Abacus Learning and Mental Health

The benefits of Abacus learning on a child’s brain development have been known for years. Several scientific studies have established the positive relation between Abacus learning and mental health of a child.

“Abacus training improves mental health,” a statement if made still raises many eyebrows.

A peek back into history gives us a better understanding of the Abacus. The available historical studies point to the Chinese & Japanese traders using an Abacus tool as a calculating tool since 1000 BC. The effects of Abacus training on children's mental health and brain functions have been a subject of study and evaluation among scientists globally for the past 20 years.
Let us take a look at their remarkable findings given below.

Findings of The Research Work

Findings of neuroimaging technology studies on children to various other studies, concluded that abacus mental arithmetic training has a positive effect on the mental health of people of all ages.

In 2013, research at Zhejiang University in China used similar technology to measure brain activation of 17 children trained in Abacus Mental Math. They found that abacus-trained children had higher brain activation and significantly enhanced integration of multiple brain neural networks.

Another study on a group of elderly patients in 2016 by researchers in Spain to assess and analyze the effects of Abacus Math proved the utility of the Abacus training methods on Mental Health.

These two isolated studies prove that introducing abacus training resulted in intense stimulation of brain cells thus enhancing connectivity in the brain and that improve the functions of the brain networks in adults. These studies confirm that abacus classes can be seen as beneficial in developing mental health in children and the elderly.

As the research proves, children exposed to abacus mental math exercises use their right brain as memory banks to retrieve data and information while others will rely only on one side of the brain to solve any problem.

The vast majority of the population has one side of the brain better developed than the other. But for the kids who have learnt Abacus, the brain develops equally on both hemispheres.

As the brain is being stimulated through Abacus training it results in a high level of engagement and satisfaction in users regardless of age or mental condition. This is miraculous proof of the positive effects of Abacus training.

We all approve that mental health is very important to keep ourselves free from mental diseases. This becomes more important in these days of cut throat competition as several recent studies suggest our children are under immense pressure and have to deal with school stress, peer pressure, etc. Their mental fitness will decide how well they deal with these daily pressures.

Hence, it is prudent to focus on their mental health along with their physical fitness. If nutritious food and regular exercise are important for a child's physical health, using an Abacus helps in brain exercise and keeps the brain active and healthy.

Brain activities stimulated by Abacus training usually lead to a reduction in anxiety levels in children. Therefore, the more the child enjoys using the Abacus, the happier they are, reducing stress levels to almost null. The children use their hands and fingers to move the Abacus beads, which helps them develop their gross motor skills.

We at Mastermind suggest to the parents that; children can acquire Abacus skills at any age, but the most benefits are seen when a kid begins their Abacus class between the age of 5 to 14 years, which are the early years of education. The reason behind this advice is that in the kid's brain 75% of the brain's neocortex development transpires. Also, children possess the acquired motor skills during this age to confidently manipulate the Abacus beads.

It is the dominant hand that people use to perform any task. In an Abacus class, the children use both hands simultaneously to perform any calculation. Using both hands to move the beads of the Abacus stimulates both sides of the brain and enhances brain activities that improve mental health.

Abacus class has made it easy to calculate basic mathematical operations like addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. It’s an enhancement tool for mental operations that helps solve math operations from the very basic to the most complex problems.

Mastermind Abacus knows that Abacus is not just about developing Mental Math skills in the students, but it is an investment for their bright future. In addition to overcoming math phobia, Abacus class also lays a strong academic foundation for your kid and enhances their mental health. Mastermind Abacus has 23 years of experience in Abacus Education and a global presence in 16 countries.

Mastermind Abacus has developed a unique live E-learning platform. We now have equally effective Offline and Online Abacus Classes for the students.

So, Book a free demo today!!

Read More: Teaching Mental Math To Younger Kids