Mental Math Song- My 10 Fingers

I fun song I wrote for my elementary students to encourage them to stop counting on their fingers! Hope you enjoy.

LYRICS
If I didn't have 10 fingers, I couldn't count to 10
I always use my fingers, they're better than a pen!
If I didn't have 10 fingers, I couldn't even add
Without my trusty fingers, my math is really sad...

Then our teacher said, then our teacher said, "Please use mental math."

Mental math, mental math, use it every day
We can use mental math, it’s great in every way!
Counting up and counting down,
It's better in your mind
Using your ten fingers will get you in a bind!

And that means trouble...What happened next?

I used my handy fingers, don't go and ask me why,
I use those handy fingers, like stars light-up the sky,
But now that teach is saying, “Do it in Your head!”
If fingers are forbidden, I'll use my toes instead!

Then our teacher said, then our teacher said, "Please use mental math."

Mental math, mental math, use it every day
We can use mental math, it’s great in every way!
Counting up and counting down,
It's better in your mind
Using your ten fingers will get you in a bind!

Then she asked what 4 + 3 was,
I screamed out 7 quick
I’d counted on my fingers,
My fingers did the trick
I was really happy, completely satisfied,
I’d counted on my fingers, they’re always by my side...

Then our teacher said, then our teacher said, "Please use mental math."

Mental math, mental math, use it every day
We can use mental math, it’s great in every way!
Counting up and counting down,
It's better in your mind
Using your ten fingers will get you in a bind!

And that means trouble. What happened next?

Then teacher asked another, and It was kind of tough
What’s 43 + 15, this one was kind of rough
I found out my ten fingers weren’t useful like before
I needed extra fingers, I’ll have to grow some more!

Then our teacher said, then our teacher said, "Please use mental math."

Mental math, mental math, use it every day
We can use mental math, it’s great in every way!
Counting up and counting down,
It's better in your mind
Using your ten fingers will get you in a bind!

And that means trouble, What happened next?

Now I don't use fingers, I use my mind instead
I’ve learned to do my math work, right inside my head
And whether it’s bright sunshine,
Or whether there’s cold rain,
I always do my math work, right inside my brain!

Then our teacher said, then our teacher said, "Please use mental math."

Mental math, mental math, use it every day
We can use mental math, it’s great in every way!
Counting up and counting down,
It's better in your mind
Using your ten fingers will get you in a bind!