Use an Abacus to Teach Kids Math

Use an Abacus to Teach Kids Math

      There are many ways to teach numbers and math to kids. Some can be fun and exciting and some can be just plain boring. The abacus is a calculating tool that may be as old as 2700–2300 BC. It has been used for centuries and is still widely used by merchants, traders, and clerks in Asia, Africa, and elsewhere. It also happens to be a great tool to teach numbers and arithmetic to kids. It has colorful beads to make learning exciting and fun while reinforcing concepts through the child's sense of touch.

       The abacus is also great because it can be used to teach simple math—like counting, addition, and subtraction—as well as more complex operations like multiplication and division. It can even be used to work with fractions and to find square and cube roots. Below you will find various techniques to teach math with an abacus.

Things you need:

    1) Abacus tool

   2) Your eager-to-learn child!

      

        It's best if, in each row, the beads are divided by color into two groups of five as they are in the picture above. If not, the Melissa & Doug Classic Wooden Abacus, which you can purchase below, works perfectly too.

       Each abacus contains 100 beads andis appropriate for children ages three and up. Children love to play with the abacus because of its amazing color and texture. You can buy one at any toy store or online.