In this age of calculators, computers, machine learning and AI, why are we still talking about Abacus and Mental Math (aka Mind Math)?

We are talking about it because it is still as relevant as it was before.  Probably even more so now because of all the technology our children can access in and out of the classroom that gives them shortcuts to the detriment of building their math proficiency and a strong math foundation.

If you are into working out and have ever used a personal trainer or looked online for tips, experts always talk about building a strong core to avoid injury and improve results over the long term.  Once that core is strong, they add other exercises to the workout routine to accelerate results.

Similarly, with investing, financial advisors talk about having a strong core portfolio built for stability and long-term growth before considering individual stock investments or speculating in the next get-rich-quick stock.

Our children’s education is no different.

By investing in them to build that strong core i.e. a strong math foundation at an early age you are setting your child up for success in the long term.  By having that strong core, they will have the confidence to take on new challenges as they advance through schools and beyond.

Abacus Mental Math helps your child build computational fluency which is at the core of a strong math foundation.  It is most effective when started at a younger age, generally between 5-12 years of age.

Even better news is that it does not require a huge time or financial commitment to see results.   A child begins to see results in under 6 months of starting the program and a typical program is only between 18-24 months to develop amazing mind math abilities as highlighted in this YouTube video.

Besides computation fluency, there are a number of other unique benefits of Abacus Mental Math that gives children a leg up for the rest of their lives.  We explore some such key benefits of Abacus Mental Math in this article.

Build a Strong Math Foundation

Strong math foundation means different things to different people and also varies by age of the child.  However, as we discussed, at the core of a strong math foundation is fluency in performing four main math operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with great speed and accuracy.   Furthermore, Mental Math is the ultimate in math fluency and a child is able to achieve that goal faster with Abacus Mind Math than through any other method.

But how do you measure computational fluency? What are we shooting for and how fast is fast enough?

According to research by Kling & Bay-Williams, a child has mastered a math fact if they can produce an answer within 3 seconds, through either recall or by applying a highly efficient strategy.

Children are typically able to beat the 3 second mark hands down with Abacus Mind Math.  In fact, within just a few months, they are able to calculate in their head with great speed and accuracy as demonstrated in the video above.

Improve Visualization and Big Picture Thinking

For those of us not in the medical field, we’ve all seen enough pictures to know that our brains have a vertical ridge running down the center of our brains that divides it into almost two equal sections.  One section is called the Left Hemisphere or Left Brain and the other section is called the Right Hemisphere or Right Brain.  Although they look very similar, they are very different in the functions they perform.

With that said, it’s important to understand that both sides of the brain are important and work together all the time.  However, there are some interesting differences in how they operate.  The left brain is sequential in nature.  It is logical and analytical.   What and how we learn in school stimulates and exercises the left side of the brain primarily.  On the other hand, the right brain is Simultaneous in nature.  It has the ability to see the big picture and interpret things contextually.

Said differently, we can also say that Left Brain is about knowledge while the Right Brain is about Creativity, Big Picture thinking, Focus, and Concentration.

In his book “A Whole New Mind.  Why Right Brainers Will Rule the World”, the author Daniel Pink explains that in the global economy today where knowledge work (left brain activity) is exceedingly outsourced, it is important to exercise the right brain just as much to develop creativity and outside the box thinking.

Improve Focus & Concentration

There is an old Chinese proverb that translates to:
“When I hear, I forget. When I see, I remember. When I do, I understand.”

This was true then, and it is true now. When a child learns by engaging multiple senses (and not just sitting listening to a teacher in class), they learn and understand better.

When a child practices Abacus Mind Math, they engage multiple senses of sight, touch and hearing to achieve amazing Mental Math Fluency.

Furthermore, by learning Mental Math, a child also improves their listening and visualization skills which leads to improvement in their ability to focus and concentrate.

If you’ve watched any child performing mental math drills, you can only imagine the level of focus and concentration that’s involved as they listen to long string of numbers being called out at a rapid speed while simultaneously manipulating the beads in their mind to calculate the answer.

Very Impressive!

Improve Memory & Retention

Children performs Mental Math by visualizing pictures of the beads on the Abacus in their mind.  Since people remember pictures better than words, picturing the Abacus helps the child calculate with amazing speed and accuracy.

