What is ABACUS

Abacus is a tool or a counting frame that is used for performing calculations of mathematics. Calculations such as Addition (+), Subtraction (-), Multiplication (x) and Division(÷).

This tool has its history when human beings started trading and understood the need for calculation in the business.

Abacus was used in many countries in different designs but the Abacus I am discussing is the Japanese tool called “Soroban” which is shown in the picture below.

The outer structure is called a Frame. Beads on the upper side are called Upper Beads and beads on the lower side are called Lower Beads.

The bar between upper and lower beads is called Value Bar. Each rod has a total of five (5) beads, four (4) on the lower side and (1) on the upper side of the value bar.

The center rod is considered a Unit Rod (also called 1’s place value rod). Rod on the immediate left of the unit rod is 10’s Rod (also called 10’s place value rod), rod on the immediate left of 10’s rod is 100’s Rod, and so on as we study in regular mathematics.

Rod on the immediate right of the unit rod is 0.1 Rod (also called 1 decimal place rod), rod on the immediate right of 0.1 Rod is 0.01 Rod (also called 2 decimal place rod), and so on as we study in regular mathematics.

Abacus as an Activity, Course or Program

Abacus is a brain development activity for the children’s age group of 5 to 14 years.

It develops the brain of a child which results in better performance not only in maths but in other subjects also. 

Now you must be wondering that abacus is used for mathematical calculations, then how can it help in other subjects.

Here is the one-word answer for all your apprehensions and that is Visualization.

Abacus is based on a concept called visualization. Before a detailed explanation of the abacus and its benefits, I would like to make you understand the meaning of visualization.

Visualization means the formation of a mental image of something or the representation of an object, situation or set of information in our mind.

With the help of an example, we will try to understand how visualization works.

Can you imagine your face in your mind without looking at a mirror? Can you see your parents in your mind? Can you imagine your favorite actor? Can you imagine your home in your brain?

If yes, then this process is called visualization.

Once a child starts performing calculations on the abacus tool and with the regular tool practice of sums, it becomes easy for a child to perform calculations without the abacus tool also.

A child can easily imagine an abacus tool in his/her mind and solve the sums mentally.

Therefore, the abacus is promoted as a mental maths course also. Apart from addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, HCF, LCM, squares, cubes, square root, cube root, and tables can also be done on the abacus tool and mentally.

All a child is required is a regular practice of abacus and mental sums in order to achieve the best results.

With the right learning and practice, a child can become a human calculator. A mathematics exam, be it a term exam, Olympiad exam or other competitive exam calculation plays an important role in order to save time and attaining accurate answers.

Abacus is also known as a concentration building program. I’ll share one more practical example.

Have you ever called your children when they watch television or videos on the internet?

You must have observed one thing that they do not respond to you while watching TV even if you shout loud enough but does it ever happen when your children are studying and you calling them repeatedly and they are not responding to you because they are so much concentrated towards their studies?

Now, most of the readers must be thinking it never happens or happens very rarely.

In fact, it happens with grown-ups also. The reason behind this is that the videos children are watching are the pictorial representation that need not be mugged up and one can easily concentrate with minimum effort while the books they are studying have text only with minimum or no images which is why they start mugging up text.

Abacus learning can easily enhance imagination skills and text can easily be remembered with the same concentration as it happens while watching TV or videos.

This helps in scoring more marks in other subjects also such as English, Science, Social Science, etc.

Few Benefits of Learning Abacus

• Brain development 
• Mental maths
• Improves concentration level
• Removes fear of maths
• Enhances imagination skills
• Removes mugging habits
• Boost confidence
• Improves problem-solving abilities
• Sharpens listening skills
• Increases memory power