2012
learning to count again
I've learnt a new way to count with my fingers in Bangaldesh. I could see the women in our office doing it when they were preparing materials for our workshop and I asked them about it. They were amazed that it was new to me as they all learn as young children. I've been using it ever since and am suprised that we don't use it in the UK as it allows you to count to 20 on one hand and up to 400 on 2 hands.
Basically you use the 3 joints on each finger, plus the pad to count to 4 on each finger
the left hand is used to count the number of times that you reach 20. It really changes the idea of 'you can count them on the fingers of one hand'.
Is anyone else familliar with this method? or anything simillar?
Basically you use the 3 joints on each finger, plus the pad to count to 4 on each finger
Is anyone else familliar with this method? or anything simillar?
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7 comments:
I've never seen it before, but I love to imagine it started in small markets hundreds or thousands of years ago.
Rinda
Oh, wow - no, I've never seen this before, but I'm fascinated too! :)
I love the classic 9x table using your fingers, and I also did once know how to multiply 'gipsy fashion' for two 2-digit numbers over 60 - in fact, just checked, and I think I can still remember! Have you come across that?
I've never seen this before and it's so interesting I'd like to nominate it for a special month in numbers post!
I've seen something like it. My grandmother counted this way I think. She certainly used her fingers of her right hand to count & then her left to keep track of how many times she counted but I seem to recall she sometimes sat her fingers on the table, like she was typing. I do remember her teaching me about using finger joints to count when I was very small, but I can't remember exactly how.
This rings a bell somewhere, but I have no idea where I came across it!
Alison xx
That is most interesting. I've always counted by tens but I think this way may be better.
No, Ive not heard of this before, so interesting.
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