We all know that the abacus is a primitive calculating tool which is used in China as early as 500BC. Over the years, the abacus has evolved into the most popular brain development tool because of its unique and smart calculation techniques. Using an abacus to solve maths questions will help shape the mind through the use of eyes and hand coordination.
Beginning of this year, Kayden started his third term with Fun With Abacus. During his first term, he has picked up basic skills of using the abacus to solve addition and subtraction. In his second term, he started to practice Anzan, mental calculations, to solve addition and subtraction. He is also taught to memorise the multiplication table.
In this new term, a timer is included in training him to solve 10 questions in 3 minutes using only mental calculation. I thought it is impossible for a 6-year-old child, but I was wrong.
Many of my friends have some burning questions about enriching their children through abacus learning. In this post, I will share the 5 burning questions about the abacus which every parent want to know.
Is Learning Abacus Helpful To My Child?
Before telling you the answer, here is the simple logic about the abacus. Abacus makes calculations very simple. With the right technique and training, anyone can solve calculations in their mind. This is called Anzan.
Learning abacus doesn’t take up too much of your child’s time. A weekly lesson will be sufficient enough. Of course, there would be homework for your child to practice at home.
Helpful in many ways, the abacus helps in the overall development of a child. This includes excellent memorising power, fast learning skills, better concentration power, great listening skills and better self-confidence.
What Is The Right Age For My Child To Learn Abacus?
One can learn abacus at any age. The right age to learn abacus and have obvious benefits for a child is during the age of 4.
At this age, a child will start to learn things naturally. Their brain is like a dry sponge, the ability to absorb well. With proper guidance, a child can learn two important things during abacus lessons, learning numbers and counting.
Can My Child Learn Abacus Through YouTube or books?
Technically speaking, yes. Unfortunately, what lacks in online videos and books is the education system. A system needs to be in place so that your child can learn abacus the right way and right mindset.
In Fun With Abacus, the teacher taught Kayden how to read, analyse, write and calculate. All these will speed up his brain development. Best of all, the teacher’s feedback on Kayden’s performances is important to me.
Is It Practical To Learn Abacus?
Made up of wood and beads, a standard abacus can be used for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. This makes the abacus an effective mechanical calculator. Apart from these simple arithmetic calculations, the abacus can also use to calculate square roots and cubic roots.
As the abacus is a physical learning tool with different patterns and shapes, it makes learning maths fun and interesting for children. In conclusion, an abacus is the most convenient tool for calculation.
In today’s digital world, can learning abacus still be useful?
This is one of the most common misunderstandings about learning abacus. The abacus is used only in the initial stages and most arithmetic problems are encouraged to be solved mentally. Mental solving, or Anzan, requires a high level of concentration and memory to picture the shifting of beads in one’s mind.
After 6 months of learning with Fun With Abacus, Kayden is now solving his addition and subtraction through Anzan.
Thanks To Fun With Abacus, My Child Is More Confident
After 6 months of learning, I have noticed a lot of improvement in Kayden’s abilities and approach in solving arithmetic questions. Every time he solves his maths questions within a short period of time correctly, he feels more confident about himself.
Currently, he needs to place his abacus on the table and visually imagine that he is moving the beads every time he is performing arithmetic calculations. I hope in a few months down the road, he can solve his maths questions without looking at his abacus.
For more information, you can visit Fun With Abacus here.