As a result, their memory and the ability to retain information improves making it easier for children to learn and retain information.

Improve Problem Solving & Critical Thinking Abilities

If you search for the definition of Critical Thinking, you will find a number of definitions, each one wordier (and sometimes confusing) than the other.

In my opinion, Critical thinking is the ability to apply common sense to analyze the situation/problem by “seeing” the big picture to reach a conclusion.

This real life example may help explain this better – you need to get from point A to point B by certain time and have different options to get there – by train, by bus or by cab. Depending on what is important to you – getting there in time; or getting there at the lowest cost possible; or getting there on time at the lowest cost, you may pick one or more travel modes.

Hope that puts things into perspective. Being able to analyze and visualize the big picture is key to critical thinking.

And guess what?

Visualizing happens to be one of the key skills that develop when studying Abacus Mental Math.

Improve academic performance in all subjects, not just math

It’s pretty obvious by now how Abacus Mental Math helps the child develop a strong Math Foundation that leads to Math Success throughout school and beyond.

But it doesn’t stop there.

Since the child has improved their power to visualize and retain information, this translates into better performance not only in Math but also other subjects, even those that require rote memorization.

Conclusion

Brain is built, not born!

Brain cells are formed before birth, but the connections in the brain, which in effect is the wiring that forms the architecture happens during early childhood. And how that wiring is formed, depends on each child’s interactions with the world around them.

Exercising the brain with Abacus Mind Math at an early age develops and strengthens the connections that help the child develop not only amazing mental math abilities, but also benefits from improved focus, concentration, big picture thinking, and ability to retain information.

Benefits to Abacus Mental Math to its students are many.  Sign up for a 7 Day Free trial and schedule your complimentary orientation call today.

Search for “Strong Math Foundation” on the internet and you will find plenty on articles on importance of a strong math foundation and tips on how to help your child develop that strong math foundation.

As I started digging, I had a hard time finding a definition that clearly explains what it means for a child to have a strong math foundation.

• Does it mean that the child loves math?
• Does it mean that a child always gets good grades in Math?
• Does it mean that the child can calculate quickly in their head?

All reasonable questions.  But let’s dig in a bit and understand in layman terms what it means to us for our child to have a strong math foundation.  After researching it further, it became clear that it may mean different things to different people.

This article reflects what a Strong Math Foundation at an early age means to me.

Three Pillars of Strong Math Foundation

For me a Strong Math Foundation is like a three-legged stool.  The three legs being:

• Understanding – Developing understanding of mathematical concepts, operations and relationships.
• Computational Fluency – Building proficiency to calculate quickly and accurately
• Application – Visualizing the problem and applying math to solve a problem.

To build a stable foundation, a child should be working on all three aspects simultaneously during early age.

Just as music cannot be appreciated by listening to each instrument separately, a strong mathematical foundation cannot be built by developing each of three abilities in isolation.

These three components of a strong math foundation feed upon each other.

For example, as computation becomes more fluent and automatic, the child can focus better on other aspects of a problem and therefore feel confident about tackling new problems, which leads to new understanding.

And as understanding improves, it becomes easy to apply the computational skills to real life events.

And as the child learns to apply math in real life, their mathematical understanding continues to improve.

Children who are unable to think mathematically are denied many of the best opportunities that society offers, and society in turn misses out on benefiting from their potential contributions down the road.

Developing a Strong Math Foundation allows a child to:

• Focus on learning new concepts without worrying about the basic computation process;
• Be confident and not be afraid of Math;
• Build a positive attitude towards numbers and enjoy working with numbers.

Therefore, it is no surprise that early math proficiency is a clear predictor of future success.

So instead on assuming that math performance is tied to innate ability in a child, it behooves parents to push levers they can control by providing children unique opportunities and environment to learn.

Even though all three components are equally important, children obviously develop differently, and it’s difficult to deny age based limitations on their capacity to learn and apply certain math concepts.

While understanding and application of Math concepts improve as child’s reading and comprehension improves, a child’s ability to calculate fluently can develop much earlier in life.  Armed with this strong computational fluency, it’s easier for the child to learn and apply new math concepts as they advance through school and beyond.

