Early counting devices are simple counting and calculating objects used to perform basic additions and subtractions. Before modern civilization, people invented counting devices that helped them perform simple calculations. Most of these ancient counting devices are still in use today.

The old counting devices are especially used in nursery schools and kindergarten to teach children how to count numbers. Though these early counting devices are useful, they have their disadvantages.

In this brief article, we shall discuss the following:
What are early counting devices
Examples of early counting devices
Problems and benefits of early counting devices

What are the Early Counting Devices?
Early counting devices could be defined as devices used to perform arithmetic operations before the advent of modern civilization.

People learned how to count and perform arithmetic operations well back in the Stone Age. During this period, there were no complex commercial activities. People would but add, subtract, multiply, and divide simple numbers. Hence, numerical operations were not as complex as it is today.

As a result, very simple devices were used in performing these simple arithmetic operations. Some of the devices used to perform arithmetic operations in those days coincide with what our children use today.
In our homes and schools, our children are taught basic arithmetic operations using these old counting devices. But some of them have been modernized to suit the present-day educational system.

Examples of early counting devices
Seven (7) examples of early counting devices include:

Fingers: Fingers as a counting device are as old as man. We have 5 fingers on each hand, and these fingers can be used to make quick additions. This is the earliest and easiest counting device used by man to date. Its limitation is that there is a total of 10 fingers, hence counting cannot exceed ten without bringing confusion. Though adults can count up to 20 numbers.

Cowries: Cowries were used as currency in the early days. It became an important tool for counting numbers and performing simple arithmetic. Though they are not easily seen today, their usefulness in the early days cannot be overemphasized.

Wooden sticks: These are small local sticks that served as counting objects. In our early years in primary school, we cut sticks that helped us perform addition and subtraction. This has been replaced with notch sticks.

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