Your child need not struggle with the maths paper when the time comes. Just make sure that he or she has the right start — with the abacus.
An academy in Kolkata has devised a programme aimed at making maths wizards out of children aged between 6 and 12. Its tools: a brain gym and the abacus.
“We teach children to visualise every figure as a picture. Once a child masters the abacus, he or she will never struggle with maths. At times, trained children can work faster with an electronic calculator,” said Deep Sen, the brain behind the programme.
The centuries-old Chinese counting frame will help children imp-rove their photo imaging memory. The abacus will hone their senses of touch, sight and hearing; the brain gym, developed by Paul Dennison, will give them the powers of speed, control and coordination.
“The progra-mme also helps develop listening skills and speed writing. We stress on perfection and discourage the use of erasers,” said Sen, a metallurgical engineer from IIT, Kharagpur.
The eight-level programme will last two years and requires only 20 minutes of practice, light exercise and homework every day.
The academy, Numerix, will begin with a centre at Ballygunge’s Cornfield Road and plans to open eight more across the city. Numerix is a franchise of Sociable Intellectual and Progressive (SIP) Academy India Private Limited, which is
headquartered in Malaysia. The SIP Academy has wings in six countries, mostly in Southeast Asia.
START COUNTING
Age group: 6-12
Classes: 2hr 15min per week for 2 years
Registration: Rs 750
Fees: Rs 450/month