And there is no better program than Abacus Mind Math to help the child improve their computation fluency very quickly while boosting their confidence and establishing a positive attitude towards math.  Adding word problems (aka story problems) to the mix helps the child apply this knowledge and comprehension to real world problems.  This improves their grasp of the topic on hand because they have to worry less about the basic computational process and can focus more on understanding the concepts.

At Learn Abacus at Home, we help parents take control and help their child build a Strong Math Foundation.  Click here to learn more about achieving early math success through Abacus Mind Math.

There is just so much noise and so much hype about so many different learning programs that as a parent it’s confusing as to where we should focus our time and our money to produce best possible results for our child.

But if you have been doing your due diligence and have recognized all the exciting benefits of Abacus Mind Math, you probably want to get your child started right away so they can benefit immensely from the relatively small window of opportunity presented by their age.   (Abacus Mind Math is most effective between ages 5-12.)

But How?  Where do you go to get your child the resources they need to help them learn Abacus Mind Math and develop amazing Math Fluency?

In this article we discuss some common and some unique options for you to consider to make an informed decision on how best to help your child achieve Early Math Success!

Abacus Learning Centers

The default and probably the very first option to naturally consider is to look for an Abacus Mind Math Learning Center near you.  If you are one of the few who live in an area where you have one or more learning centers in close proximity, that may be your best first option to consider.

Here are a few questions you should ask during an in-person conference at a learning center:

1. Ask how long the center has been in operation.
2. Understand how teachers and hired and trained.
3. Ask to see a classroom in action.
4. Ask to see a Mental Math demonstration from one of their current students.
5. Ask about class schedule – once a week, twice a week etc.
6. Ask about duration of each class – 1 hr, 2 hrs etc.
7. How much homework with there be each week?
8. Inquire about missing a class and make up policies.
9. Ask if you can call or bring your child by again if your child is stuck.
10. Ask if they will spend a few minutes with you after every class to show you what they taught so you can help them with practice at home.

Now here are some practical things to consider when enrolling your child at a learning center

What is the cost for your child to enroll?

Most typical learning centers have a curriculum that spans classes over approximately 2 years.   You will likely be paying anywhere between $100/mo – $200/mo per child depending on the part of the country you live in.  Some may also have a hefty registration fee and material fee.  Understand the financial commitment.

Will you be able to commit to the schedule?

Understand that by enrolling your child at a learning center you are making a commitment to drive your child back and forth every week at the same time.

Can you take a break from classes in the middle? How will that affect your child?

During summer or otherwise, you may wish to take a few weeks off from class.  Make sure to ask if that is something the center recommends and what if anything you can do during that time to continue helping your child?

If you don’t have Abacus learning centers near you or if the required financial and commute commitment are going to be a burden considering the time duration involved, all is not lost.

There are other more viable options especially if you are willing to invest one hour a week of your time helping your child with Abacus Mind Math at home.  I know that as parents we already do, and are willing to invest lot more than just one hour a week to ensure a bright future for our children.

Now before you laugh at the idea, and throw up your hands in despair saying “I never learned it” or “I don’t know how to do it”, or “I don’t know if I will hurt my child rather than help my child by teaching them myself”, let me put your mind at ease.

You don’t have to be a math person or a math teacher to help your child with Abacus Mind Math at home.   You have already been your child’s first teacher ever since they were born. And more than a teaching certification, what you need are the right resources to be able to teach your child Abacus Mind Math.   I know, because I did it and so can you!

Below I present a couple of practical options for you to consider.  Since Abacus Mind Math is visual in nature, options I present below will guide you towards sources that provide visual instructions.  Now there are probably a number of books that you can find on Abacus Mind Math, but in my opinion, they are a painfully difficult way to learn and teach Abacus Mind Math.

YouTube

I don’t know about you, but YouTube is my default go-to source whenever I am looking for a solution.  If I want to learn how to fix a leaking faucet, replace a light fixture, or learn about a math topic to help my child when they have a question, I go digging on YouTube.

With that said, it’s only fair that YouTube be considered for finding Abacus Mind Math lessons.

However, dependence on YouTube alone, for learning and teaching your child Abacus Mind Math is not a viable option.

Information is generally very disorganized on YouTube and without knowing what you need to know in what order, it’s extremely difficult to find everything that you will need organized in the right order to teach with confidence.

