Abacus Training

[sb1201]

KL's post regarding Singapore math really got me thinking about using an abacus with my older kids. I found this website: http://www.syuzan.net/english/brain/brain.html#amaiwa

It shows some evidence that learning to use the abacus for mental math really stimulates the use of the right brain as opposed to the left, where calculations are normally thought out.

I haven't a clue as to how to use an abacus however   So I've been doing some research and found some great info but I was wondering if any of you had any insight on fun ways to present this to a 5, 8 and 10 year old.

I found a program called "Learn Mathematics with the Abacus" Its a textbook and activity book geared for kids. But as we al know everything costs money

[KL]

thanks for that - looks very interesting!! (karma to you!)

Will certainly check it out, and expand on our Math section if appropriate!

[edward johnson]

I can help teaching Abacus I am an abacus instructor,but i dont know how to teach on screen

[sb1201]

Thanks Kl!

Wow, that's really interesting Edward. How long have you been instructing with the Abacus? Do you do it in a school setting or home based? Sorry for all the questions I'm now just wondering if I should look around in my area to see if anyone would be interested in giving me a few lessons.

[DomanMom]

I was homeschooled and we always had an abacus in the house but I never learned how to use it. I googled it and pulled up this video on youtube. It's very simple but of course it would take some practice to be able to use it with any kind of speed. But just thought I'd share this link with you all to give a six-minute definition of the basic functions of this calculation tool.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/CvsnftXXKdw&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/CvsnftXXKdw&rel=1</a>

[edward johnson]

I have been instructing in schools for 5-years.

[sb1201]

That was a great quick explanation. Thanks! I wonder if it would be better to use the Japanese version since it doesn't have the extra beads to think about?

[KL]

Thanks for that video, Liz! I finally know how an abacus works!! 

I remember you posted a video showing Japanese kids doing math using a 'mental abacus' - that was an incredible video too (perhaps you can repost it here again?), and that suggests to me also incredible powers of mental visualization in order to be able to imagine using the abacus and remembering where the beads finally ended up at!  And in that case, yes that would suggest right-brain ability being used there!

[DomanMom]

Yes, here is that video that I posted. I also find it very fascinating and, yes, it says a lot for the power of visualization (like, the same reason tiny kids can do math, they can actually "see" the numbers. So, "seeing" the beads being manipulated in your head does wonders for calculation skills).

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/EueFhYZ4HxI&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/EueFhYZ4HxI&rel=1</a>

This video was originally posted in http://forum.brillkids.com/teaching-your-child-math/2-year-old-lose-ability/msg7479/#msg7479

[sb1201]

Their mental math ability is amazing! I showed my son this video and he thought the boy must be cheating  :tongue2:  I think it got him excited about learning it though.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Px_hvzYS3_Y&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Px_hvzYS3_Y&rel=1</a>

[DomanMom]

Wow sb1201! That video is way better than the one I found! Karma to you! It was really neat to see those young kids adding up those numbers like that, and reassuring that it only takes about two years of practice to be able to do that in your head. I can imagine that a child who begins at three could easily be doing these kind of calculations by age seven or earlier, if it was a part of his everyday life and turned into a game.

After seeing this, I would heartily recommend the abacus method to anyone who missed the cut-off age for the dot cards. Now if only we had someone who knows a good method of instruction. Edward Johnson, any hints for how to teach?

[sb1201]

Thanks, Domanmom!

I'm completely sold on the Soroban, the Japanese version of the abacus. I did find this company in Japan that sells some nice looking colorful plastic ones, which I think would be more enticing for children...

http://www.soroban.com/index_eng.html

It also has a lot of good info about using the soroban, it even has an online interactive one you can try out. They also list soroban schools throughout the world, so I guess if you are lucky enough to live in one of those areas that would be benificial. I, however, do not 

I'm also looking into an online course http://mathsecret.com/ph/eng/ which is supposedly good for children and adults alike. But they really just don't give a whole lot of info about their program so I'm still looking into it.

I think I have a pretty good understanding of how to display the numbers, thanks to the first video Domanmom posted, however it's solving the equations that I'm still unsure of.

[DomanMom]

Thanks for that website, sb1201. It looks like it has a lot of great information and products on there.

When I went to that site I noticed that one thing that they sold was an 100-bead abacus, the kind that we are most familiar with (they usually have these in preschools, kindergarten, etc.). It said "The Slavonic abacus is an ideal apparatus for introducing the initial understanding of what numbers are to partitioning, times tables, number bonds, number patterns etc. in a very physical way. This abacus is the complete solution for learning number sense."

I thought I would mention this considering that I just advocated the use of the Soroban in teaching little ones math. However, a 100-bead abacus is important in the beginning to develop in a child a "number sense". The ones sold on that site are they same type of abacus that is sold by Right Start (http://www.alabacus.com/). I have heard about Right Start from several Doman parents who started late and highly recommended it.

It is a special type of abacus because it enables you to visually, at a glance, see how many numbers there are. The rows are split into two different colors, half blue, half yellow. That way you can instantly see "seven" or "nine" beads without counting (because we can perceive quantities up to five with excellent accuracy). The first five rows are half blue, half yellow but then the last five rows are half yellow, half blue. This way you can easily perceive "fifty" and "seventy seven" without counting. Since this probably doesn't make a bit of sense just by trying to verbally describe it, I have attached a picture below.

So, in addition to making the recommendation to go with a Soroban to teach your child math, I will also make the recommendation to begin (if your child is three or older when you start) with a 100-bead abacus that is color coded like the picture below so that your child will NOT have the handicap of counting all the time. Once a kid has a well-developed number sense, you can graduate to the Soroban. Thanks again so much sb1201 for posting all of this information, I think that it has given parents of older mathematicians hope that they're not doomed to life with a calculator!

[KL]

sb1201 - thanks for that EXCELLENT video! Anyone who hasn't watched it yet, make sure you do - highly recommended!!

Wow, it just shows what the human mind is capable of doing!

I think that whether or not an abacus (or even abacus method) is ultimately a useful or practical tool in life, just the fact that it helps develop mental imaging powers is already more than good enough a reason to learn it!!

btw, how do you use it for multiplication and division??

[nohayo]

WOW !!! I wish this would be available outside Japan !!! Does anyone know of any classes in other places? Say, UK for example?

Also, how do u combine this with doman...just do both, doman when your baby is younger and this when they are older?

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