FAQ - Abacus Mental Arithmetic

FAQAnswer all of your questions

ABOUT CMA PROGRAMME

1. How is CMA Programme taught?

The most effective strategies for learning abacus mental arithmetic are incorporated into every session in a fun and engaging way by means of multimedia teaching. Using memory games, lots of hands-on activities, songs, individual and group challenges, and supplementary on-line practices, young children and even adults will gradually be able to perform speedy mental calculations.

2. What are the advantages of learning CMA abacus mental arithmetic?

CMA abacus mental arithmetic gives children a structured way to practise calculation, focus, memory and visualisation. Children learn on a dual-hand, four-finger abacus, then gradually picture the beads in their mind to calculate without it. Lessons are designed to practise:

Calculation: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, on the abacus and mentally
Focus: structured, hands-on activities, with a maximum class size of 8 in the Kindy Programme
Memory: memory games and listening-based (aural) mental arithmetic practice
Visualisation: moving from the physical abacus to an imagined one
Progression: clear levels, from Foundation to Dan

3. What is the difference between the twice-a-week programme and once-a-week programme?

The content of the abacus mental arithmetic curriculum that needs to be mastered is the same for twice-a-week programme and once-a-week programme. However, students who attend the twice-a-week programme will progress faster as they gain more guidance from the trainers and their brains become more stimulated.

4. Why is mental arithmetic important?

Arithmetic is remarkably important for helping young children build up a solid academic foundation. Teachers who work with young children know that it is not easy to introduce the concept of numbers and their values. It is a long learning process for young children to comprehend the concepts of mathematics when presented only in the abstract form. By abstract it means using nothing but brain power to solve problems. It is difficult for children to comprehend numeric relationships without using a concrete object such as the abacus beads to relate numeric values.

Mental arithmetic means calculating by picturing the abacus in the mind instead of moving the physical beads. In CMA’s mental arithmetic classes for kids in Singapore, children practise this skill step by step: first moving the beads, then visualising them, then calculating mentally. As a children enrichment class, it practises number sense, place value and mental calculation, the foundations that school maths builds on. Lessons also include focus training for kids and cognitive skills training, giving working memory and concentration regular exercise.

A 2018 study of 180 CMA students, published in Frontiers in Psychology, looked at how hand movements support abacus mental arithmetic at different skill levels. Read the summary.

5. How does learning mental arithmetic help in school mathematics?

For a child to do well in mathematics, he needs to develop his abilities in calculation. Learning abacus-mental arithmetic can quickly enhance his competency in calculation. Professor Huang Guo Rong from the National ChangHua University of Education in Taiwan studied the effects of abacus-mental arithmetic education on children’s academic performance in areas of mathematical abilities and comprehensibility, and reported the startling discoveries:

Children who have undergone mental arithmetic classes achieved far better results than other students (who have not taken part in such training) in the following areas: comprehension, mathematical abilities (including recognising and understanding mathematical concepts, calculating abilities, and mathematical problem solving skills), mathematical performance, and IQ tests.
Students who have had one to two years of training in mental arithmetic are found to possess a better grasp of mathematical concepts, calculations, and are more efficient in solving mathematical problems than those who have less than one year’s training. Students with more than two years’ training showed even better results. Thus this indicates that the longer a child is exposed to such training, the better his mathematical abilities.

6. Why must one learn abacus while calculators and computers are available for computing numbers in the world today?

Although calculators and computers can compute numbers for us, we recommend learning the abacus because it helps children build number sense and skills they can use in school and daily life. Using the abacus involves coordinating sight, sound and finger movement, which keeps lessons active and multi-sensory.

The mind undergoes three main stages of development, namely physical contact, logical explanation, and visualization, throughout the process and the abacus acts as a medium that connects the three stages.

Using both hands on the abacus while picturing the beads combines movement, sight and number sense in one activity. Children first touch and move the beads, then picture them in the mind, so numbers become something they can see and handle, not just abstract symbols. CMA’s dual-hand, four-finger abacus lessons in Singapore are designed to practise this step by step, from the first bead to mental calculation.

