Mental arithmetic: feedback from parents and teachers

The world is gaining popularity a new method of teaching children - mental arithmetic. "What is this?" You ask. We hasten to clarify the situation. In fact, it is a system of development of children's mental abilities, based on the ability to count in the mind.

Principle of training

Thanks to constant training the child learns to use both hemispheres of the brain during solving arithmetic problems . Thus, after a while he can calculate complex examples without the help of a calculator.

Initially, it all starts with studying in the accounts. This is the basis of mental arithmetic. The testimonies indicate that the child actively uses both hands to quickly subtract and summarize. With the help of accounts, you can perform not only elementary arithmetic operations, but also more complex ones, such as multiplication, division and even exponentiation.

The next step is training to solve examples in the mind. The child must imagine the scores in his mind, and how he would work for them if they were in front of him. This is how mental arithmetic works. Parents' opinions and opinions of experts agree that girls and boys who study in this method are very good at creatively thinking, so that they are amenable to difficult tasks.

A mathematical example for a child should become an associative picture, which he represents in his mind in the form of pits on the accounts.

The main tool

The first few levels of classes are held on ancient accounts - the abacus. They are a familiar subject, but with some changes. So, instead of one area with knuckles here there are two - for the right and left hands. This is the main point. Working with two hands, the child stimulates the activity of both the right and left hemispheres.

The history of the abacus is very old. They were first used in ancient Babylon and Egypt. Later, the skills were transferred to scientists in China and India. In Europe, abacus appeared much later - at the turn of the 8th-9th centuries.

At what age is it best to start training?

Uncomplicated is science - mental arithmetic. Training should be conducted with children aged 4 to 12 years. Some schools accept and children up to 16. But, as studies show, the brain of children under the age of twelve years is best trained. It is believed that until this period is just going full formation of the main body of man.

Goals and objectives

Many parents like mental arithmetic. Training is designed to develop in children such abilities:

- Be concentrated on one task.

- Memorize pictures, and therefore develop photographic memory.

- Think creatively.

Observation.

- Logical thinking.

- Imagination.

Terms of training

Since the age of children is very different, of course, they are divided into separate groups. Total duration of training can last from 2.5 to 3 years. Parents' comments on mental arithmetic suggest that you should not immediately lead a child in 4 years to develop intelligence. The course is quite intense, and during this period you can simply discourage the desire to learn, forcing you to constantly go to difficult classes.

Training in mental arithmetic is conducted in many countries around the world. The first samples were in Japan, the USA and Germany. Now we have such practice. Children are encouraged to overcome 10 levels, as in the game. Each of the stages will take approximately 3-4 months. You do not need to drive a child daily. It is enough only two or three times a week.

Mental arithmetic - a unique technique or another business idea?

Many probably saw a video where the child for a few seconds was doing complex computational actions with four-digit numbers. But not all adults are ready to give an answer in a few seconds. And the video most often depicts guys from eastern countries - China, Turkey and Japan, and in fact they are considered the forefathers of such a technique as mental arithmetic. Reviews of this method are prompted to recall how they taught children thousands of years ago. The ancient way of thinking on the abacus was passed down from generation to generation until it came to our country.

Although the old science is a mental arithmetic, the reviews about it are very ambiguous. Some say that such classes are just another business idea, the purpose of which is to pump money from parents, if only the child was something to do. And this is not surprising, because the price per course in a small city can reach 15-20 thousand, and in large centers even more. Are parents ready to pay such lessons to a four-year-old child at the price of training in a prestigious gymnasium?

We bring up geniuses

Many parents are sure that their children must grow up to be great people. Every school of mental training says: our child will have such abilities that you never dreamed of. He will participate in the top-level Olympiads already from the first class, the fourth will jump over, and in the sixth will take first place in the All-Russian Championship.

But earlier somehow children grew up and without ingenious techniques. And many achieved success independently, through perseverance and desire. How many geniuses give on the Earth! And it is thanks to this opinion that mental arithmetic collects negative feedback.

And now what happens? Those parents who have money, children will be the "cream" of society, geniuses of their generation, and all the others who are more victorious will learn how you want to be retarded. Is this the dogma of modern life?

How to make the right choice?

No one argues that parents want their child only the best. And they are ready to pay a lot of money, if only it was developing. Such mothers can be seen immediately. In children's stores they take only the "right" toys, their kids are written down for all possible circles, and to the child's question: "Mom, can I play with the ball?" They reply: "You can not, you can hurt your leg - then you can not go to chess ".