A key component to teaching mind math, besides the lessons, are practice worksheets that go along with the lesson.  These worksheets are definitely not on YouTube!

Following along with the visual nature of Abacus Mind Math, the alternative would be to work with a teacher who can provide step by step lessons, corresponding practice worksheets and be there to guide you and your child to success.  That is however easier said than done.  There are not many such independent teachers out there who would be willing to teach you, even if you were willing to pay them handsomely for their time.  Now, to be fair, there are companies who are willing to teach you but only if you sign up as a Franchisee.   If your interest is really in just teaching your child, franchising is an overkill and comes with huge costs and obligations.

Online Course and Mentorship

In this amazing world of the internet, you are no longer restricted to resources in your local proximity.  You will find teachers like me at “Learn Abacus at Home” who are providing all the resources you will need to help your child succeed with Abacus Mind Math for a very reasonable fee without the encumbrances of franchising.

While internet is a boon in many ways, you also want to be vigilant when selecting the online provider to make sure you sign-up with a reputable team who can work with you to deliver the transformation you seek for your child.

You want to find a teacher who:

• Has Been teaching for a number of years
• Has a proven content that has produced demonstrable results for their students
• Has positive reviews from other parents about the teacher and their program
• Is available to answer questions to help and support you and guide you if you need help, which you inevitably will during the course of the program.

To learn more about Learn Abacus at Home program and the resources and services included in our membership to help your child achieve Early Success and Amazing Math Fluency, Click Here.

Conclusion

There are so many direct and indirect benefits of Abacus Mind Math that as a parent you owe it to the future success of your child to seriously consider this program while your child is between ages 5-12.  Since the results are more pronounced if you start when they are younger, this should be the very first enrichment program you should entertain for your child before any other program.   There are many different ways to get your child started on the program as detailed above. After teaching for over a decade, we’ve found that results are more pronounced and accelerated when parents are engaged and practice with their child at home even if they choose to enroll them at a Learning Center.  But by taking charge and teaching your child Abacus Mind Math at home, you will significantly reduce the time required to produce desired results.

Click here to learn more about the Learn Abacus at Home program.

Research shows that Math Success at an early age is a clear indicator of future success not only in School but also beyond.

Does that surprise you?  Probably not.

You have probably seen examples of this all around you.

But what does “early age” really mean?  How early should parents introduce their child to Math?

We will answer these questions and more in this article.

And since we are all about Abacus Mind Math, besides the questions above, we will also discuss the appropriate age to introduce your child to Abacus Mind Math to really accelerate their learning.

How Early can you begin Math with your Child?

There are generally conflicting emotions around this topic.

Parents sometimes feel that they don’t want to put undue pressure on their child.  After all, what’s the rush?

At other times parents wonder if their child may get left behind if they don’t start early enough especially when they see their neighbors and friends starting their children off early.

The question may seem difficult to answer, but the answer according to experts is quite simple – start early by introducing age appropriate activities as early as possible.

It’s amazing but children as young as 12 months old can start recognizing numbers. Everyday life activities and events begins introducing the concept of numbers.  In fact, most times you don’t have to even do anything special to start them on their journey with numbers.   Spoken language like first and second, big and small, open and close, two socks, five fingers, three cookies, four cheerios etc. can get the ball rolling.

Although they may be able to start recognizing numbers much earlier, you can start the process of reciting numbers with them through number books, sing along songs, and number games by the time they are 2 years old.   Again, as long as you make it fun there are just so many things you can do with them to strengthen number recognition and recitation.

As you introduce numbers, also engage your child to apply their learning to real life so they can start comprehending numbers.   Have them read the numbers on your mailbox, on street signs, in menus, on TV. Just anywhere you see numbers and it’s an opportune time to engage your child – basically gamify this experience as much as possible.  This will give them an outlet to apply what they’ve been learning through songs and games and give you the satisfaction that your child is actually learning numbers and not simply reciting songs through rote memorization.

Although children develop differently, typically, between ages 3-4, you can safely introduce writing numbers to your child.  Maybe just 0 to 9 to begin with and then moving on to two-digit numbers all the way to 99 over time.

