Bartlett Library, children learn how to use abacus to perform mental math

On March 30, children in grades 2-5 joined the Bartlett Library for a fun and educational math program where they learned how to use an abacus to do mental math.

Mala Mohanty from ALOHA (Abacus Learning of Higher Arithmetic) taught children the benefits of performing mental math.

The program opened up with Mohanty asking the children if any of them have seen or heard of an abacus before. Most of them raised their hands, showing that they had previous knowledge of the instrument. Mohanty explained that an abacus is the world's oldest calculating tool.

When she asked the children, "Whose brain is working when you use a calculator to perform math? Your brain or the calculator's?" The children answered with "The calculator's!"

Using mental math increases focus and attention, rather than just simply using a calculator. While picturing the abacus in their heads, children's brains are developing.

The abacus is constructed into sections: The frame, upper beads, center and then the lower beads. In order for any of the beads to hold a numerical value, they have to touch the center. So, when there are no beads connected to the center, the value is zero.

Mohanty explained that the lower beads represent single numbers and the upper beads have a value of five for each one. After explaining this, she gave the children an example of how the abacus works by using place values.

Once everyone had an understanding of moving the beads in order to show certain numbers, they went up to the abacus to try it out. After that is when they started to do addition and subtraction using the beads.

Now that they knew how to move the beads in order to perform math problems, Mohanty taught them how to picture an abacus in their minds to move imaginary beads while holding their hand out in front of them, making the motion of moving the beads. After learning how to do the mental math, each of the children was brought up to the front of the room to face the rest of the attendees. Behind the child at the front was a white board where Mohanty wrote a math problem such as "4-3+2-3+1+1+2-4=" and read it aloud for the child at the front to solve. Once they performed the mental math, each child would answer the questions and were applauded when they got the correct answer, which mostly everyone got on the first try.

If your child missed this program, our next upcoming STEM program at the Bartlett Library is "Science Kids: The Science of Sound" at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 9. Grades one-two explore the science of sound with a variety of hands-on activities. Registration required.

For information and a complete listing of scheduled programs, call (630) 837-2855 or visit www.bartlettlibrary.org.