Using Touch Math Technique to Teach Mathematical Skills

This study aims to give information about the theoretical background and applications of touch math technique that is used for teaching mathematical skills, as well as to examine related national and international studies and evaluate them according to certain criteria. Touch Math is a multisensory technique that helps developing basic mathematical skills. With this technique, the students see the numerals, touch the points on each numeral that are as many as its value, count the points and get the result. The students learn to do calculations at concrete and symbolic levels. Reference points are placed on numerals from 1 to 9. Number of points on each numeral from 1 to 5 is as many as that numeral's value. From 6 onwards, circles appear around some of the points, indicating that they will be counted twice. Touch Math technique is based on innovative learning approach and it is believed that, to review and analyze the work done related to this technique will be an important contribution to research in the fields of special and general education. For this purpose, 25 studies have been reached that were carried out between years 1993-2012. Content analysis of these studies was conducted in line with the purposes of the current study and they were categorized as qualitative or experimental.