What is Mental Arithmetic?
Mental arithmetic is an ancient oriental skill to calculate quickly and accurately without the use of tools such as a calculator or even pen and paper. This particular type of calculation implies the visualization of the abacus and the simulation of the movements of the fingers in this ancient tool, which allows us to get the correct result. This is how we promote the development of both hemispheres of the brain: when doing mental arithmetic, the child has to find creative solutions and visualize numbers (activation of the right hemisphere of the brain) and at the same time calculate complex mathematical operations using fine motor skills and finger movements (activation of the left hemisphere). It is known that due to traditional, often theoretical education, the left hemisphere of the brain is more developed in most people, while the "mental" way of learning requires the simultaneous work of both hemispheres, which favors the intellectual development of children and promotes their full potential: Photographic Memory : Through mental calculation, we connect different arrangements of abacus beads and perform visualization in our mind that helps us get the end result.
This type of visualization promotes photographic memory because, after numerous repetitions and mathematical calculations, we begin to memorize numbers visually and no longer think in logical contexts. Photographic memory can later help us memorize material more quickly, as can foreign verses.
Words… Attention and observation: These two skills are the basis of language development and are very important for the child's later socialization. Observation relates primarily to the child's ability to focus on a particular subject (which in this case is proficient abacus) and then apply the knowledge he has noticed. Attention in this context is the ability to separate the essential from the irrelevant, to block out everything else that is unimportant on the outside (this is practiced so that children can
Solve tasks while listening to music, playing games day and night). Logical Thinking: Mental arithmetic, in general, is not a quick and accurate calculation, but rather the application and understanding of mathematical methods that we use to achieve it. Children It is necessary to understand the mathematical concept, rather than just "reading" it. The goal of mental arithmetic is not to memorize the arithmetic process, but to logically conclude and carry out mathematical operations in your head. Formulas can be forgotten over time, but logical thinking remains. a permanent ability
which we will use in every segment of our lives.