Now you can always do more with your child like adding and subtracting, but in preparation for school, your child will be doing really well if they are reading and writing numbers 0 to 99 by the time they are 5.

And remember, like anything else with young children, “patience”, “fun” and “encouragement” are the keys to a relaxed and stress-free experience for both you and your child.

How Early can you begin Abacus Mind Math with your Child?

Mental Math aka Mind Math (the ability to calculate quickly in the head) is the ultimate in Math Fluency.

Getting from fluency in counting to the ability to calculate big string of number mentally at an early age may seem like a daunting undertaking, but it doesn’t have to be with Abacus Mind Math.

Typically, the next logical step after the child learns how to count fluently from 0 to 99 is to introduce addition and subtraction.

For most children, addition generally first begins with either simply counting up either on fingers or otherwise.  Subtraction on the other hand is generally introduced as counting down.  Using flashcards and physical objects to count up or down is also a good strategy.

Number lines are another good way to visualize addition and subtraction but these are generally introduced in school as an alternate way to learn addition & subtraction.

Over time through practice and repetition, a child will eventually learn to add and subtract without the help of any external aid.   This is generally an ongoing and iterative process as the child goes through school and advances to higher grades.

Through rigorous practice and based on their mental capacity, a child can eventually learns how to do some of the simple addition and subtraction questions mentally.

But Abacus Mind Math will shorten the path to Mind Math and Amazing Math Fluency in a relaxed and stress-free manner with a much greater probability of success than otherwise possible.

Basic math operations the child would typically learn in Elementary School from kindergarten to fifth grade can be learned and mastered in just a few months with Abacus Mind Math.

When discussing the ability to calculate mentally with great speed and accuracy, it may sound counter intuitive, but the younger the child, the greater their ability to master this skill through Abacus Mind Math.  “Why Abacus in this age of computers?” covers some of the science behind this.

As a rule of thumb, being able to read and write numbers 0 – 99 should be considered the minimum requirement to starting a child on Abacus Mind Math.  Working backwards, this would imply that the earliest the child should start Abacus Mind Math should be around 4-5 years of age.

However, that doesn’t mean that children who have already learned basic math facts the traditional way will not benefit from Abacus Mind Math.  In fact, success with Abacus Mind Math has more to do with the age of the child rather than what they have learned prior to starting Abacus Mind Math.   Due to the elasticity and plasticity of the brain at an early age, Abacus Mind Math should be something that parents should consider for that child when they are under 12 years of age.  Wide ranging benefits like improved focus, concentration, improved retention and, yes, amazing mind math abilities will serve them well, not only in school but also beyond.

CONCLUSION

A child’s brain is extremely malleable at an early age as a result of which they learn more quickly during these early years than at any other time in their life. With that recognition, there is no reason to fear introducing your child to numbers very early in their young life, which incidentally, you may already be doing without even trying.   But remember as you get a little more formal with their learning, engage with them to explore numbers in a fun way.  Adding a proven program like Abacus Mind Math to their math learning can really propel them towards Math Fluency and Math Success much faster than traditional learning methods so that they can tackle the challenges of advanced math later in life with greater confidence.

Do you ever wonder, why for most of us, our parents are so much better with numbers than we are?

How about our children?  Are most of us concerned that they are not as good at numbers as maybe even we were at their age.

That’s a scary thought!

I mention it here, not to alarm anyone.  The simple fact is that as we have more access to smart phones, calculators, and other calculation devices, our dependence on them increases.  The sheer mental ability to calculate in our head diminishes.

As children, a large majority of us probably questioned why we had to calculate mentally.  But as adults, we all recognize the importance of calculating mentally and wish that our children were good at it.

What does that have to do with the history of Abacus, you ask?  Sorry about my rant, but it just leads back to the the innovation of mankind, and how “necessity breads ingenuity”.

You can find a number of wonderful blogs with a lot of  background on Abacus, but here is a quick synopsis of the history of Abacus.  Additional links below for those who want more…

Abacus is a Latin word that has its origins in the Greek words abax or abakon (meaning “table” or “tablet”). The abacus is among one of first counting devices which are used to count large numbers.

The abacus was invented somewhere in between 300-500 BC.   Like most things, the abacus has also transitions as it was adapted in different civilizations across the world.   Different times brought different changes in the forms of the abacus as its usage was adapted by races from China, India, Korea, Persia, Rome, Japan and Russia.

