Is Abacus Good For Your Child? Or Is it Just All Hype?

Let me tell you a story.

My nephew was in 5th grade when my sister and her husband decided to move to the USA. Although a bright, curious child, my nephew struggled with mathematics.

I am saying bright because he was unbelievable in some very difficult hobbies. He beat my father in chess and also solved the Rubik’s cube with some help, both of which I thought were excellent.

As he was already lagging behind in math, when they moved there, it got worse. He was all confused and irritated during math classes. The teacher would call up my sister every week and show concern.

My sister was all worried and hired private tutors. But, nothing was helping. Then, my dad, an old school person, suggested that they push everything aside and enroll in an abacus course.

To all of our surprise, my nephew got better at solving math problems. It took around three years when he began scoring decent marks.

And two years back, he appeared for the SAT. You know what? He scored a total of 1300. It was unbelievable for all of us.

Now, back to your question. Is abacus good for your child?

Yes, using an abacus is highly beneficial for every child.

How is an Abacus Good For Your Child?

Is abacus a magical device? Is it going to instantly turn your child into a genius?

If you are asking me the above questions, dear friend, I am sorry I have to say no. However, practicing math on abacus benefits your child in the long run. Consider it as a long-term-investment.

Learning Abacus Reduces Math Anxiety

Let’s go down the memory lane. 

Remember how some of your classmates were good at math from the beginning and some always lagged behind?

Now, also try to recall how the ones good at math always had fun while solving the classwork and the ones that were terrible at math feared anything related to math.

According to a survey, students who perform poorly are more likely to be suffering from math anxiety. You might be wondering, what is math anxiety? 

Math anxiety refers to the phobia or anxiety issues related to one’s ability to solve mathematical problems.

In simple words, if your child is suffering from math anxiety, they detest math. If it’s possible, they will run away from math as far as possible. To be honest, even I was a math-fearing kid at school.

While math anxiety can be for various reasons–social, academic, and cognitive issues; you can help your child reduce math anxiety by teaching abacus.

In a research article published in National Journal of Physiology, Pharmacy and Pharmacology, scholars argued the positive effects of using an abacus should be considered at schools to fight math anxiety.

In short, an abacus trained child is more likely to suffer from math anxiety than their peers.

Using an Abacus Helps Building a Better Mathematical Foundation

Many parents question themselves before buying an abacus course. In fact, my sister and her husband were also doubtful. And, why won’t they be? 

After all, the abacus is an ancient calculator, in which you can conduct the basic mathematical operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

When you have access to a scientific calculator, why would you teach your child to use a centuries old calculator?  

The answer is simple: learning abacus strengthens your mathematical skills. 

When your child will begin their mathematical journey, most likely they will be nervous. Initially, even the basic multiplication and division seems challenging for them.

For instance, you are teaching your child the multiplication table of 9. And they are memorizing 9×8=72

What did you and I do as children?

We also memorized but reluctantly, half-heartedly. It’s an academic chore and your child will memorize it too.

But, aren’t we the new-generation cool parents? 

Why not turn it into a fun activity with an abacus? Give your child the counting frame and show them using the beads how 9 times 8 is 72.

Trust me on this; once you teach them how to do the basic math operations on an abacus, it will help them to understand the problems. Thus, it will help them build a better foundation for their mathematical journey in the future.

 

Abacus Learning is the First-Step towards Mental Math

Again, many of us still consider basic math operations as basic. After all, it’s just multiplication and division, right? 

Now, let’s skip to 8 years into the future. Imagine your child is appearing for a competitive exam and they are solving a problem that involves multiplying 4 digit numbers.

What would they do? Try to find a calculator? Try to figure it out on the rough page? 

Either way, it’s going to take some very important minutes. You know, what would be the best?

If only they close their and magically come up with answers and save those precious minutes!

Interestingly, abacus trained children can multiply four digit numbers in their minds. It’s called mental math–the ability to solve mathematical problems in mind.

If you train your child with an abacus, they will also learn to multiply and divide bigger numbers in their minds without using any calculator or wasting any time.

Using an Abacus Has Cognitive Benefits

When someone asks me if an abacus is good for children, usually I don’t reply with yes or no. Instead, I tell them about the benefits of using an abacus.

According to several studies conducted on the positive effects of abacus learning, abacus trained people show improvement in cognitive abilities, such as solving mathematical problems, creativity, auditory and photographic memory, working memory, etc.

In simple words, if your child takes up abacus courses seriously, they will grow to become smart, creative, intuitive, and rational human beings.

Isn’t it every parent’s dream? My point is, even if you don’t get to see positive results immediately, keep encouraging your little one to learn how to use the counting frame.

As I said earlier, consider learning how to use this ancient calculator as a long-term investment. It doesn’t only help improve mathematical skills, but also helps kids grow into individuals with better personality traits.

Read more about Abacus

FAQs

How effective is abacus in one’s career?

Learning an abacus affects one’s career in indirect ways by enhancing critical thinking, creativity, and concentration. It also improves life skills, such as decision making and problem-solving skills, which will help you make better decisions and advance in your career. On top of that, you acquire excellent mathematical skills and become an expert in mental math.  

Does abacus learning help brain development for kids? Do modern parents want kids to learn abacus?

Yes, abacus learning enhances brain development in kids. So, more and more modern parents are opting for abacus training for their kids.

It boosts growth of both the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Therefore, abacus trained children tend to learn thinking rationally and creatively before their peers. 

What is the disadvantage of abacus?

The only disadvantage of abacus is that you can’t conduct advanced mathematics, such as calculus on it. 

Is Vedic math better than abacus?

I think both Vedic math and abacus have their advantages. While Vedic math is a set of formulae, abacus is a calculating device.

If you want to learn mathematical tricks, then Vedic math is better for you. But if you want to learn mental math, then abacus is a better option.

Which is better: Chinese or Japanese abacus? 

Firstly, every type of abacus has derived from the Chinese abacus, suanpan. And secondly, the Japanese abacus, soroban, is the modern version of Chinese abacus.

Although both of the models are quite similar, there’s a little difference. The suanpan had 2+5 beads combination and the modern suanpan aka soroban has 1+4 beads combination.

Conclusion

Receiving a professional abacus training at an early age comes with unbelievable perks. It will boost your child’s confidence and enhance cognitive development.

Therefore, my answer is YES. Using an abacus at the initial stage is good for your child. Abacus has several pros and cons, but I assure you that it is not the hype. Surveys and Research Papers have time and again proved that using abacus at school provides better results.