The Great Advantage  of Learning Wang's Mental Math Theory

Calculations and brain function.
Usually people use only one side of the brain (the left) to do addition and subtraction. But Mental Math calculations engage both the left and right sides of your brain. Some data are processed in the left brain. Other data, including carrying over and borrowing, are processed in the right brain. Using both sides of the brain to add and subtract is faster than using just one side. The key to developing the use of both sides of the brain to add and subtract is the abacus, carefully following each step-by-step instruction in the book series.

What are the advantages to teaching Mental Math to a child? Based on evaluations of children who have learned the Mental Math method, children’s addition and subtraction skills are greatly improved.

First, addition and subtraction are no longer tedious activities for the children. When children begin learning the Mental Math method, they always ask, "Do we need pencil and paper?" When they are told "No!," they start to wonder how they will learn addition and subtraction without the pencils and paper. When children receive the abacus and discover they will use the abacus to add and subtract, addition and subtraction suddenly becomes a game, “played” on the abacus.

After two or three hours of learning (typically in sessions of 30 minutes length), the children can quickly solve problems such as 222 + 222 - 333 + 111. Usually, they will be as fast as adults. Their interest in learning math will grow, as well as their self-esteem, when they discover how much their skills have improved (and how easy it was).

Using the abacus helps the children to concentrate better on the problem. In order to move the abacus beads when the problem is read, children must listen carefully. They must move the correct beads on the abacus, based on the problem being solved. In order to solve the problem and not lose their place, children learn to concentrate fully on the problem. The Mental Math method involves seeing, hearing and touching the problem, and children will learn to coordinate the use of all three senses as they learn the math.

To illustrate, consider the problem, 222 + 333 - 111 to show how senses are coordinated. When the first number is read (222), the children hear the number, then look at the abacus to locate the correct digit positions (hundreds, tens and ones). They then move the correct number of beads in each position (two beads in each place). When the second number is read (“plus 333”), the children use the same sequence of actions to add 300 to 200 in the hundreds place, 30 to 20 in the tens place, and 3 to 2 in the ones place on the abacus. When the last part of the problem ("minus 111") is read, the children repeat the same sequence with the abacus (subtract 100 from 500 in the hundreds place, 10 from 50 in the tens place, and 1 from 5 in the ones place). In the process, children have used hearing, sight and finger manipulation.

Learning the Mental Math method helps children develop both sides of the brain. Usually the left side of the brain controls the right hand, and the right side of the brain controls the left hand. In “Explore the Secrets of Mental Math,” children learn how to use both hands when manipulating the abacus.

As children progress with the Mental Math method, they will also develop their memory, as the use of the abacus is reduced and use of the memory is increased. In the same problem above, when the first number (222) is read, the child has to memorize 222. When the next action ("add 333") is read, the child adds 333 to 222 in his or her head, then memorizes the sum (555). When the final action is read ("minus 111"), the child subtracts 111 from 555 and memorizes the result (444). While making the mental calculations, the child memorizes both the numbers and temporary answers, then mentally performs each subsequent process.

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