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Math is difficult for most students, so researchers from the University of Sydney have found an easy way of solving problems with fingers. Through several studies on 275 Sydney school children between nine and 13, they discovered that tracing over elements of math problems improved their grasping power as well as their solutions to geometry and algebra problems, according to scienceworldreport.

"Our findings have a range of implications for teachers and students alike," said Dr. Paul Ginns, co-author of the study. "They show that maths learning by young students may be enhanced substantially with the simple addition of instructions to finger-trace elements of maths problems."

When students used their fingers to trace over geometry or arithmetic problems even as they read them simultaneously, they could arrive at quick and accurate solutions compared to other students. Researchers want to employ the technique even in complex mathematical problems that call for much higher levels of thinking and solutions.

"At the classroom level, teachers can assist students to learn new mathematical content by giving instructions to 'trace over' the important elements of worked examples that already appear in mathematics textbooks or worksheets," Ginns said. "This simple, zero-cost teaching approach can enhance the effectiveness of mathematics instruction across multiple areas of the subject."

The finger tracing technique is possible to be applied in classrooms, even in subjects not in the mathematical domain. However, more research in the subject is required.

The study was published in Learning and Instruction and Applied Cognitive Psychology.