I’m excited to share some news about my new abacus learning series on YouTube, “Learn Abacus At Home: For Parents.”
It’s been three weeks since I began this journey, and I’m thrilled to say that I’ve successfully released a new lesson each week. If you’re a parent looking to help your child build a strong foundation in math using the abacus, this series is perfect for you! If you haven’t started yet, be sure to watch the introduction video (the link is available in my previous blog post) to see what you’ll learn throughout the series and to find the right abacus for your child.
What’s Covered So Far
So far, I’ve created two lesson videos that introduce the basics of the abacus, ensuring that both you and your child can start learning with confidence.
In Lesson 1, I covered the history of the abacus, its uses, and the proper way to hold a pencil and maintain correct posture when using the abacus. These fundamental steps set the stage for successful learning. I also introduced the abacus parts and the place value system, which are further explained and practiced with flashcards in Lesson 2. Abacus learning requires concentration, accuracy, and speed, so it’s important to focus on correct posture, proper abacus placement, and how to hold the pencil correctly to make each practice session effective.
Lesson 2
In Lesson 2, we delved into the place value system, which is key to understanding how numbers are shown on the abacus. I made sure to explain this concept clearly, breaking it down into easy-to-understand parts so your child can visualize the numbers on the abacus.
We also used flashcards to practice recognizing and remembering the place value concepts. To make the learning process fun, I used playing cards with abacus bead pictures and played games like “Old Maid” and “Find the Right One” with the kids in my abacus group. They enjoyed it and quickly learned the abacus numbers. I’ll provide more details on this in the next post. Mastering place value is crucial before moving on to addition and subtraction, so I wanted to make sure this topic was thoroughly covered.
Why I Created This Series
Having spent time teaching young children, I understand how challenging it can be for parents to guide their kids through new learning tools. Learning the abacus can be tough for young children on their own, but it’s not as complicated as it may seem. While there are specific rules to follow, once these are understood, progress comes with regular practice.
My goal with this series is to make the learning process as smooth as possible by breaking down each concept into easy-to-follow steps. I believe that parents can be fantastic abacus teachers by encouraging consistent practice, establishing regular routines, and demonstrating how to use the abacus. I hope these videos will help you feel confident in teaching your children and support them in building a strong foundation in math.
What’s Next?
I’m excited to continue this series and explore more abacus techniques in the coming weeks. The upcoming lessons will focus on finger rules. As we’ve learned, we use our pointer finger and thumb to move the beads, but there are specific rules for when to use each finger. These rules are designed to enhance accuracy and speed. I’ll introduce these finger rules with simple addition and subtraction exercises. My aim is to release a new lesson each week, so stay tuned!
Thank you for joining me on this journey. I hope these lessons make teaching and learning the abacus both fun and rewarding for you and your child. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the first two lessons on my YouTube channel. Your support and feedback are incredibly valuable to me, and I can’t wait to share more with you!
