How Abacus Mental Math Builds Faster Calculation Skills

Abacus classes online is a great platform for kids and we will together explore this in much more detail today. At Mathcruise we offer Abacus online classes for kids and we are proud to claim that our results are 100% successful because we work as a team together with the child and their parents to ensure kids are engaged positively, they love each class and when they learn with a happy mindset the results are automatically the best.

What Is Abacus and How Does It Work?

Abacus classes for kids are often seen by parents as a regular Maths course but in reality, it is the most underrated by people. Abacus is not only a Maths course that enables kids to perform all kinds of arithmetic calculations mentally (without using a paper or a pen), but more importantly it is a life skill. In this blog today we will talk about both these aspects of Abacus classes for kids, so as parents you truly understand the real benefits of learning Abacus.

In terms of literal definition, an abacus is a simple counting tool that helps children understand numbers in a clear and practical way. It has a frame with rods and beads. Each bead has a value, and children move these beads to represent numbers and hence solve Maths problems. This makes numbers easy to see, touch, and understand and as a result children relate to numbers in a much more meaningful way which builds a strong foundation in their early years.

Mental Abacus: Moving From Physical Beads to Mental Calculations

In the beginning of Abacus course (the first level) children first use the physical abacus to do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They learn how each rod shows place value, such as ones, tens, hundreds, and thousands. Gradually with regular practice, they slowly begin to picture the abacus in their mind. With more and more practice and under the guidance of a professional Abacus trainer, children slowly start remembering the bead positions. They no longer even need to look at the Abacus every time. Instead, they begin to picture the abacus in their mind, and this is called Mental Abacus.

Learning maths becomes easier when children can see and touch numbers. This is why Abacus learning is such a powerful method for young learners.

How Abacus Mental Math Develops Faster Calculation Skills

If you see the demo videos of some of our students as young as 5 years, you will realize the magic of Abacus Mental Maths. It sounds unbelievable to anyone who looks at it for the first time, and I also remember the time 12 years ago when I saw young kids do this magic at another Abacus academy, which fascinated me so much that I made a goal for myself to learn this myself.

The best part of Abacus Mental Math training is that it builds more than calculation speed. It helps improve concentration, memory, visualization, listening skills, and confidence. When children practice Abacus for kids regularly, they learn to focus better and understand numbers more clearly. Maths feels less confusing because numbers become pictures in the mind.

Though we must acknowledge that faster calculation skills do not come in one day, Abacus training gives children the right method and regular practice. Over time, they become quicker, sharper, and more confident with numbers. It helps children calculate faster because they are not just memorizing answers; they are understanding how numbers work and are much more confident than their peers, since they have a stronger foundation. They see numbers as their best friends, instead of being afraid of them.

Abacus and Mental Arithmetic: Building Accuracy, Speed, and Concentration

By now we have already understood how Abacus classes help children perform faster calculations. But speed is just one of the benefits, it alone does not serve the purpose. If accuracy is missing then speed will not serve the purpose, won’t you agree? Similarly, if concentration is missing, then accuracy cannot be achieved. So, all the three dimensions i.e. accuracy, speed and concentration are equally important and one leads to another automatically.

To put it in simple words, this is how Abacus and mental arithmetic works:

1. Step one is to build the focus. The Abacus methodology trains the child to listen to the question, process in the mind and simultaneously do the finger movement to change the position of beads on the Abacus tool. This is not an easy process and it is very important to follow the right technique and best practices (like using the thumb to move the upper bead, holding the tool with left hand etc, so that the child gets accustomed to those steps and can even do in his sleep with more and more practice).
2. Step two is accuracy, which is a direct result of the above step. With focused practice, and over a period of time you will realize that the accuracy increases drastically. I always tell parents that they must not expect overnight results. Abacus is not a short-term course and you need to give a minimum of 6 months to cover two levels to see any tangible results. By the end of six months, a child can perfectly do double digit addition and subtraction with 100% accuracy if he or she regularly does the practice (even of just 10 minutes a day). Yes, this is indeed true.
3. As children keep practicing with Mathcruise, speed is something which is naturally built up and keeps gaining. We measure it using time-based practice and our books have a field where we ask students to fill the time taken for each page. This makes the observation data driven that over time how much speed kids have gained and parents find a pleasant surprise when they compare the speed of the first page of the book and the last page of the book, there is a huge difference.

Abacus trained kids are often called human calculators and this is not without a reason. Look at some of the example questions below and kids of even 7-10 years of age can solve it in their mind with 100% accuracy and in a fraction of second.

• 435 + 969 – 23 – 983 + 329 + 187 – 391 – 47
• 45 x 95
• 598 x 42
• 5431 divide 92

This is precisely why Abacus trained kids have a strong peer advantage in any kind of exams because they are not dependent on calculators and can spend much more time on logical problems than losing time in arithmetic calculations. Time is money, isn’t it?

Can Abacus Training Help with Abacus Exams and School Maths?

Abacus training is tremendously helpful for kids because it trains both calculation skills and thinking skills. Many parents choose abacus training because this method makes maths less scary and more fun. Here are the top 3 reasons how Abacus help with exams and school maths.

• Save precious time in exams since kids are not dependent on calculators.
• They are able to focus much better in the school class since Abacus tremendously helps to improve concentration. This is the hidden benefit that many parents are not aware of, but personally I rate this even above the fast calculation speed.
• Boost in confidence helps the child in both aspects, be it scoring well in exams or understanding the concept of school maths. In fact, even outside of school, he gets benefitted greatly since high confidence leads to a more innovative mind and also gives an ability to handle pressure situations more effectively and successfully.

Due to these benefits, even Abacus teacher training is in much more demand and many people want to adopt this as a professional career. We definitely encourage you to enter into this if you are interested however, please bear in mind that patience holds the key here. As an Abacus teacher you will need to interact with young kids and be patient yourself, only then you can work together with kids to understand and get the best out of them.

Conclusion

Abacus for kids is not only about quick calculation. It also builds a strong foundation for future learning. Children who practice abacus regularly often develop better concentration and a positive attitude toward numbers. If you want your child to enjoy maths and learn mental math in an easy way, Abacus learning is absolutely a great start, so do not delay and embark on this journey to have fun-filled learning for your child. We are among the pioneers of Abacus classes in Delhi and the Google reviews from parents and children both is the testimony to our claim that we proudly display on our web portal.

With our online platform today, we have kids from 7 countries so whether you are in Delhi or anywhere else, do not restrict your options. Do your research, get feedback from parents and talk to the trainer before you enroll (whether with us or any other academy). If you do this homework right, you will gain the complete benefits of the Abacus program and this will be the best lifetime gift to your child.

Tanmay Gupta

Tanmay Gupta, a specialist in mathematics, possesses a deep passion for the subject. He has been involved with Mathcruise since its inception and takes pride in being a part of the growing Mathcruise family. Tanmay excels in both Abacus and Vedic Mathematics and is particularly interested in developing innovative methods to effectively engage with children, aiming to eliminate their fear of mathematics.