Learning Abacus

Mummy has always been amazed by how a child fiddle with abacus and get answers within seconds, most of the time faster than using a calculator.  So abacus lesson has always been on mummy's A list .. the question is when? Besides being amazed by the ability of abacus, mummy have seen and heard enough of little children struggling to learn mathematics and multiplication tables when they attend primary school.  So do I want my child and myself to go through the same old journey?  Probably not.

When My First Skool offered abacus as additional lesson, I signed her up immediately as it is held during school hours. Few months into the program, we only got back the abacus book once and only upon request. When we asked Kaelyn about abacus, she could not articulate it. She could do simple addition only by counting fingers.

Finally mummy decided to pull her out from the lesson and started her after school abacus lessons at CMA despite some objections.  The concern about learning abacus is that Kaelyn may get too smart with maths and will not dutifully write out the steps to the answers.  Well, obviously I'm a little concern but believe we can worked that out when the time comes.

Mummy has heard rave reviews about CMA which uses both hands to fiddle the abacus (most school uses 1 hand only).  Teacher said every school has its own method and it is best for us to stop the other abacus lesson so as not to confuse her.  Kaelyn started with single digit and identifying the numbers display on the abacus.  Then slowly add in more digits, and then doing additions and subtractions. Within the first few weeks she is able to do simple additions.  Here's what the beads represents:

She reinforces her classroom learning by doing weekly homework, watching 5-min DVD, listening to her CD filled with different abacus songs and occassionally doing some online challenges.  Her lessons will also comprise some songs from the same CD which will helped them to remember the multiplication table through songs.  Here's an example of how to use abacus eg .5+ 1:

So we now know the abacus has 5+4 points (total 9 beads) on each column so how does one adds up 6+9 then?  That is where the formula or 口诀 comes in... in order to add 9, you have to remember to minus 1 plus 10.  Lost?  Hahaha.. Here's her homework:

Identifying numbers on the abacus (now into the millions)

Applying the +6 formula (+6's formula - minus 4 plus 10).  See the question formed by Stars - left column are the tens..there are 2 beads so total 20.  Right column shows 4 beads so the abacus is 24. 

To solve the question of 24+6, she has to move 4 stars on the right colum down and add 1 star up to the left column

Some of the questions she did it mentally (without using the abacus) and very quickly.  In fact, mummy has to learn at the same time in order to supervise her homework.  The journey of learning abacus has been quite enlightening for mummy.  Here's an interesting video of abacus by CMA .  Interested, please let me know cos both parties will get referral discounts. 

Keep up the good work Kaelyn!