Put Your Fingers Away:
Why "Number Bonds" Win
Does your child still count on their fingers for "8 + 5"? In Dubai's British schools, this is considered a habit to break. We explain why "Number Bonds" are the secret to unlocking math speed.
What are "Bonds"?
Number Bonds (or "Friends of 10") are pairs of numbers that instantly make 10.
9+1, 8+2, 7+3, 6+4, 5+5.
The goal is Instant Recall. If a child has to think about "7+3", they don't know their bonds yet.
The Speed Test: Fingers vs. Brain
Why does the teacher care? Because finger counting doesn't scale. Look at the difference in solving "8 + 5":
| Finger Counting (Slow) | Number Bonds Strategy (Fast) |
|---|---|
| 1. Start at 8. 2. Put up 5 fingers. 3. Count "9, 10, 11, 12, 13". |
1. I know 8 needs 2 to make 10. 2. I take 2 from the 5 (leaving 3). 3. 10 + 3 = 13. |
| Time: 5-8 seconds. | Time: 1-2 seconds. |
| Risk: Miscounting a finger. | Risk: None (it's logic). |
Why This Matters for Year 3+
If your child enters Year 3 still relying on fingers, they will hit a wall called Working Memory Limit.
The "Brain Space" Issue
When solving complex problems like 345 + 128, the brain is busy remembering the method (Start at the right! Carry the ten!). If the brain also has to stop and count fingers for "5 + 8", it runs out of working memory. Mistakes happen not because they don't know the method, but because they are mentally overloaded.
The Subtraction Barrier
You can't do "Subtraction by Exchange" (Borrowing) if you don't know your bonds. To solve 12 - 7 quickly, you need to know that 7 splits into 2 and 5. Finger counters struggle massively here.
How to Practice (Without Worksheets)
Hit the Button: The #1 app used by Dubai schools. Play the "Number Bonds" mode daily for 5 minutes.
Physical Constraints: Give your child a "fidget toy" or stress ball to hold while doing mental math. If their hands are busy holding something, they are forced to visualize the numbers instead of counting on fingers.
Is your child stuck on fingers?
It’s a hard habit to break. Our KS1 specialists use gamified techniques to transition them from physical counting to mental fluency.
Build Mental FluencyThis article supports the White Rose Maths and Singapore Math approach to early number sense. While finger counting is a natural developmental stage in FS2, the curriculum expectation in Dubai British schools is for students to move to mental strategies (fluency) by the end of Year 1.