The Complete Book of Fingermath

by Edwin M. Lieberthal

Book Overview

Perhaps you have seen young children on the "Tonight" show doing rapid calculations on their fingers with greater speed and accuracy than adults using calculators. Maybe you wondered whether or not... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0070376808
• ISBN13: 9780070376809
• Release Date: June 2015
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
• Length: 342 Pages
• Weight: 2.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 8.1" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Book

This is a very easy to read book with pictures for simple minds like myself. Can't wait to teach my child to count on his most useful tools, his fingers. I can't wait to learn myself.

Math made easy

As a math teacher, I highly recommend this book. I am always seeking ways to make math easier for the middle school aged student and this book helps students look at math in another way.

Who was the genius behind this idea?

I am so curious to know who was the inventor of this math concept. I think this system is a brilliant method for children. I would like to commend the creator of this ingenius idea. I've stumbled on something similar to this method; it is a system which is being taught in Korea. I think this system should be advertised more because people are unaware of such a simple yet useful method in math. I teach third grade and I would love to incorporate this method in my classroom.

A calculator you can sneak into the SAT exam!

Perhaps you have seen young children on the "Tonight" show doing rapid calculations on their fingers with greater speed and accuracy than adults using calculators. Maybe you wondered whether or not this could possibly be "for real." "Fingermath" will show you how to teach your own child to accomplish this seeming magic trick.Fingermath is a simple and useful method for teaching kids (and adults) to understand the basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division by using their fingers for counting.Instead of only being able to count to ten on your fingers, this system (derived from the abacus) uses the right thumb to represent five and the four fingers of the right hand as ones. The left thumb represents 50, and the four remaining fingers of the left hand represent tens. Thus, if all your fingers are pressed you have 50 + 40 = 90 on your left hand and 5 + 4 = 9 on your right hand, for a total of 99. (Methods for dealing with larger numbers are also presented in the book.) I've been working with my second-grader on this "Secret Chinese Math Game." He *loves* it, and his teacher has been very impressed with the improvement in his math skills.I have added a slight refinement of also representing the fingers with coins (a nickel and four pennies for the right hand, a fifty-cent piece and four dimes for the left hand. This seems to make the exercises more "concrete" for the youngster. Like any other physical/mental skill, it takes time and practice to develop speed and accuracy. If you practice this technique for ten minutes a day with your child, I am very confident that you will see a dramatic improvement in their (and your own) understanding of math.Your Humble Jester,Philip the Foole