FAQs

1. How does learning Mental Arithmetic help with school mathematics?
2. What's the best time for a child to start learning?
3. How can CMA help to increase a child's intelligence?
4. Why must one learns abacus while calculators and computers are available for computing numbers in the world today?
5. Why is Mental Arithmetic important?
6. What is the difference for abacus teaching between then and now?
7. What are the advantages of learning CMA abacus mental arithmetic?


1. How does learning Mental Arithmetic help with school mathematics?

For a child to do well in Mathematics, he needs to develop his abilities in calculation. Learning Abacus-Mental Arithmetic can quickly enhance his competency in calculation. Professor Huang Guo Rong, from National ChangHua University of Education, Taiwan, who studies the effect of Abacus Mental Arithmetic education on the children’s academic performance in areas of mathematical abilities and comprehensibility and reports these startling discoveries:

• Children who have undergone mental arithmetic classes achieved far better results than other students (who have not taken part in such trainings) in the following: comprehensibility, mathematical abilities (including recognizing and understanding mathematical concepts, calculating abilities, mathematical problem solving skills), mathematical performance and IQ results.
• Students who have had one to two years of training in mental arithmetic are found to possess a better grasp of mathematical concepts, calculation and are more efficient in solving mathematical problems than those who have less than one year’s training. Students with more than two year’s training show even better results. Thus this indicates that the longer and the deeper a child is exposed to such training the better will be his mathematical abilities.

2. What's the best time for a child to start learning?

• The best period to start our course is when a child starts writing numbers from 0 to 9. Children from late kindergarten to primary one or two have the best learning and absorbing brain power (with reference to The Stages of Development of the Brain), it is the best time for nurturing the brain’s abilities and a critical stage when a child can start to grasp mathematical concepts.
  
• Mental Arithmetic provides the fundamental training in mathematical and calculation concepts. It is also this stage where the child’s school work is lighter; parents should seize this opportunity to encourage the child to attend this program. This will in turn build a stronger foundation for their future education endeavors.

The Stages of Development of the Brain:

• 3 years old: The brain would have expected to grow up to 60%, therefore a child has the strongest absorbing power.
• 3 to 6 years old: The brain has grown a further 20%. The learning and absorbing power is not as strong as in a 3-year old. However, the child will obtain astonishing results if he is provided with more foundations.
• 6 to 8 years old: The brain has grown a further 10%, the child must put in tremendous effort if he starts learning at this age.
• After 8 years: If a child starts learning at this age, it is rather difficult for the child achieve good results, He has to work harder with more disciplined.

3. How can CMA help to increase a child's intelligence?

CMA not only improves a child's calculating ability and his/her understanding of arithmetic, but also helps build his memory power, creativity, concentration level, listening skill, as well as the ability to analyze problem. Our aim is to develop a child's passion for arithmetic and build their confidence with school work and life in general.

By stimulating both the left and the right sides of the brain during the training process, experts believe that abacus and image abacus training is the key to optimal learning capability.

4. Why must one learns abacus while calculators and computers are available for computing numbers in the world today?

Although calculators and computers have replaced human brain in computing numbers, learning the abacus provides children with a lifetime skill which they can use and helps with total brain development. Using the abacus requires co-ordination of the main nerves in the human body such as sight, sound and finger movements which will induce growth of brain cells. The mind undergoes three main stages of development namely: physical contact, logical explanation and visualization. The abacus acts a medium in connecting these three stages throughout this process. More than 80% of the world population is right-handed and these people will normally have more developed left brain, and a less developed right brain. While the creativity side of the right brain is more than a thousand times than that of the left brain, learning abacus will help stimulate the development of the right brain at an early age.

5. Why is Mental Arithmetic important?

Arithmetic is remarkably important for helping young children build up a solid academic foundation. Teachers who work with young children know that it is not easy to introduce the concept of numbers and their values. It takes a long period of time for young children to comprehend the concepts of mathematics when presented only in the abstract form. To understand in abstract means using nothing but brain power to solve problems. It is difficult for children to comprehend numeric relationships without using concrete objects, therefore it is easier for children to understand when they use abacus beads to relate to numeric values.

Learning how to compute numbers mentally is equally important, as it will effectively tap the unexploited parts of the brain and therefore promotes overall intelligence. The practice of mental arithmetic will sharpen the imaginative and memory power. According to a scientific research, a child who lacks good mental formation can experience a sharp decline in mental abilities even as early as the age of 20. On the other hand, a child who receives this formation by the age of 12 will continue to remain brilliant even up to the age of 70.

6. What is the difference for abacus teaching between then and now?

Conventional abacus lessons used only a 'single hand' method in their teaching (usually the right hand). As a result, only one side (i.e. left side) of the brain is stimulated and the right side of the brain is ignored. Most conventional abacus lessons uses a '2/5' abacus (i.e. 2 beads on the top and 5 beads on the bottom), whereas CMA uses a '1/4' abacus (i.e. 1 bead on the top and 4 beads on the bottom) in our training process.

7. What are the advantages of learning CMA abacus mental arithmetic?

• Improve accuracy and speed of computing skill and logical reasoning.
• Build stronger memory power.
• Promote longer concentration span.
• Enhance imaginary skills or photographic memory.
• Create higher learning capability and self-esteem.
• Increase the level and speed of understanding (comprehension).
• Have better sense of observation/visualization power.
• Sharpen sound judgment/hearing skill.