Abacus

What is 2347 + 7895? Looking up your smartphone or calculator? Did you know that a six-year-old can figure this out within few seconds without the use of a material aid? That’s the power of abacus training.

There are many ways to teach numbers and math to kids. Some can be fun and exciting and some can be just plain boring. The abacus is a calculating tool that may be as old as 2700–2300 BC. It has been used for centuries and is still widely in Asia, Africa, and elsewhere. It also happens to be a great tool to teach numbers and arithmetic to kids. It has colorful beads to make learning exciting and fun while reinforcing concepts through the child's sense of touch. The abacus is also great because it can be used to teach simple math—like counting, addition, and subtraction—as well as more complex operations like multiplication and division.

Abacus has been called the ‘first computer’. It consists of a frame, rods, and beads, with each rod representing a different place value. Each of the beads represents a number, and can be moved along the rods. Abacus techniques are among the fastest ways of doing calculations, especially those involving large numbers.

For the last two decades, abacus has gained popularity as a complete brain development tool, especially for young children. Abacus aids math teachers by making the teaching experience fun and effective.