The abacus in ancient days was used purely as a calculating device. Every bead was assigned a value starting from a units place moving towards the left. The beads in the upper section had different values than of those in the lower section. The calculating process required the use of both hands of the person using it. All the calculations were based on the movements of the beads.

Abacus was probably one of the greatest invention of the ancient days that helped the merchants and traders keep track of inventories and accounting.

The Suanpan, one of the modern age Abacus was a Chinese adaptation and had 2 beads in the upper section and 5 beads in the lower section.   Due to its complexity, it was replaced by Soroban, a Japanese abacus, which was developed further by a famous mathematician Seki Kowa who removed one bead each from upper and lower decks to make it 1 bead in the upper section and 4 beads in the lower section.

Abacus most educational institutes use and teach today is the Soroban abacus.  That’s what we will be using in our lessons and worksheets.

For more detailed information, checkout this link https://www.ee.ryerson.ca/~elf/abacus/history.html

In this age of calculators, computers, and Artificial Intelligence, why are we talking about Abacus Math?

We are talking about it for precisely that reason.   With all the technology our children can now access, as parents, we all want our children to have the ability to calculate quickly in their head.

If surveyed, most of us equate this ability to mental sharpness, good grades, admission to great colleges, a great job, and a great future.

Some children are born with the natural ability to be great at Numbers and Mental Math.

The GOOD NEWS however, is that, this ability CAN BE TAUGHT.

With practice and the right guidance, any child can learn and develop the ability to visualize and do math mentally.  Not only will they learn Mental Math, but also benefit from all the other advantages of developing this skill.

Abacus Math takes advantage of plasticity of  a child’s brain to develop Visualization.  This helps the child develop not only Mental Math skills like those in this video but also delivers other lifelong benefits through Visualization and Right Brain Development.

Abacus Math Taps Into Plasticity Of the Brain

Without getting too technical, which honestly is beyond me anyway (LOL), I am going to lay down some geek talk that explains plasticity of a child’s brain and how it can be trained to develop amazing mental math ability.

At birth an infant has all the neurons (neurons are basic cells making up the brain) that it will ever need.  The brain weighs approximately 2/3 pound.  The brain starts to develop and different neurons begin forming connections (synapses) to each other.

During early and middle childhood, the brain forms and refines a complex network of connections.  It is a period of rapid change in the brain.  Although the process of forming these connections  is biologically driven, individual experiences alter and promote these connections in a big way.    A great example is language.  During early years, the brain strengths connections for the language that the child hears regularly.  Over the years, the brain eliminates connections for other sounds due to which most adults have a difficult time learning new languages.

By the time the child is 5 years old, the brain increases to 80% of its adult weight (about 3lbs).   A child’s brain reaches its adult weight by the time the child turns 14 years of age.

Prior to age 14, repeated experiences can form and transform various important connections in the brain. Connections strengthened through regular use become stronger and more complex.

On the flip side, connections in the brain that are not exercised are considered non-essential.  The brain prunes them over time to allow the brain to operate more efficiently.

Abacus Math learning takes advantage of this plasticity to build brain connections that help children excel at mental math.   In fact, by using the Abacus, children are simultaneously developing their abilities to visualize –  Visualization & Mental Math go hand in hand.  By Visualization, children learn to see picture of the abacus in their brain to “see” the answer rather than “calculate” the answer.

The window of opportunity to develop this amazing ability is best taken advantage of during age 4 to 12.

Abacus Math Leads To Right Brain Development

For those of us not in the medical field, we’ve all seen enough pictures to know that our brains have a vertical ridge running down the center of our brains.  That ridge divides the brain into almost two equal sections.  One section is called the Left Hemisphere or Left Brain and the other section is called the Right Hemisphere or Right Brain.  Although they look very similar, they are very different in the functions they perform.

With that said, it’s important to understand that both sides of the brain are important and work together all the time.  However there are some interesting differences in how they operate.  The left brain is sequential in nature.  It is logical and analytical.   What and how we learn in school stimulates and exercises primarily the left side of the brain.  On the other hand, the right brain is simultaneous in nature.  It has the ability to see the big picture and interpret things contextually.

