The Benefits and Significance of Abacus Education
Most people have heard about the abacus and its use for arithmetic operations. In this modern era, there has been a gradual decline in the use of traditional methods in various domains. With technological advancements, most people today use modern gadgets and devices for mathematical operations.
Although such devices have significance, using them from the beginning can hamper a child’s cognitive abilities. The abacus education is an old tool for counting and computation that dates back to 16th- and 17th-century China. It involved a wooden frame with vertical rods or wires with moveable beads. With time, the abacus has evolved and has many advanced versions. Recently, it has gained popularity for enhancing mental computation skills.
Important significance and benefits of abacus
Abacus has many advantages, one of which is that it helps children better understand the basic mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. An abacus involves calculating by moving beads, providing a visual medium.
When one learns a skill or a lesson through visual representation, they can remember it much better in the long run than when learned through any other medium. Such hands-on experience with visual representation helps students grasp the concept of fundamental arithmetic operations quickly. In addition to better arithmetic computation skills, abacus also fosters one’s critical thinking abilities.
As one indulges in doing operations by manipulating the beads and calculating mentally, two cognitive pathways start working, which enhance one’s problem-solving as well as planning skills that will benefit one in all aspects of one’s life.
Here are some of the significant benefits of learning the abacus:
Increased attention span
Abacus can also have a positive impact on one’s attention span. As students learning abacus maths need to count beads and position them accurately, more focus and attention are required. With regular practice, the abacus ensures a better attention span, which helps the students in mathematical operations and other fields of study.
Improved brain functioning
The abacus is a well-known tool for increasing brain functioning and processing speed. Abacus helps to improve the functioning of two vital cognitive processes: working memory and long-term memory. As it uses a visual medium, information is processed much faster than it would have been if it were through reading or listening. Moreover, the abacus stimulates all sensory faculties: visual perception, motor behaviour, movement control, and auditory processing.
Fosters photographic memory
Photographic memory refers to the ability to accurately remember or recall sounds, images, and other sensory experiences. It has been found that those who practice abacus have a better or heightened photographic memory. An abacus stimulates the brain’s left and right hemispheres, resulting in better sensory stimuli perception.
Improves auditory and visual skills
Abacus is an excellent tool for those who find it difficult to process information through their mind and body. It stimulates both brain hemispheres, resulting in better sensory processing. Students learn to recall numbers by listening to and repeating them accurately. They also need to remember the place for each digit on the abacus, as the position of the beads indicates the numbers. As a result, the abacus helps improve visual and auditory skills in both auditory and visual mediums.
Better multitasking skills
Given children’s hectic schedules, they often find it difficult to multitask. As competition is on the rise, fostering one’s multitasking abilities is essential. Abacus is an excellent tool for enhancing one’s multitasking skills. Abacus helps them learn to shift from one task to another without shifting their brain gears.
Fosters observation skills
As the abacus uses a visual medium of learning, one needs to focus on the patterns of the beads and think about possible ways to reach a solution. This results in improved observation skills.
Therefore, when deciding whether an abacus education is worth your time, the answer is always yes, as it has the above-mentioned benefits. Given its increased popularity in the recent past, several abacus institutions have been established. Among many such institutions, Semas Abacus is a great place for abacus learning. It is a renowned institution for learning Abacus Education.
Final Words
Semas Abacus aims for the overall brain development of their students, which would help them flourish in several domains apart from arithmetic operations. Here, you will find several courses from which you can choose a course according to your aptitude.
