How early mental calculation and game-based practice can keep children engaged
Long before a child brings home a disappointing school report, parents and teachers start noticing how they learn. One child remembers an instruction straight away. Another needs to hear it again. Some are eager to try an unfamiliar task; others need a little encouragement to get started.
The early primary years give us time to pay attention to those differences. Once schoolwork becomes harder, the usual response to difficulties is more lessons: a child struggles with maths, so we arrange extra maths tuition. That can help with gaps in knowledge. But it is also worth asking whether the child needs practice in following instructions, remembering information, or working out what to do next.
I sometimes compare this to a car with a flat tyre. You can put a great deal of effort into pushing it, but pumping up the tyre first makes moving easier. In learning, too, adding more exercises is only part of the answer. We should also look at what would help a child work through them.
What mental arithmetic helps children practice?
Abacus-based learning combines numbers with visual images. Children practise perceiving and processing information, choosing a calculation technique, and using visual and auditory memory.
During a lesson, a child may see numbers on a screen or hear them read aloud. They have to take them in, remember the running total and choose the right calculation technique. When calculating mentally, they also hold an image of the abacus in mind. The exercises bring perception, information processing, decision-making, visual memory and auditory memory into the same activity. As children become more comfortable, we increase the challenge and work on speed alongside accuracy.
Music, chess and sport also offer valuable challenges. Mental arithmetic is one option that may capture a child’s interest and become part of their development.
Why we introduce mental calculation early
At AMAKids, we introduce mental visualisation from the first or second lesson, alongside work with the physical abacus. Children begin imagining the beads and their movements early in the course.
That means they get to try something that drew many families to mental arithmetic in the first place: calculating in their heads. In our teaching experience, the first signs of progress can appear within a month. Each child moves at their own pace, with age, starting level and regular practice all playing a part.
An app that supports regular practice
AMAKids provides a mobile app for home practice. Once homework has been downloaded, children can complete it for up to 14 days without an internet connection. This is useful when travelling or where connectivity is unreliable.
Practice takes place in a colourful, game-based environment. Medals, quests, competitions and new goals give children reasons to return to their exercises. They can follow their own achievements and take part in shared events with other learners.
A medal or a new quest gives a child something to look forward to when they open the app. The teacher still guides the learning, explains mistakes and adjusts the difficulty. The games give children another reason to keep practising between lessons.
For me, that willingness to come back matters. A good method needs regular practice, and practice is easier to sustain when children enjoy taking part.
Schools and education entrepreneurs in Ghana can explore partnership opportunities with AMAKids and request a demonstration of the methodology and platform, whether they are considering adding the programme to an existing school or opening a dedicated learning centre.
About the author
Volodymyr Fedyay is the Founder and Owner of AMAKids, an international children’s supplementary education network.
