By 3-4 years old, children should know the name of the fingers on the hand, and many mothers are concerned about how to teach them this. Pictures, rhymes, songs and gymnastics come to the rescue.
Acquaintance of the kid with fingers
If the child is still very young and cannot repeat the words after the parents, finger gymnastics and games for the development of large motor skills will be effective. Even the very first elements of a baby’s palm massage can include finger flexion and extension exercises, while mom can pronounce their name. Gradually, the baby will get used to which of the fingers is large, and which is the little finger, and at the request of an adult will be able to demonstrate his knowledge.
Older children can remember with their mother the name of the fingers on their hand in Russian in the forward and reverse directions. They can already tell how they differ and what the purpose of each of them is. The simplest explanation will sound something like this: “The thumb is on the side of the rest, it helps us to take and hold objects tightly. He is very strong and important, that's why they called him - big. The index finger likes to point to everything around, although it is impolite. The middle finger is the longest, it prides itself on being in the middle. People did not come up with a ring finger for a special name, so it remained - without a name. Adult married people put on a wedding ring on it. The little finger is the weakest baby finger, but it is the most flexible. ” You can make up your own story about each of them or use finger puppets to stage a mini-theater.
Learning through folklore
Rhymes and rhymes also come to the aid of mom, in which the name of each finger on the hand is given. They allow children to remember not only what each finger is called, but also their order. In such verses, fingers turn into mischievous boys, now into family members, then into brothers, each of whom is engaged in a special business.
In girls and boys
Five fingers on hand: (show open hand)
The thumb is the guy with the soul (we touch the tip of the thumb with the other hand)
Index finger - Mr. Influential (touching the index finger, etc.)
The middle finger is also not the last.
Nameless finger - with a ringed ring walks,
Fifth - the little finger, brought you a present (at the end you can bend and straighten your fingers again)
Of course, mom can pick up on the Internet or write a fun poem about the name of the fingers on her hand. In any case, such verses will be of double benefit: the baby will learn not only the names of the fingers, but also remember several poems, which will beneficially affect his memory.
Learn the names of the fingers in English
English finger names are easy to remember, and can be useful in any situation, including at the embassy for a biometric passport. The most logical in explanation and understanding is the nameless ring finger (on it we wear the ring - a ring) and the middle - middle (translated as “middle”). The index finger is called index, although the name pointer is also a common option (from the verb to point - show). The thumb sounds solidly - thumb, and the little finger, on the contrary, is affectionate - pinkie or little. It is important to remember that, firstly, the word finger means the finger on the hand (they are called toes on the feet), and secondly, the thumb does not require the use of the word finger in its name.
To learn for yourself or help your child remember the English name of the fingers on his hand, you can turn to special children's literature. There are many rhythmic songs where fingers dance, ask each other how things are, hide and appear in turn, calling themselves by name. For instance:
Thumb finger, thumb finger
Where are you?
Here I am, here I am.
How do you do?
In the following verses, the thumb is replaced by the index finger, then the middle one, and so on.
Along with consolidating this vocabulary, you can replenish the vocabulary in other topics. For example, for the Family theme, you can find songs with characters such as Daddy finger (father), Mommy finger (mother), brother, sister fingers (brother and sister) and baby finger (baby) for the little finger. The same is true for other topics: pets, marine life and others.
Finger idioms and phraseologisms
The name of the fingers on the hand in Russian is required mainly for a general outlook. So, we put the “thumb up” when we like something in the news feed and, conversely, down if not. In many idioms, the word "finger" is present, but it is not indicated which of them is implied. For example, “get your finger into the sky” or “know like the back of your hand”.
In English, the name of the fingers on the hand is more common in idioms. For example, to twist someone round one's little finger (to circle around the finger), to be all thumbs (to be clumsy), to be under one's thumb (to be under someone’s influence). Since idioms are an integral part of the everyday speech of the British and Americans, it is useful for every student to know them.