Learning of abacus based calculations
involves conceptual understanding to manipulate sliders and once the
understanding of the concept is clear to the children, they need to practice
and master the skill which is possible by solving a number of sums using the
abacus skill methodology. While
understanding the concept is primarily important for initial manipulation of sliders,
mastering of the skills only make the children to show how fast they are in
solving the sums accurately. For mastering
the skills tremendous practice is required, which is therefore essential. The ‘practice’
part in abacus based skills is structured such that for every level, two-thirds
of the practice happens in classroom sessions and one-third of the practice is
allotted as home practice. Though
smaller percentage, home practice has more important role in the mastering of
the skills by any child than that done in classroom. Unfortunately, children tend to miss to do home
practice or they sit on Friday / Saturday during the week to finish six days’
practice. Missing to do regular home
practice affects skill assimilation very badly. Even attempting to do a week’s
practice on one single day is no better as it could lead to committing many mistakes
or make the children to adopt the conventional method of calculation which is
much worse a thing to happen. The
children also tend to forget the concept since a week gap could affect their
retention of what they learnt. Parents
have therefore an important role in making the children to do the practice every day ten minutes, by which way the
assimilation of skills will also be better and the children would enjoy doing
the page-work.
Monitoring of the home practice hence assumes
high importance which many times decide the quality mastering of skills. Parents beware! that lack of home practice could
elude your children the skills that they ought to acquire. The ten minutes of the regular performance of
the task as ‘Home Practice’ brings in
a major change in their skill levels.
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