Neural imaging scans have shown that the parts of the brain activated by the abacus are different from the areas usually activated by normal arithmetical calculations. The soroban activates networks associated with visual spatial information.
Flash Anzan is an arithmetical challenge that can only be answered using anzan. It is impossible to solve a flash anzan challenge with a calculator or an abacus because the numbers appear for only 0.2 seconds. With extensive practice it becomes possible to visualise and shift the beads mentally-rearranging the beads as each number is flashed to arrive at the combined total. The abacus student is not able to remember any of the flashed numbers, nor the intermediate sums, but the imaginary abacus will show the answer.
To achieve this level of skill takes years of dedicated practice using the traditional approach.
Has anyone used abacus flash cards, or computer, to teach the representations of numbers 1-100 along with addition and subtraction?
am sorry Chris1 but your whole post is almost greek to me!! I can understand that you are saying those who use abacus use a different part of the brain and that it is possible to teach numbers using abacus in flashcards as well!
I think at first I need to know what anzan is! Is it the same abacus method used n UCMAS???
Anzan is mental math.
UCMAS uses a method of 2 fingers (thumb and index) on 2 hands (for simultaneous calculation and activation of both brain hemispheres). I’m sure you know this by now since researching UCMAS, but this is also for other readers.
As requested I have just added these to downloads- abacus 1-10, abacus 11-20, abacus 21-30, abacus 31-40, abacus 41-50, abacus 51-60, abacus 61-70, abacus 71-80, abacus 81-90 and abacus 91-100.
These images can be found in either Printed Flash Cards or PowerPoint Slideshow. Status is currently unapproved.
I hope you enjoy and please report any errors for correction.
Chris! Karma to you! Thank you, thank you for sharing your slides on counting with the abacus. I’ve been looking for this.
My son attends Heguru and they teach counting with the abacus using flashcards which is exactly the same as what you have in your slides. He’s only been attending since the start of this year so I haven’t seen any results as yet. The classes are an hour long and only once a week so I have been wanting to do this at home with him. Thank you so much!
Lucky of you that have access to that kind of education. My daughter did a lot of mental calculus when at school. She would have been a perfect candidate for ansan.
You don’t need to know how to use an abacus to teach with the abacus flash cards. Start by teaching the card names. Then show sequences to teach addition and subtraction. 2,4,6,8 or 22,24,26,28 or 1,3,5,7 to teach +2. Reverse the order for subtraction. These sequences will also cover the multiplication tables- 7,14,21,28,35,42.
Prepare sets that demonstrate the patterns in doubling numbers then cover halving numbers and also teach multiplication by 10. Multiply by 5 sets –start by preparing sets of 3 cards to demonstrate the algorithm – 4,40,20 6,60,30 5,50,25 which your child should recognise as a x10 followed by halving. Multiply by 4 sets-prepare sets of 3 cards to demonstrate the method 2,4,8 6,12,24 - repeated double. Double again for multiplication by 8.
Sets for multiplication by 6 require 4 cards per set – 6,60,30,36 7,70,35,42 5,50,25,30
Sets for multiplication by 9 would require only 3 cards- 9,90,81 6,60,54 again the steps have already been taught so there are no surprises.
Once your child knows the card names you could occasionally just show the sequences without naming the cards.
Chris1,
Do you think that with only the cards we can learn to use abacus.
Where can we find one if we want to show the real thing and at what age do they start?
Thanks
I can see that he is uncomfortable and do not understand how he can do all those additions just imaging the abacus. It’s incredible. I will try to look more about it.
Upt o what age will the Pacchi be used. I think is is too small (3 digit number?)
Maybe the plastic Soroban is better.?
Would you say the color ones (like the flash cards) are better. Wouldn’t the colors distract him?
Thanks for the link.
2010BEBES,
I would recommend starting with the smaller abacus which can represent numbers to 999 and introduce the larger version later. The colours separate the hundreds, tens and units.
I have just added the following to our files
I forgot to answer your question about when to introduce an actual abacus.
The truncated Pacchi soroban is intended for children aged around 3-5 years old. It only has three bars because it is designed for young children, with the beads in the first column (that denotes ones) having a first colour, the beads in the second column (that denotes tens) having a second colour, and the beads in the third column (that denotes hundreds) having a third colour.
The colours used on our abacus Flash Cards fortunately match the colours used on this starter abacus.
