Math

A tool to help

Touch points are a multi-sensory approach to numbers. Touch points are dots on the numerals. Each touch point on the numerals 1 through 5 represents one counting number. Numerals for 6 through 9 use double touch points that are touched and counted twice. The zero has no touch points, so you “STOP” and never touch a zero.

Students learn to touch and count each touch point on the numerals up to the total numbers that the numeral represents. This approach involves your child not only mentally but physically by touching the numerals with their pencil.

Students progress from learning to count all the touch points to using the “Counting On” strategy. For example, a child adding 8 + 5 would say “8”, then use his or her pencil point to touch each spot on the 5 and count “9, 10, 11, 12, 13”.

This works as well for subtraction. Using the same touch points on the numbers 1, 2, 3, or 4, the child counts the largest number silently and then uses the touch points on the lowest number to “count back”. For example, a child subtracting 8-3 would count “8”, then 7, 6, 5”.