Said differently, we can also say that Left Brain is about knowledge.

Right Brain is about Creativity, Big Picture thinking, Focus, and Concentration.

In the global economy today where knowledge work (left brain activity) is exceedingly outsourced, it is important to exercise the right brain just as much to develop creativity and outside the box thinking.

If you want to dive deeper and really geek out on the difference between left and right brain, there’s a wonderful book by Daniel Pink – “A Whole New Mind.  Why Right Brainers Will Rule the World”.

Conclusion

For all the reasons discussed above, Abacus Learning delivers huge benefit to children in the ages 4-12.  It does so by taking advantage of the brain plasticity at that age.   Not only does the child develop amazing mental math skills which can lead to a great educational career;  like getting into Gifted and Advanced Programs early in school, excellent grades, and great colleges;   they also develop and hone their visualization abilities.  This gives them an advantage to write their own ticket in their professional life by become a creative worker.  Professions like architect or a designer rather than a knowledge worker who follows predefined steps to accomplish their work.

Download this FREE Parent Guide to learn how Abacus Math delivers amazing Results for children in a relatively short period of time – “Shockingly Simple Path to Early Math Success”

Benefits of Abacus Math are many.  Without rehashing they why and how again in this post, as covered in “Why Abacus in this Age of Computers?”, Abacus learning produces best results for children in the ages  4-12.  Not only is the child able to develop Mind Math skills, but also develops Visualization to improve big picture thinking, creativity, concentration and focus among other benefits.   All these benefits last a lifetime.

These results come from Abacus Training strengthened through routine practice.  There are two core components for Abacus Training and both are equally important.  These are:

• Learning to use the Abacus
• Visualizing Abacus for Mind Math

Learning to use the Abacus

Abacus training begins with easy numbers.   Every week the program teaches one or two basic techniques on the Abacus.  Even though the numbers are initially small and easy to do mentally for some students, it’s essential that the Student do these questions on the Abacus.   The numbers continue to get difficult week over week and if the child fails to master basic usage of the Abacus during earlier weeks, it is likely to slow down their progress in the program and possibly lead to unnecessary frustration.

The program is designed for typically 60 minutes of Abacus work a week completed in two 30 min sessions.   Pick two days of the week to do the Abacus work.  We recommend Sat and Wed as the two Abacus days – Saturday for learning the new technique and Wednesday to complete anything left over from Saturday.

Visualizing Abacus For Mind Math

The end goal with Abacus Training is Mind Math.  To achieve that goal, we recommend starting work on Mind Math with the student early in the Program.    We recommend that the child work on Mind Math about 10 minutes a day for 3-4 days of the week using the Mind Math worksheets included in the program.  So if your Abacus day is Saturday, spend 10 minutes after the Abacus Work on Mind Math.

Spend 10-15 minutes for Mind Math on Monday.

Do Abacus Work on Wed.  Spend 10 minutes after Abacus Work on Mind Math.

Spend another 10 minutes for Mind Math on Thursday.

Here’s a typical weekly routine for Abacus Training.  A PDF version of the routine can be downloaded here.

Day of the Week	Abacus - Time	Mind Math - Time
Saturday	30 minutes	5 minutes
Monday		10 minutes
Wednesday	30 minutes	5 minutes
Thursday		10 minutes
Totals	60 minutes	30 minutes

Achieving the desired results for 90 minutes a week of Abacus Work is a no-brainer!

You’ve selected a very fulfilling undertaking if you are embarking on teaching Abacus to your child or others in your area.

If you watch any of the videos on YouTube where children perform spectacular mind math exercises, you are probably intimidated at that thought of teaching this skill.   Logically, you probably think that unless you are able to develop this capability yourself, you will not be able to teach it.

Fortunately, that’s not the case.   The good news is that your job in this role is that of a Coach.   Like a good Coach, you need to know how you can guide your students to success.   It’s not important or expected for you to perform at the level your students will be able to achieve.

If you haven’t read this post “Why Abacus In the Age of Computers?”, I would suggest reading this now.   It will clarify why adults have a more difficult time learning new techniques while children can absorb it like a sponge.

