All About Abacus Training

[jedamum]

sunny:

hi

after reading that kids would forget the abacus skills if they don't practise after a while, i I am thinking whether I should switch my gal from her abacus class to montessori maths to build her maths foundation.

anyone can share your view, please?

my ds1 went thru both.
i may however still consider getting ds2 into abacus cos it claims to train the brain, but will not go for montessori maths cos i find that what they covered are quite brief - divisions, multiplications up for tens and above, only 2 lesson; my boy long forgotten them; what he had retained were stuff that i went thru with him using assessment books bought from Popular bookshop. given enough monetary resources, i may explore MPM instead. just my opinion cos different montessori schools may offer different math syllabus/curriculum. you can go to your interested branch to take a look at their curriculum. the one that i went to (since closed down) did not have P1 preparation and we went for their broad kindergarten syllabus back then.

[sunny]

jedamum:

my ds1 went thru both.
i may however still consider getting ds2 into abacus cos it claims to train the brain, but will not go for montessori maths cos i find that what they covered are quite brief - divisions, multiplications up for tens and above, only 2 lesson; my boy long forgotten them; what he had retained were stuff that i went thru with him using assessment books bought from Popular bookshop. given enough monetary resources, i may explore MPM instead. just my opinion cos different montessori schools may offer different math syllabus/curriculum. you can go to your interested branch to take a look at their curriculum. the one that i went to (since closed down) did not have P1 preparation and we went for their broad kindergarten syllabus back then.

jedamum, when i talked to the in-charge of montessori, she mentioned that the kids will learn addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fraction, etc. after the kid can read, she will start teaching things like problem sums. she will also teach 11-99, if the kid can absorb fast, will even learn thousands. from the way she describes, i was so tempted to switch my gal to her enrichment class. :oops:

but seeing that my gal is quite settled down with CMA, i am wondering if i should switch. by switching, probably i would spend lesser time in coaching her to do the homework. the homework is always few pages. *faint*

[jedamum]

sunny:

jedamum, when i talked to the in-charge of montessori, she mentioned that the kids will learn addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fraction, etc. after the kid can read, she will start teaching things like problem sums. she will also teach 11-99, if the kid can absorb fast, will even learn thousands. from the way she describes, i was so tempted to switch my gal to her enrichment class. :oops:

but seeing that my gal is quite settled down with CMA, i am wondering if i
should switch. by switching, probably i would spend lesser time in coaching her to do the homework. the homework is always few pages. *faint*

sunny,
essentially, montessori math and CMA are two completely different programme. my ds1 was taught division like 2436/3 in his montessori math etc, but now i ask him, he all forgotten already. i (rather my husband) re-taught his fractions concept too, all using assessment books as those he learnt earlier, when not constantly applied/revised, he forgotten about it (how to retain something that is taught for only 2 lessons?). CMA ala abacus focuses on speed calculation and is a different ball game. yes, abacus homework can kill... :stupid: ....we dropped abacus too when the boy can't cope with mental calculation. i would reckon that you are looking at montessori math for purpose of P1 preparation; if you really did not have the time to prepare your kid yourself, then no choice ah cos not many math enrichment in the market - http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=128

[laughingcat]

Hello.....just a thought. :?


Isn't it true no point in focusing too much on abacus since it has no advantage to problem maths questions? In other words, abacus will not be useful for higher maths. Anybody? :?

[jedamum]

laughingcat:

Hello.....just a thought. :?


Isn't it true no point in focusing too much on abacus since it has no advantage to problem maths questions? In other words, abacus will not be useful for higher maths. Anybody? :?

pros and cons of abacus training has been debated over here - http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=42&start=0

to me, abacus have no advantage to problem solving if the kid can't read, analyse etc. but it will be of tremendous help in the accuracy and time management dept (mental calculation/checking) if the kid already has the reading and analytical skill to tackle problem sums.
additionally, abacus claims to stimulate left/right (?) brain which supposedly should be beneficial in the long run. enrichment in itself is a bonus, so one has to weigh what are our objectives.
MHO.

[sunny]

jedamum:

sunny:

jedamum, when i talked to the in-charge of montessori, she mentioned that the kids will learn addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fraction, etc. after the kid can read, she will start teaching things like problem sums. she will also teach 11-99, if the kid can absorb fast, will even learn thousands. from the way she describes, i was so tempted to switch my gal to her enrichment class. :oops:

but seeing that my gal is quite settled down with CMA, i am wondering if i
should switch. by switching, probably i would spend lesser time in coaching her to do the homework. the homework is always few pages. *faint*

sunny,
essentially, montessori math and CMA are two completely different programme. my ds1 was taught division like 2436/3 in his montessori math etc, but now i ask him, he all forgotten already. i (rather my husband) re-taught his fractions concept too, all using assessment books as those he learnt earlier, when not constantly applied/revised, he forgotten about it (how to retain something that is taught for only 2 lessons?). CMA ala abacus focuses on speed calculation and is a different ball game. yes, abacus homework can kill... :stupid: ....we dropped abacus too when the boy can't cope with mental calculation. i would reckon that you are looking at montessori math for purpose of P1 preparation; if you really did not have the time to prepare your kid yourself, then no choice ah cos not many math enrichment in the market - http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=128

jedamum
initially, when i signed my gal up for CMA was mainly to improve her concentration and to train left/right brain. for montessori math, yes, you are right, it's more for preparing her for P1. probably i will hold the montessori math 1st and let her continue CMA for the time being. hope i am making the right choice for her.

[vain_pot]

I recently drop my son out from CMA too after a year with them at Kovan branch, he was finding it hard to cope with the homework lots of them and he gets confuse by it..


I was afraid that he get confuse and i can see his frustrations when i ask him to do his homework now not revising and all wonder now that i dont continue will the effort for the past year be gone??

[jedamum]

vain_pot:

I recently drop my son out from CMA too after a year with them at Kovan branch, he was finding it hard to cope with the homework lots of them and he gets confuse by it..


I was afraid that he get confuse and i can see his frustrations when i ask him to do his homework now not revising and all wonder now that i dont continue will the effort for the past year be gone??

vain_pot,
i've been thru the same as you - the feeling of 'what a waste' for having to drop abacus after spending a few years on it. but after we'd dropped it, we became happier and can focus on other stuff.
surely, he have forgotten all this abacus formulas; i think he has also forgotten all that he had learnt in his preschool math enrichment too. :roll: but i think, somehow all these exercises must have stimulated his brain somehow at that point of time!

[vain_pot]

jedamum:

vain_pot:

I recently drop my son out from CMA too after a year with them at Kovan branch, he was finding it hard to cope with the homework lots of them and he gets confuse by it..


I was afraid that he get confuse and i can see his frustrations when i ask him to do his homework now not revising and all wonder now that i dont continue will the effort for the past year be gone??

vain_pot,
i've been thru the same as you - the feeling of 'what a waste' for having to drop abacus after spending a few years on it. but after we'd dropped it, we became happier and can focus on other stuff.
surely, he have forgotten all this abacus formulas; i think he has also forgotten all that he had learnt in his preschool math enrichment too. :roll: but i think, somehow all these exercises must have stimulated his brain somehow at that point of time!

Thanks for your msg it make me feel alot better..

[angel]

Anyone has any comments on Microkids?


I happened to be introduced to the centre and I was told it was formally located in Orchard.

There are only 2 classes going on when I met up with one of the trainers.

Pls advice.