Finger Counting & Silly Mistakes are two very serious weaknesses which hamper a student’s progress in mathematics.
A child gets into the habit of finger counting from the time he starts getting familiar with the numbers. He starts his journey by counting by representing numbers with lines. He learns to add by adding lines and subtract by removing lines. Over a period of time, from adding and removing lines on paper or slate, he starts using his fingers. This develops into an irreversible habit of finger counting. This remains with the child when he grows up. This makes him slow.