I was in an Asian bookstore in the Seattle International District the other day when I saw a copy of the Abacus Math program, mathabacus.com. I'd seen abacus math classes offered at a local community learning center and had noted it as an alternative to memorizing math facts and multiplication tables or using an electronic calculator.
The standard abacus is essentially a counting tool. It can be used to perform addition, subtraction, division and multiplication and extract square-roots and cubic roots.
Benefits of Learning Abacus
According to the Japanese Abacus Math School (JAMS), jamsportland.com, children who learn the abacus (also known as soroban):
- use their whole brain to solve problems;
- generally achieve higher academic performance in all subjects because of the concentration skills the abacus teaches them; and
- are simply more capable of looking at a problem and working it out mentally before diving in.
JAMS and other proponents of abacus training believe that the abacus is better than a calculator, because the abacus improves concentration skills and fosters both left and right brain activity.
Build Your Own LEGO Abacus
The Abacus Math program uses a specific style of abacus with an upper and lower deck, but any abacus can be used to develop understanding of math concepts skills. In a standard two-deck abacus, beads in the upper deck each have a value of 5. Beads in the lower deck each have a value of 1.
Your child can build a LEGO abacus by following instructions with images. The activity is recommended for ages 7 and up. An LDRAW file for Bricksmith is available for download for those who have the software.
A brief introduction and instructions for using the abacus is provided in Abacus: The Art of Calculating with Beads.
Subha Ekambaram provided tips for using a basic abacus counting frame to learn math concepts. Ekambaram pointed out that young children instinctively learn math (i.e., through touch and feel) much before a formal introduction to math concepts. The abacus can aid this process.
More Unconventional Math Learning Resources
- Unschooling math is about approaching math skills development in a variety of ways.
- Interactive online math games engage children in math adventures.
- The Life of Fred math series of quirky and engaging math books may appeal to kids who learn through narrative and story.
- Play with cuisenaire rods, Moebius Noodles, and other math manipulatives for hands-on learning.
Children who learn through hands-on, visual, story, or multiple learning styles can choose from these unconventional ways to learn math in an engaging and enjoyable way that makes sense.
Sara McGrath - Sara is a veteran homeschool mom of three, Usborne consultant, and the author of Unschooling: A Lifestyle of Learning.
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