What Is Mental Arithmetic Training? – Rapid Calculation!
The general perception of the people about mental arithmetic is all about the magic of numbers and speed. But, real mental arithmetic is the combination of mental and the science of logic. The student would be able to maintain calm and have full concentration. Thus, achieving the total growth of both mental and intelligence through the calculation of numbers. Synergy of left and right brain is needed when performing mental arithmetic calculation. It is also a key to the development of intelligence.
Therefore, mental arithmetic is not a technique of calculation, but rather training for the development of intelligence. Through mental arithmetic training, the brain of the child will be boosted and nurtured into a Smart Brain.
What Are The Benefits of A Child To Have Mental Arithmetic Training?
Mental arithmetic is a mental development. It helps to enhance a child learning capability and removes the hurdles of learning. More importantly, mental arithmetic would enable the child to concentrate on learning, expansion of his memory, better understanding and better logical judgments. These four elements would build a solid foundation for the child to face the ever changing and competitive environment.
Mental Arithmetic Training
Mental Arithmetic training begins with a basic class which uses a lively and interesting way of finger calculation. The interaction lessons motivate student to learn as well as help to interrelate hand movements with mind functions. Through this process of learning, students improve their concentration.
Number will be converted to the beads of the abacus into the student minds with practice, student’s mental calculation skills develops and the imaginary abacus will no longer be needed. In the advanced class, students will have developed the skill of amazingly fast mental calculation just by looking at the numbers.
Mental Arithmetic can be done using the pen or bead
In the pen method we use the pen and paper to perform the calculation. In the bead method we use an imaginary abacus in our mind to calculate the answer. We can use the bead method to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The different methods of calculation can be divided to
1. Dictation
This is also called “listening mental arithmetic”. Someone will read aloud the number and the listener will perform the calculation.
2. Viewing
The person will use the numbers that he sees and imagines the number to be the beads on an abacus. He will use this imaginary abacus to perform the calculation.
The Effects of Mental Arithmetic
The continuous practice of mental arithmetic will have the following results:
- Refining Traditional Mathematic
The special skills learned will enable students to perform calculation with amazing speed and accuracy.
- Improve Student Reactions
The finger manipulation techniques stimulate both left and right sides of the brain and improves interaction between the mind and body.
- Optimum Exploitation of the Human Brain’s Resources
Scientists has found that man only use 1/10 of his brain’s potential most of the time. Mental Arithmetic skills help us to tab the vast treasures in the brain. It also helps students to overcome obstacle during the learning process.
- Build Up Students’ Confidence
After attending the well-planned and interesting lessons in mental arithmetic classes, students will have acquired the skills of mastering figures. Hence, they will never hate figures again and can solve problems with confidence.
- Improve Students’ Concentration and Observation Powers
Mental Arithmetic not only stirs up students’ interest in arithmetic but also trains them to be more persistent thus improving their concentration and observation power.
Myths about Mental Arithmetic
Mental Arithmetic skill is an inborn talent
Some people thinks that only intelligent people can master mental arithmetic. In actual fact, as long as a person has learned how to manipulate the beads in an abacus, it will be easy for him to master Mental Arithmetic. Therefore, as long as someone practices the lessons diligently, any person can master this skill.
It takes only a short time to master Mental Arithmetic
Like learning any other skills, one needs to work hard at mastering Mental Arithmetic. It involves many steps or levels of learning. Every level requires solid practices. It is our aim that teaching Mental Arithmetic is interesting, simple and lively classes, student will acquire the skill easily and shortens the learning process.
Memory is the ability to store and retrieve information and experiences. It has been found that memory in the left brain would not stay long, but an image that is recorded in the right brain would stay on in the mind forever. By stimulating the right brain with mental arithmetic, and in combination with the alertness of the eyes, ears and hands, the ability to store and recall is developed together.
Therefore, the ability to solve 10-digits arithmetic problems in only a few seconds is only a small success in comparison to the actual mental training that has been done in order to achieve the skill to perform rapid calculations.
Why Mental Arithmetic Is Able To Develop Brain Power? (The Mental Arithmetic Process)
It starts from the capturing of numbers. And with the help of the visual, audio, sense of touch and movements, the numbers are being imported into the brain. By combining the knowledge of numbers they are already in the memory, imagination, reasoning and judgement, instruction to the fingers to move the beads are given out. From here, the method of calculation using beads are being shifted to the brain. Hence, mental arithmetic is a method of calculation by integrating thinking and movement. When performing calculation, one must be able to memorize the numbers immediately, while having visual of the beads, perform virtual movement of the beads and calculation at the same time. One must have the strong power of thinking, memory, concentration and imagination, or else would not be able to perform well in mental arithmetic.
What Is The Best Age For A Child To Have Mental Arithmetic Training?
According to survey, children that have mental arithmetic training, their concept on numbers and knowledge will be better than those not being trained. His learning capability will be developed and established earlier. His performance will be faster than children of the same age. Therefore, the best age for children to have mental arithmetic training is from 5 to 14 years old.
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