So how do you really feel at the thought of you yourself teaching Abacus Mind Math to your child at home?
“I never learned Abacus Mind Math as a kid. Will I really be able to teach my child at home?”
This is one question that comes up often. Just yesterday a new member posted in one of our forums how she is “…both excited and nervous about teaching her 4.5 year old child at home”.
That is obviously a very personal decision and something you will have to get comfortable with on your own before you begin.
In this article I want to do two things:
- Share the pros and cons of teaching at home yourself v/s enrolling your child at a learning center; and
- Should the pros outweigh the cons in your mind and you want to dig further, share with you what you will need to teach at home effectively. (spoiler alert …. it’s definitely not a teaching certification)
Teaching Abacus Mind Math at Home v/s Enrolling at a Learning Center
As you can imagine, there are pros and cons to both. In the table below, we list a few questions that you should consider.
| At Learning Center | Teach at Home | |
|---|---|---|
| Proximity and Availability of a Learning Center? | Abacus Mental Math Learning Centers may not be available in all areas. | Proximity and Availability is never an issue |
| Who is the teacher? | Teacher (third party) teaches. (There is no formal certification to become an Abacus Mental Math teacher. Most learn on the job generally as a franchisee and gain experience over time) | You are the teacher. But you need some tools to be able to teach effectively. *See below on what you need to teach effectively |
| How quickly can my child get started? | Could potentially start relatively quickly provided Learning Center has class availability at a time that works for your family. | Begin teaching within a couple of hours of gaining access to a reputable program and set your own schedule. (*See how below) |
| Financial Investment? | Cost is relatively high – (month after month for 2+ years) | Low cost. |
| Teaching Multiple Children? | Cost multiplies if multiple children are enrolled. | Teach as many children as you like – yours or even others you may wish to help (even to generate an income for yourself). |
| Required Time Investment? | Time it takes to commute back and forth to the learning center over the duration of the course. Typically, for 24+ months. (This is probably one of the main reasons why some students are unable to complete the course) | One hour a week generally. |
| Is child able to cope with the pace? | No control on the Pace. Teacher is generally moving on a set schedule. | Set your own pace. Spend more time solidifying a concept if necessary or move quicker. |
| Individualized Attention? | Limited Attention. Child is usually working in a group with every child on a different lesson. | Gets your full attention! |
| How to help at home outside of class? | Don’t always know how to help at home? | You know exactly what to do every week besides the weekly lessons. |
| Regular Feedback from Teacher? | Limited Feedback from teacher. | Instant feedback and ability to adjust accordingly |
| How good are the Results? | Generally Good Results. But results are even better when parents engage and practice at home even if their children are enrolled at a Center. | Great Results! Since parents are engaged and know exactly how to work with their child, results are better and transformation occurs in a shorter timeframe. |
| Life happens. What if child cannot attend a class? | Difficult when student has to miss classes. Difficult to schedule makeup classes. | Flexibility to adjust your schedule during vacations, sickness etc. |
| Time to complete the course? | Course designed for longevity – keep the student in the center as long as possible since parents are paying monthly. | Designed for best results and transformation in the shortest possible time. |
| Potential to generate income for yourself? | Not an option | Help your own children and also have a potential to start a side gig to generate income for yourself if motivated to do so. |
There may be other factors that are important to you and will weigh in on your decision, but the questions above are a good start to help you seriously consider both options.
Now if you happen to live in an area where Abacus Mind Math Learning Centers are just not available. Your choice is pretty simple.
Do you really want for your child to enjoy the promising benefits of Abacus Mind Math? If the answer is yes, then know that you will be able to produce equal if not better results for your child by teaching them at home; while saving tons of time and money.
What you need to Teach Abacus Mind Math at Home Effectively
Let me begin by saying that you do not need a teaching certification to teach effectively at home.
You don’t even need a college degree.
Mostly you need the right mindset besides the actual teaching material and teaching strategies.
First, you need to make sure you understand your role as a teacher. You do not need to be an expert and be able to calculate mentally in your head like you see kids doing on youtube. You just have to stay a lesson ahead of your child to be able to teach effectively.
Also understand that when teaching you need to take the same attitude that you would have if you were running a marathon. That by setting a routine and a schedule and pacing yourself, results will happen over time. Patience, love and lots of encouragement is mostly what you will need. Besides, of course, about 1 hr a week of your time set aside to work with your child.
Outside of a good mindset, you will also need the following in order to teach effectively with confidence:
- A comprehensive curriculum with step by step lesson plans that organizes the curriculum by week so you know exactly what you are teaching every week.
- Tutorials for each lesson (preferably video, since Abacus is a visual tool).
- Practice worksheets for each lesson.
- Mentor or a coach to support you and be available to answer questions if you need help or feel stuck.
To gain access to this kind of support, you could sign up as a franchisee to a big brand Abacus Learning Center franchisor, but I am going to assume that’s not your goal and you are not looking to make that kind of investment.
Outside of that, you could sign up for an online membership and course like the one we offer that includes all the material, support, and coaching to guide you and your child to success.
Now, I realize that it’s easier said than done. On the surface, this probably seems like a big undertaking. But this is what I know:
- Children are excited about learning working on the Abacus which will make it easier for you to get started.
- As a teacher you will get quite comfortable after completing about 4-6 weeks of the curriculum.
- Your child will benefit hugely from your efforts and it will serve them well in the long run.
- Since Abacus Mental Math has a finite curriculum, this is a relative short term undertaking.
With that said, you will probably feel more at ease with the idea once you are able to try it for yourself.
Towards that, we have opened up the first four weeks of lesson for FREE for anyone who wishes to give it a shot. During that time, besides attempting the lessons, we encourage you to schedule a complementary orientation call with one of our teachers so they can guide you on how to best work with your child and of course answer any questions you may have.