Your role as a Coach is critical to deliver spectacular results for your students. Here are 6 simple tips for new teachers:

• Stay ahead of what you will be teaching your student.   At the onsite, we suggest practicing first 8 weeks of student material yourself prior to starting a lesson with a child.
• Complete every problem on every worksheet yourself.   Follow every rule that you expect the student to follow.
• That is the only way you will be able to identify if your student is not following the technique.
• Be mindful of all the rules and be prepared to correct your student when they make mistakes.
• Give equal priority to Mind Math and don’t hesitate to challenge your student with Mind Math.
• Be encouraging and work on speed rather than complexity to develop visualization early.
• Be sure to grade all worksheets and have the child correct any mistakes.

As part of our course, we’ve built training video lesson and step by step guide to help teachers understand how to teach the material.  Once the teacher gets more comfortable with the content, we’ve also developed some shortcuts for the teacher to accelerate their learning of the content.

To learn how to work with your child/student on Abacus Mind Math to experience amazing results, register today for a FREE Value Packed Training – “5 Key Steps to Learn, Teach, and Achieve Amazing Results from Abacus Mind Math for your Children/Students”

Remember, each child is different. Patience and encouragement is key, so don’t cut corners.  Follow each lesson in the course and make sure all work for the week is completed before moving on to the next lesson.

Remember, Abacus training is a marathon, not a sprint!

The question we often get asked is

• How long does it take to learn abacus mind math?
• How long before my child can calculate quickly in their head?

Both great questions, but please understand that learning Mind Math, like anything else worth pursuing, takes time.  This implies that learning abacus and developing mind math skills is a process that is best developed over time with consistent practice.

But, it does NOT mean that the child has to continue working on the Abacus year after year for the rest of their lives.

In fact, the best part is, Abacus Mind Math is a finite program with a finite curriculum the child in master in a relatively short time period.

Unlike remedial tutoring programs where children can attend classes pretty much from kindergarten to high school, Abacus Mind Math has a set curriculum that the child can learn over just a few months.

With that said, you will see constant improvement in their Mental Math capability starting with the very first month in the program.  This capability will continue to expand and become automatic as they advance through the carefully structured program.

Once they complete the program and develop these admirable Mental Math abilities and powerful Math Fluency, they are exceptionally equipped to take on advanced Math topics with confidence as they advance to higher grades.

But parents take note, over-aggressive practice on a weekly basis will not deliver long lasting results any quicker than working the lessons at a steady consistent pace week after week.

Abacus Training develops the Visualization muscle of the brain over a period of 12-18 months with consistent weekly exercise. This rewiring of the brain occurs over a period of time and the brain makes that wiring permanent so that this amazing capability a child develops, stays with them long after they complete the Abacus Curriculum.

Learn Abacus At Home core curriculum is designed for a period of about 18 months.    For detailed curriculum – see here. We’ve broken the core curriculum into 6 units, with each unit containing 11 weekly lessons.    The core curriculum covers arithmetic operations like Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, and Decimals.

At the end of this 6 Unit, members will have the option to access additional lessons and practice materials that teach more advanced operations like squares and square roots for students who want to go even further.

Timeline of results you can expect from your student

• After Unit 1, a child will be able to add and subtract string of simple single digit and double digit numbers in their mind.
• After Unit 2, a child will be able to calculate string of complex single digit and double digit numbers in their mind.
• After Unit 3, a child will be able to calculate long strings of simple and complex two digit numbers in their mind much quicker than before.
• After Unit 4, a child will be able to do any two digit number and simple 3 and 4 digit numbers mentally. They will also be able to calculate 2 digit by one digit multiplication mentally.
• After Unit 5, a child will be able to do any two, three digit addition/subtraction and any three digit by one digit multiplication. They will also be able to do simple division in their mind.
• After Unit 6, a child will be able to do any addition, subtraction, 3 digit by 2 digit multiplication, and 3 digit by one digit division and some three digit by two digit division in their mind

As expected, results may vary by student. Some students may hit the milestone sooner, while others may take a little longer. Assessments included in the course are strongly recommended at the end of each Unit before progressing the child to the next unit to measure their progress.

To learn how to work with your child/student on Abacus Mind Math to experience amazing results, register today for a FREE Value Packed Training – “Prepare your child for Early Math Success”

Ready to get started on this rewarding journey?  Try free for 7 days.