The future of innovation in many industries will involve math. Some of the most lucrative professions in finance, information technology, and even research will require a command in mathematics. Unfortunately, many students are often scared of math and try to steer clear from it as they pursue higher education. Their fear is often justified by their poor performance in math exams throughout their elementary, middle and high school careers.

However, the key to conquering this phobia is a firm grounding in the fundamentals of basic computational skills. The editorial “Do the Math in Your Head!” published on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics website states, “Mental math provides both tools for solving problems and filters for evaluating answers. When a student has strong mental math skills, he or she can quickly test different approaches to a problem and determine whether the resulting path will lead toward a viable solution.” Thus, higher math becomes more manageable with mental arithmetic as time constraints and increasingly complex problems become frequent on exams.

Fundamentals are important when trying to master any skill. A basketball player, for example, must be able to dribble and lay up the basketball before he can dunk. Similarly, a student must be able to compute and be comfortable with numbers before being able to master abstract math concepts. 

Recent studies have shown that using an abacus, an ancient mathematical tool, may actually be the key to developing and improving a young student’s ability to do mathematics. Considered to be the predecessor of the computer and calculator, the article, “The Ripple Effects and the Future Prospects of Abacus Learning” by Professor Shizuko Amaiwa of Shinshu University has concluded that abacus users have three “ripple effects” that affect a variety of other disciplines.

1) The first effect is an improvement in numerical memory where abacus users were more successful at reciting three to nine digit numbers forwards and backwards when compared to non-abacus users of the same age. The article explains that, “This is because abacus students place numbers on the abacus image in their head as they mentally calculate with the abacus method.” This makes it easier to remember numbers.

2) Second, abacus users were better than non-abacus users of the same age when it came to memorizing spatial arrangement where students were asked to memorize the location of dots located at the, “intersection point of squares made with 3 to 5 lines in both vertical and horizontal directions.” They were then asked to recreate the “picture” by locating where the dots were from memory on a blank square. It can be argued that the training students got at memorizing the abacus image improved the student’s sensitivity to spatial arrangement.

3) Finally, beginner abacus students were better at calculating single digit calculations. Consequently the, “Accurate and rapid calculation of one-digit numbers was found to lead to better marks in multi-digit mathematical calculation, which further led to better marks on word problems and fill-in-the-blank problems.” Furthermore, abacus learners were better when it came to other types of math problems such as comparing numbers and estimating answers in multiple choice questions. Thus, young abacus learners do well in math when compared to non-abacus users.

The positive benefits of this is that many students are able to memorize pages of textbooks and are able to utilize their right brain in ways that most students cannot. Right brain development is extremely important because it affects intuition, visualization, imagination, creativity, artistic ability, and photographic memory.

Critical exams such as the SATs which often determine the fate of hopeful high school students trying to matriculate into the college of their dreams hinges on excellent math and verbal scores. Those students who can perform mental arithmetic with ease are able to work quicker and more effectively on the math sections of standardized exams. Thus, the ancient mathematical tool invented by the Salamis, labeled by Mesopotamians, improved by the Greek scholar Tetramachus, and used in China for more than 900 years to aid in basic computation holds the key to improving the brain’s development.



ALOHA (Abacus Learning of Higher Arithmetic) offers courses all over the tristate area in Mind Math. ALOHA teaching methodology is based on mental arithmetic using the abacus. Initially, we train the children in arithmetic with the use of an abacus. This training enhances a child’s ability to visualize, focus and calculate without the aid of calculator, abacus, or pen and paper. The child will be able to calculate with speed and accuracy using his own focusing power and can even surpass the speed of a calculator. The finely structured syllabus prepared by ALOHA curriculum development department, helps the children to learn mind math quickly and effortlessly. Contact Director Venkatesh Brahmadesam for more information.







Thanks to Venkatesh Brahmadesam for contributing this article to our Homeschooling blog:

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