But does the child want such a childhood? Do we deprive him of his useful football, merry "Cossack robbers" and hide and seek? We all want to educate a genius, but is this an embryo in our sweet little angel? Or maybe our innocence will slap eyes at the age of 16 and dare to fulfill all their cherished dreams against the parents? And krovinochku already will be impossible to stop and protect from errors. After all, as practice shows, the more parents restrict a child as a child, the more he tends to freedom as a teenager, and the more he does stupid things.

What do experts think about the early development of children

Some experienced pediatricians leave their feedback on mental arithmetic. They are sure that the desire to develop a child at an early age is just a method of rivalry between parents. Very often in the clinic only one can hear how one mother brags before another that, they say, my child in a year and a half already knew how to almost read and write. All this is just a way to prove once again that your own child is unique, better than all others.

If you look from the point of view of development of the hemispheres of the brain, then at some time there is a growth of one part, then another. Sites responsible for various thought processes are located on the entire surface of the cortex, and there is no need to forcibly stimulate the premature activity of a site. Everything has its time.

From the excessive activity of one of the hemispheres, you can get an inverse proportionate result. Most often, the workload from intellectual work goes to the left hemisphere. If it accumulates too much "luggage" knowledge, it simply "blocks" the work of the right, thus making the desired genius quite an ordinary child. So has the mental arithmetic reviews of experts very disappointing from this point of view.

Opinion of teachers

Working in the center of intelligence development requires a lot of knowledge. Reviews about mental arithmetic from the teachers themselves are very inspiring. Teachers write that each lesson is a separate game. The school can not give as much attention to the child as it is in the center of development. Here, each teacher leads the student almost individually.

Children like classes. They play, communicate, and the whole process takes place in a fun funny form. Of course, with each level it becomes more difficult, we have to become more serious, but children grow up, and with them we improve and develop.

A good teacher is also a psychologist and a pediatrician in one person. It is necessary to constantly adapt to the child, to his thinking and skills. Only this way, by looking at the task from the student's side, one can influence his intellectual development.

In their practice, teachers use a variety of different techniques. So, often you have to draw a table of Pythagoras. Mental arithmetic (testimonials indicate that this approach helps to diversify and improve each session), so it becomes clearer and more accessible.

Parents' opinion

Moms and dads are often very happy with how they deal with their children in development centers.

Many students like mental arithmetic. Parental feedback is a confirmation. Often mothers write what interest the children are doing. There were times when the guys, coming home after a walk, themselves asked to give them a count. And after that, parents came and checked, and it was curious for both children and adults.

Another interesting nuance is associated with the start of training. At one of the first classes the child is asked to look closely at the abacus, memorize it, and then draw on a piece of paper. Of course, mistakes are not uncommon. But after several courses the child is asked to repeat the procedure. And this time the drawing will be an exact copy of the usual tool. Thus, progress is clearly visible.

Also parents are very happy with the success of their children in school after the lessons of mental arithmetic. Many note that the concentration of attention, perseverance and achievement has increased significantly. Children began to go to the Olympics and take prizes. Is not it fun for the parents? And children begin to be proud of themselves that cause positive emotions in their mothers and dads.

Centers for Intellectual Development in Moscow

Since early development is gaining huge popularity, many training centers have opened in the capital. The first such educational institution was the Pythagorca school. Now the center's offices are open not only in Moscow, but also in many other cities of Russia.

"Pythagorca" invites parents and children to attend the first free class at the course "Mental arithmetic". Feedback from parents and teachers can be heard and learned directly from the first mouth. In addition, the children will be useful to try their hand and find out whether such activities are interesting.

Another office is the Abakus Center. In Moscow it has two representative offices. One - in Aptekarsky Lane, and the other - in the street Sharikopodshipnikovskoy. Parents, whose children visited the center, are very satisfied with the work of teachers. They assure that here the child will be in safe hands. Boys and girls in most cases very much like attending classes, and the result is visible after a month's course.

For the first time in Moscow, the teaching of mental arithmetic is conducted in English. This is the center of "Menar". The program is designed for very talented and smart guys. In addition, the center has very experienced teachers who can find an approach to any of the students. For families with more than one child, a discount promotion applies.

Conclusion

In general, there is nothing wrong with the fact that your child will additionally engage with teachers on some new and supermodern technique. If funds are allowed, then why not sign up? Another question is, what will be the result. Perhaps your child is so talented that he himself will be able to develop the same skills on his own. But if he lags behind, and in school he is not interested, then, of course, you need to help.

But, in our opinion, this should not be done before the 4th grade. And in 4 years the child does not need large numbers and complex arithmetic operations. And what's the use of the fact that in five years your child will easily give out, that 329 plus 458 will be 787? To please grandmothers and neighbor-envious girls? Let it grow and please you, and you help him to become better.