7. What is the difference in abacus teaching between then and now?

Conventional abacus lessons used only single-hand teaching. As a result, only the left hemisphere of the brain is stimulated and right half of the brain is ignored. Also, most conventional abacus lessons used 2/5 abacus (i.e. 2 beads on top and 5 beads at the bottom) while CMA uses 1/4 abacus (1 bead on top and 4 beads at the bottom) in the training process.

8. As parents, we are not trained or have no knowledge of the abacus. How do we teach or guide our children at home?

There are four ways in which we assist parents:

Regular seminars organised by our centres help guide parents in assisting their children in their learning. These talks will include techniques of beads stirring and calculating involving the four operations of numbers.
Online videos. Attending CMA students will be given a password to access the online video tutorial.
Teachers. Communication between parents and teachers is important. Teacher will highlight the child’s weaknesses and provide guidance for parents to teach him/her at home.

9. What is the duration of one lesson?

1 hour for Kindy Programme. 1 1/2 hours for Kinder and Primary Programmes.

ABOUT CMA STUDENTS

1.What will my child learn from the programme?

During the programme, students will learn:

Proper technique of clearing and stirring beads on the abacus using two hands simultaneously.
Effective speedy calculation techniques which involve the four operations of numerals (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division).

2. What is the best time for a child to start learning?

Children can start once they can read and write 0–9. Younger children enjoy play-based learning; older children progress quickly through structured levels.

CMA’s abacus classes in Singapore are organised by age, so there is a starting point for most children:

Kindy Programme (3 to 4.5 years): songs, physical activities and hands-on play introduce numbers 0 to 9 and the structure of the abacus. Classes are one hour a week, with a maximum of 8 students.
Kinder Programme (4.5 to 6 years): for children who can understand, read and write 0 to 9. A short diagnostic test checks readiness. Weekly 1.5-hour sessions teach dual-hand abacus technique and basic addition and subtraction.
Primary Programme (7 to 13 years): structured levels take students from Foundation through Intermediate and Advanced to Dan, in 10-week terms.

It is never too late to start. Students can join mid-term and learn at their own pace. As a children enrichment class, CMA suits families who want a regular, structured activity alongside school, and many start in the preschool or lower primary years, when school workload is lighter.

3. Is it too late for a ten-year-old child to pick up abacus mental arithmetic?

No, it is never too late.

4. How can CMA help to increase a child's intelligence?

CMA is an abacus mental arithmetic centre in Singapore, offering children enrichment classes for ages 3 to 13. Our lessons are designed to practise calculation, concentration, memory and visualisation, with focus training for kids and cognitive skills training built into every lesson.

Calculation: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, on the abacus and mentally
Concentration: multi-sensory, hands-on lessons that use both hands on the abacus
Memory and listening: memory games and aural mental arithmetic, where children work from what they hear
Visualisation: moving from the physical abacus to picturing it mentally

Beyond maths, our goal is to build each child’s confidence in schoolwork and life.

5. Will it pose as a challenge to learn abacus if my child is left-handed?

The uniqueness of this two-hand four-finger abacus system will train the student to be able to stir the abacus beads using fingers with dexterity. Being left-handed means the child will need a little practice to be able to stir the beads on the abacus using the right hand skillfully. After perfecting the technique of using the right hand to stir the beads, he will then combine both the left and right hands to stir the beads when calculating questions involving formula.

6. Can my child enrol and join an existing class in the middle of a term? Will my child be able to follow the on-going lesson?

Yes, your child is able to join an existing class in the middle of a term. CMA provides a unique learning environment where individual student learns at his/her own pace with personalised teaching using carefully-designed teaching materials catering to his/her needs and progress.

Yes, your child will be able to follow the lesson. You will see an interesting phenomenon in CMA as students of different ages with different level of skills embark on the course in the same classroom using different learning materials pitched at individual progress.