Year 1 Textbook

The Learning Mathematics with the Abacus Year 1 text book is designed for beginners. The book covers basic numbers, addition and subtraction up to 100.

Contents

Unit 1: Know your abacus
• Identifying the different parts of the abacus
• Holding and using the abacus correctly
• Using the right fingering technique in moving the beads on the abacus
• Visualizing technique

Unit 2: Numbers 0 to 10
• Saying and recognizing number names 1 to 4, 5 to 9, 0 and 10
• Reading and writing number names and numerals
• Counting a group of objects up to 10
• Counting on and counting back in ones
• Comparing numbers
• Representing numbers 0 to 10 on the abacus
• Moving the beads up and down corresponding to the numbers

Unit 3: Addition with the highest total of 10
• Adding 1 to a number
• Saying number sentences for addition
• Using the abacus to move up beads for addition, step by step
• Identifying all possible pairs of numbers that total up to 5
• Identifying and using the "Little Friend" to add on the abacus
• Visualizing bead movements in addition of numbers
• Applying addition in solving simple real life problems

Unit 4: Subtraction within the range of 10
• Subtracting 1 from a number
• Saying number sentences for subtraction
• Using the abacus to move down beads for subtraction, step by step
• Using the "Little Friend" to subtract on the abacus
• Visualizing bead movements in subtraction of numbers
• Applying subtraction in solving simple real life problems

Unit 5: Numbers up to 20
• Saying and recognizing number names up to 20
• Reading and writing number names and numerals up to 20
• Counting a group of objects up to 20
• Identifying place value for ones and tens on the abacus
• Representing numbers in tens and ones
• Representing numbers up to 20 on the abacus
• Moving the beads up and down corresponding to the numbers

Unit 6: Addition with the highest total of 18
• Using the abacus to move up beads for addition, step by step
• Identifying all possible pairs of numbers that total up to 10
• Identifying and using the "Big Friend" to add on the abacus
• Using the "Little Friend" to help the "Big Friend" to add numbers
• Visualizing bead movements in addition of numbers
• Applying addition in solving simple real life problems

Unit 7: Subtraction within the range of 18
• Using the abacus to move down beads for subtraction, step by step
• Using the "Big Friend" to subtract on the abacus
• Using the "Little Friend" to help the "Big Friend" to subtract numbers
• Visualizing bead movements in subtraction of numbers
• Applying subtraction in solving simple real-life problems

Unit 8: Numbers up to 100
• Saying and recognizing number names up to 100
• Reading and writing number names and numerals up to 100
• Identifying place value for hundreds on the abacus
• Representing numbers up to 100 on the abacus

top

 

Abacus in Elementary Math Classrooms

Starting in 2005, the Ministry of Education of Malaysia has made learning mathematics with the abacus mandatory in all public schools in Malaysia. More than half a million pupils nationwide are already using the abacus in their mathematics classes.

Thousands of pupils are using "Learning Mathematics with the Abacus", a series of books highly recommended by the Director General of Education in Malaysia's Ministry of Education, as well by curriculum specialists, mental arithmetic tutors and academicians nationwide.

Many mental arithmetic learning centers worldwide are franchises of mental arithmetic institutions that originated in Malaysia. Millions of mental arithmetic students around the world use the abacus as a learning tool to advance their skills. Their training materials focus mainly on using the abacus in calculations, with the assumption that they already know the concept of numbers and basic calculations.

Unlike those abacus programs, which require prior math knowledge, Learning Mathematics with the Abacus books, focuses on understanding basic math concepts and solving simple real-life problems with the help of the abacus.

In Learning Mathematics with the Abacus Year 1, the abacus is introduced at the same time as the concept of numbers. This way, pupils automatically absorb the effectiveness of the abacus, a tool for mastering mental arithmetic skills, as early as possible, in accordance with Malaysia's Mathematics Syllabus for Elementary Schools.

Activities in these books have been carefully designed and structured by our panel of academicians, curriculum specialists and instructional designers so that pupils not only learn mathematics effectively, but also develop the ability to perform calculations mentally.

By integrating the usage of abacus as early as possible, these books provide an excellent foundation towards mastering Mental Arithmetic.

In Learning Mathematics with the Abacus Year 2, the same concept is expanded to adding and subtracting with numbers up to 1000. Instead of just adding and subtracting two numbers students progress to adding and subtracting three numbers as well as a combination of addition and subtraction for problem-solving. The concepts of multiplication and division, and how to represent them on the abacus, are also introduced.