Learning how to do mental calcualtion can be a long and tough journey.

Parents who are lost can begin using the abacus to improve their number skills.

For level 1 students, young or old, we have classes for them all.
 

I'm the author of this article and I'm a qualified abacus teacher, answering questions from around the world online abacus and various questions from online-soroban.com students.

Table of contents

Abacus was at one time the best calculation technology we had.

It is still widely used by adults and school students alike.

Aside from calculating the arithmetic operations, the abacus also has additional benefits because of which it is still popular and widely used in many school curriculums especially in Japanese schools.
 

 

1-1.Learn How the Abacus for Level 1 Can Be Taught at Home

One of the key advantages of the abacus is that it is so elementary.

It is very easy to get started with and the learning curve isn’t as steep as with many other skills.

So the next question is, what all would you need to get started.

The good news is, the list is short. Let us look at it here: The abacus Your child!

An abacus coursebook or follow guide (optional) You must choose the right kind of abacus.

There is a vertical and horizontal frame abacus.

The horizontal frame abacus is much more suitable for young learners like kindergarten or grade 1 children.

An older student would be comfortable and even benefit more from a horizontal frame abacus.

Next, we have the child. Yes, we will talk about the child too.

You have to be very strict and unbudging in matters of importance and the future of your child is an important matter indeed.

Keep a proper schedule and try not to miss classes.

The last thing you want your child to learn is that breaking continuity is an acceptable thing.

Using Online Soroban’s ISHIDO-SHIKI teaching system can be a helpful guide for parents who are just starting out and learning abacus themselves.

Then we also have the book to take care of.

The books are optional for this but having a book adds a whole new dimension to the learning process.

If you decide to get one for this venture, the abacus books available in the market come in two broad flavors.

We have the Japanese style of abacus and the Chinese style.

A suggested book for the Japanese style is Simple Abacus by Nadia Ouamer, one for Chinese style is Chinese Abacus for Kids by Mr. Paul Green.

Following any of these will surely lead to hours of fun and learning with your child.

 

1-2.Learning About Mental Calculation and Abacus for Level 1

Mental calculations! What every student tries to evade with their best.

The amount of science and technology in use today has made the knowledge and understanding of mathematics a vital tool without which survival is not possible.

Most students are able to handle it though.

Where they tend to fail is the calculation part.

Most tests and exams do not allow the use of calculators which only ends up making it harder.

So the question is, how does one go about learning mental calculations?

There are two totally different approaches that you can take here. 1.

Trick-based system: In this system, you learn the relevant tricks and techniques to solve the numbers faster, in your head.

Courses that follow this structure, generally pick one category of calculation at a time, teach you the technique associated with it, and provide a lot of practice questions.

What it is good for: Learning to solve faster, and improving calculation speed.

Use when you need to appear for an exam or test. 2.

Concept-based system:

This is considered by many the proper method.

Firstly, in this method, all the tricks and techniques of the previous method are included.

What is extra is the explanation part. In this approach, you don’t just have to know the trick and the techniques but also why the trick or technique works.

This will ensure that you do not have to memorize the thing but understand it well.

What is it good for: For a thorough understanding of the concepts and ideas behind mental calculation shortcuts.

Use when you are learning and exploring the world of mathematics.
" Soroban Maths:
No discussion about mental maths can be complete without the mention of Soroban maths.

The Online Soroban is a school that teaches you how your brain can be used as a calculator.

They have been compiled together by numerous soroban teachers for their students.

The lessons and techniques not only cover the tricks but also why they work, so basically a mixed bag of both of the approaches mentioned above.

Definitely consider checking Online Soroban out if you’re looking to learn mental maths.

 

1-3. Benefits and Uses of Abacus for Level 1

The benefits and uses of mental maths are numerous.

As we have discussed before, the scope of science and technology in today’s world is practically limitless and so is the application of mathematics with it.

Let us look at some benefits of learning mental maths:

- An improved sense of number is expressed by learners of mental maths

- Faster calculations.

This one is obvious.

The more you practice it, the faster you become at it.

- Students also express increased confidence when dealing with numbers and problems involving numbers.

- Learners and users of mental maths exhibit an improved sense of decision-making capacity as far as logic-based decisions are concerned.

As we can understand, the benefits of mental maths aren’t just limited to the realm of mathematics but extend far beyond academia, all the way into the personality of the individual.

Next, let us look at some of the popular uses of mental maths:

- Improving your math grade.

This is the number one thing that mental maths is used for.

Students who take mental maths courses tend to show grade improvements in their maths papers.

- Competing in maths competitions.

Maths competitions are held throughout the year.

There are two different types of competitions though.

There are those speed competitions, while we also have the conceptual competitions.

Mental maths shall be beneficial to both situations.

 

Overall  
Maths is an important aspect of our lives.

It controls a major chunk of our lives and is therefore important for us to understand.

Tools like the abacus and mental maths can help make our life easier if we employ them properly.

 

 

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