What is mental arithmetic?

The development of the child begins literally from the first days of his life. As he grows up, he needs the professional influence of teachers who can correctly assess the potential of the baby and direct it into a creative channel. Mental arithmetic is one of the youngest and most promising methods of child education. She is able to develop the child's mental faculties so that any arithmetic tasks will become for him a simple and quick calculation in the mind. What is mental arithmetic: another business idea or a useful training program?

History

An innovative technique was invented by Turk Shen. It is based on the ancient abacus - the abacus, invented in China five thousand years ago. Later, they were improved many times by the Japanese, and today we use the technical refinement of the abacus - a calculator. However, the device of ancient accounts, according to experts, was more useful for children. Their use in the educational process and contributed to the formation of a new program, which was called "mental arithmetic," or "menar." It was first launched in 1993 in Asia. Currently, there are about five thousand educational centers in 50 countries that teach an oral account. The most active in this regard are the schools of the USA, Austria, Canada, Australia, Thailand, China and the Middle East. Specialized centers are opened in Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. So, already high results and assessments of parents reached mental arithmetic in Astana and Moscow.

Why does a child need this?

It is known that in humans the right brain is responsible for creativity, perception and creation of images, and the left for logic. Working with the left hand, we "include" the right hemisphere, the right hand - left. Synchronous work of both hemispheres gives a huge potential for the development of the child. And the task of mental arithmetic is to involve the entire brain in the educational process. This is done by performing operations on the accounts with both hands. Mental arithmetic not only helps to master the skills of rapid calculation, but also promotes the development of analytical abilities. If modern calculators relax mental processes, then the abacus, on the contrary, trains and improves them.

How does the menar work?

The program of teaching mental arithmetic is conditionally divided into two stages. On the first, children master the technique of bills on bones, using for these operations immediately two hands. The inclusion in the process of counting both hemispheres of the brain ensures fast execution and memorization of actions. Thanks to the abacus, children can freely add, subtract, divide and multiply, and also calculate the square and cubic root.

At the second stage of the program, the students pass to the account in the mind, or on the mental level. Each lesson here involves a gradual weakening of the binding to the accounts and the stimulation of the child's imagination. The left hemisphere perceives numbers, the right hemisphere - a picture of the bones of accounts. So, the child learns to produce the proposed calculations in the mind. He presents himself an account and mentally performs the necessary operations. That is, it works with an imaginary abacus. Now the numbers are perceived as pictures, and the calculation process is associated with the corresponding movement of the bones of the accounts.

Age

In the period from 4 to 12 (sometimes up to 16) years, the most active development of the brain in humans occurs. Therefore, the mastering of basic skills should be carried out during this period. That is why experts recommend that at this age, children learn foreign languages, master the game of musical instruments and other activities. This list harmoniously fits and mental arithmetic. Stimulation of brain work of this kind contributes to easier and more productive learning.

Goals and results

The main goals of the menar are concentration of attention, development of photographic memory and creative thinking, logic and imagination, hearing and observation. With a professional approach and successful achievement of goals, a child can perform complex arithmetic tasks in the mind. For example, to add 10-digit numbers in a few seconds, as well as solve more complex computing tasks faster than the calculator.

The program not only covers the mathematical field, but also helps the child in other educational fields. It gives him confidence, gives him the opportunity to deal with several things at the same time.

Schools

Today around the world thousands of private educational children's centers have mental arithmetic included in the system. Training (classes at all levels) usually lasts two to three years. In addition to the stages of the methodology of mastering the menar, there are 10 levels, each of them the student passes for 2-3 months. Undoubtedly, in different schools the program is built individually. But there are general rules. Groups are formed according to the age of the students. So, for example, there are three main types: kinder, kids and junior. Classes are conducted by experienced and qualified pedagogical psychologists who have undergone appropriate training and attestation.

Training of teachers

In addition to the centers that teach menaru, there are schools for training specialists in this field. As a rule, the teacher of mental arithmetic is a person who already has behind him the education of a teacher, a psychologist and experience in this field. Because in the process of learning this subject is very important not only the mathematical knowledge and skills of using the abacus, but also the methods of teaching the menar, the awareness of the psychological level of the child's development.

In addition, training centers for teachers regularly hold seminars and trainings that allow them to maintain a high level of skill, to track the statistics of teachers and their students on the subject of "mental arithmetic." Training for teachers involves certification in the form of examinations and obtaining certificates and diplomas. Such documents help parents assess the level of the teacher's qualifications and make the right choice.

Manuals and textbooks

Many training centers have authoring techniques. In general, they are slightly different from each other. Children aged 4-10 years are very mobile, and the subject requires perseverance and attention. Therefore, the system of approaches to teaching the menaru is based on psychological, age-specific features of the perception of information by the student. Without this, the teacher's practice will turn into a dry memorization of the rules and will not bring positive results.

There are two categories of teaching materials: manuals for teachers and textbooks for students on the subject "Mental arithmetic." The manuals include methodological collections, video lessons and explanatory brochures for textbooks. They are constantly updated, supplemented by auxiliary materials.

The textbook on mental arithmetic is classically presented in two versions: theoretical and practical. Thanks to the first student learns the rules and techniques of computing operations on ancient accounts, operations with bones. In the workshops, an exercise is given to sharpen and consolidate theoretical knowledge. Textbooks have a clear division of the program levels and the age of the students.

Reviews

Mental arithmetic for children is a relatively new program for learning the account. But during its existence it showed absolute results. Practice and feedback from parents prove that mental arithmetic is very useful and effective. It can be successfully included in the compulsory education program or be, as it is now, an additional, developing facultative for children.

Only two or four hours a week, after a few months of classes, they yield astonishing results. Parents note the improvement of memory in children, the development of creative thinking, mindfulness and concentration. They feel more confident in general occupations, willingly and quickly prepare homework. Significantly increases their level of academic performance.

Thus, mental arithmetic has become not just a concrete subject for mastering computational skills, but also one of the steps to the formation of a fully developed personality. The maximum potential of the brain, which "turns on" during classes, allows you to bring up a healthy and successful child, a small genius who, after gaining such a reliable foothold, can turn the world around in the future.