| How can you nurture your child's mind and help | | | | reason children in these countries consistently win |
| succeed in math? | | | | top rankings in international math comparisons. |
| Learn how you can teach your child to do | | | | In 2003, U.S. performance in mathematics literacy |
| mathematical calculations using a remarkable | | | | and problem solving was lower than the average |
| educational tool - the abacus. An abacus is an | | | | performance for most OECD (Organization for |
| ancient Asian calculating tool that helps modern | | | | Education and Cooperative Development) |
| students as young as age 4 or 5 master essential | | | | countries. Korea and Japan ranked at or near the |
| math skills they will retain and use all their lives. | | | | top in problem solving and combined math literacy. |
| Math proficiency gives students a competitive | | | | You can incorporate easy, enjoyable abacus |
| edge and prepares them for tomorrow's highly | | | | instruction into your child's free time or |
| selective job marketplace. Most new jobs require | | | | home-schooling curriculum with Learning |
| good math and science skills, and our Learning | | | | Mathematics with the Abacus, a set of books |
| Mathematics with the Abacus instruction program | | | | developed specifically for teaching youngsters in |
| is an excellent way to prepare your child for | | | | grades 2, 3 and 4. We offer these books along |
| future career success. | | | | with the Japanese Soroban abacus, which consists |
| With abacus instruction, you can help your child | | | | of a wooden frame divided into 2 parts separated |
| achieve more than just math skills. You can boost | | | | by a beam, with one row of beads on the upper |
| your child's confidence, provide a sense of | | | | deck, and four rows on the lower deck. |
| achievement, promote intuitive thinking, enhance | | | | Learning Mathematics with the Abacus is available |
| problem-solving capability, enhance creativity, and | | | | in the United States exclusively through our web |
| improve concentration and mental endurance. | | | | site, The books contain simple step-by-step |
| When children use both hands to move the beads | | | | instructions that make learning the abacus fun for |
| in small and large arithmetic calculations, there is | | | | children. Beginners use the Learning Mathematics |
| quick communication between the hands and the | | | | with the Abacus Year 1 textbook and activity |
| brain that stimulates both the right and left | | | | book to start adding and subtracting numbers up |
| hemispheres of the brain. This promotes rapid, | | | | to 100. They start by identifying the different |
| balanced whole brain development. | | | | parts of the abacus, holding and using it correctly, |
| In Japan, educators maintain that the abacus helps | | | | mastering the correct fingering technique in |
| children develop powers of mental calculation. It | | | | moving the beads, and learning to visualize as |
| enables children to: | | | | they calculate. |
| - understand the base-ten number system and | | | | The Learning Mathematics with the Abacus Year |
| place values, | | | | 2 textbook focuses on addition and subtraction of |
| - understand concepts of carrying and borrowing | | | | numbers up to 1,000, and develops multiplication |
| in arithmetic, and | | | | and division skills. |
| - visualize close relations between numbers and | | | | These books are used by tens of thousands of |
| numerals. The abacus is an excellent substitute for | | | | students in Malaysia and many other nations. They |
| rote memorization of multiplication tables. Abacus | | | | are regarded as the best abacus learning books |
| calculation relies on the manipulation of beads | | | | for children on the market. Activities in these |
| rather than use of traditional arithmetic. It teaches | | | | books have been carefully designed and |
| children to visualize numbers and their relationships | | | | structured by our panel of academicians, |
| and placement values. | | | | curriculum specialists and instructional designers to |
| Many schools in Asia, where abacus instruction is | | | | ensure that pupils not only learn mathematics |
| widely popular for teaching mental math | | | | effectively, but also develop the ability to perform |
| arithmetic, introduce the abacus between | | | | mental calculations. |
| kindergarten and 4th grade. If a child starts | | | | Find out more on why our books are becoming |
| learning the abacus before being taught traditional | | | | increasingly popular in many countries like Malaysia, |
| arithmetic, there is minimal conflict and the child | | | | the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, |
| will easily work within both systems. If a child | | | | Canada, India, Japan, Korea, Singapore and many |
| starts the program later, having already received | | | | more. They have become valuable teaching tools |
| traditional foundations, there may be a slightly | | | | in schools, tuition centers and community centers, |
| extended learning period for the child to accept | | | | and are used by home-schooling parents around |
| and integrate the abacus method. | | | | the world. |
| Educators in Asia say abacus skills are a key | | | | |