All About Abacus Training

[Sangeetha]

Hi,

I am looking for a Abacus class in Ang Mo Kio for my son who is 5yrs old.The one from CC is quite far for us.Can anyone suggest the classes in and around AMK.

[jedamum]

veraclari:

she sure can give me an answer after using her \"imaginery abacus\". I'm still monitoring to see how it can help her...

veraclari,
your kid can still visualise. my kid is hopeless at visualising. that's one of the reason we drop abacus as an enrichment. he has to have the numbers written out in front of him before he can process them. :roll:

[veraclari]

Hi Jedamum,


How long have he learnt it before u stopped his class?? My girl took a long while, she joined it as an enrichment at her PAP school - think she's been learning for about 2 years [K1+K2] - the teacher taught her only towards the end of 2nd year.while another teacher i've heard of taught her students when they're into the 4th month of learning! And the student are doing just fine!

So mine's already kinda \"slow\" The teacher really makes a real big difference as to how much the kids learn as well...

[bigmac]

My dd has been learning since she was in K2. She is now P3 and I will be stopping her lesson this coming year end.


I would say it help her alot in her math, such as understanding multiplication, divison, etc.

[Working_Kiasu_Mum]

My elder son did abacus before he was K1, that’s becos he could write numbers to 50 and fill in blanks when I tested him. He only ended mid P1, by then he was doing mental multiplication 4 digits by 1 digit and division for 4 digits by 1. He did very well in his P1 end year exam, tho I was a little afraid that he refused to do working when it comes to computational Qs. But if you emphasize that he needs to show working after mental cal just for checking, the kid will do that.


Actually I would not mind letting him cont if he doesnt have too much enrichment., my hubby says so.

[chixchix]

I am very confused…few days ago when I met my boy’s teacher in K2 now,Modern Montesori …she said not to put in Abacus now as it might confuse the child as both methods are different.

[Picolo]

Working_Kiasu_Mum:

My elder son did abacus before he was K1, that's becos he could write numbers to 50 and fill in blanks when I tested him. He only ended mid P1, by then he was doing mental multiplication 4 digits by 1 digit and division for 4 digits by 1. He did very well in his P1 end year exam, tho I was a little afraid that he refused to do working when it comes to computational Qs. But if you emphasize that he needs to show working after mental cal just for checking, the kid will do that.


Actually I would not mind letting him cont if he doesnt have too much enrichment., my hubby says so.

Hi w_ks_mum,

I suppose your elder son is in P2 this year and so he has stopped abacus for half year? Can he still do the multiplication and division sums using the abacus mtd after stopping the course for more than 6 months? Does he still practise regularly? Did he learn the 1-hand or 2-hand mtd? TIA and sorry, so many questions.

[jedamum]

Usually, how ‘far’ will you let your kid learn abacus up to? I heard usually people stop at P1, but won’t it be a pity? Normal abacus’ fees may be still affordable for long term learning for the sake of interest, but CMA (or other branded ones) are not cheap…and you can’t continue learning them at more affordable institutes (read as community centres) as they use different hand methods. Should that be a consideration when choosing abacus training (1hand, 2 hands, 3G whatever method)?

[Picolo]

I suppose, only the very interested (and they are usu. the very numerically inclined ones) will continue for many years through primary schools. Many kids opt out of abacus when they start primary schools, when their interest for it as well as their parents’ patience dwindle.


After considering long and hard, I finally put ds3 into one of those PCF enrichment class held at night. My friend’s kid has gone through it in K1 and K2 and I think he has benefitted from it. Since ds3 is ready and very interested in numbers, I let him start now so that he can learn for 3 years till end of K2. And till then, if he is still keen, I would be just as keen to let him continue. If it is CMA, it would work out to be a hefty amount after 3 - 4 years.

Whether it is 1-hand or 2-hand method, it seems that the most important is still:
1) the kid’s ability
2) quality of the teacher

I personally feel that so long as we are not sending our kids for competitions, it’s alright to learn a ‘slower’ method. For me, my objective is to let ds3 have the chance at a young age to appreciate numbers more, that’s all.

[buds]

Heyya chixchix,


I agree.

Montessori has their own concrete way of teaching addition
and the other three operations (subtraction, multiplication &
division). The beads used in the Montessori method is good
enuf for tactile learning experience and the worksheets that
entail from the concrete exercises help children put the lesson
learnt into print. Maria Montessori’s quote goes like this…

"What goes through the hand, goes thru the mind…"

Besides, when in P1, children are given marks for workings
done for their sums esp problem sums. And drawings or
diagrams that show how the reach the answer are also given
points. Though its good to be faster in mental calculation, it is
also important to have the patience and the developed-discipline
to do workings by the side.