How Abacus Can Improve Your Child’s Math Skills

Over the years, many parents have shown interest in enrolling their children in abacus classes. Abacus is an age-old method of calculation used by ancient traders. Today, it has evolved into a methodology to improve the brain power of children and sharpen their math skills.

Abacus is a calculator that resembles a toy. So, it is known to capture the interest of children much faster. The tool is divided into two regions – upper and lower. It has a rod (called a bar) in the centre which separates both regions. It also has colourful beads which can be moved. The tool helps the user to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. These days, digital versions of the abacus are also available on the internet but the traditional tool is still the preferred one.

Benefits of Abacus for Children

• Activates Brain Sensors

Abacus requires children to use their hands to move the beads and do the calculations. They have to use their eyes to focus on the beads. They have to use their brain to think. These movements and visuals activate their brain sensors faster. It also improves their hand-eye coordination.

• Helps in Visualization

With good practice, children can imagine the abacus in their minds and do the math problems. They can perform all calculations with speed.

• Eliminates Maths Phobia

Many children fear maths as a subject and often end up making silly mistakes. The errors worsen their fear further. However, the abacus makes it easy to do math accurately and shoo away all their inhibitions for numbers.

• Improves Memory

Children have to use their left and right side of the brain in equal measures while working on the abacus. Their mind gets trained to do physical and logical work at the same time. This helps to improve their memory from an early age.

• Hone Observational Power

Abacus calls for intense concentration to look at the beads and calculate the numbers in their minds. It is useful in enriching their observations skills and become more mindful about their surroundings, emotions or people.

• Aids in Learning for Dyslexic Children

Abacus is a very effective resource of learning for dyslexic children. It helps them overcome difficulties that they face with numbers and math subject due to their learning disability. Unlike conventional maths which requires the child to follow a specific set of instructions, Abacus encourages dyslexic children to process the numbers easily and quickly.

Pre-Requisites for Learning Abacus

The ideal age for children to learn abacus is 5-6 years or as soon as they can count up to 100. At this age, they also have better motor skills to move the beads confidently. However, there is no strict rule to follow this age criterion. You can introduce your kids to abacus as early as 3-4 years for fun purpose and gradually train them to play with numbers.

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