FAQ (Frequently asked questions)

1. What is Indian Abacus?

   Abacus Mental Arithmetic Education for Brain Skills.

2. What is Abacus?

   Abacus is the tool used for counting / calculating. Since Abacus is a physical object with a frame and beads to count, calculating using abacus give us an objective experience. The beads & bead images are the objects to actually count. The bead images represent the numbers and values. That is, while calculating using abacus, the numbers are converted into beads/bead images and finally they are converted back into number / value Calculating using abacus therefore takes us from abstract to objective experience in counting / calculating.
   Children practicing to calculate using abacus over a period of time become so accustomed in doing it following the methodology adopted that they can internalize the abacus bead images and do the calculations very fast and accurate.

3. How does Indian Abacus help the children?

   The system uses the instrument (Indian Abacus-Non Digital / Indian Abacus-Digital) Abacus to teach children about basic mathematics in Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division and Brain Skills.

4. What are the major advantages over using Indian Abacus than learning the above basic mathematics in conventional methods?

   a) Removes the fear of Mathematics from the minds of the children.
   b) Ensures overall development of the children.

5. How the overall development by the children is ensured?

   Through observation and concentration, speed, accuracy, logical reasoning, diligence, sharpened memory, power of applications, analytical thinking, sound judgment, vision, imagination, discovery & self reliance.

6. What is the eligible age group for the children?

   5 to 14 years.

7. How many levels are there for completion of Indian Abacus course?

   There are 8 levels, level 1 to 8, each level span to three months (one Level). After completion of 8 levels, application level can be taken.

8. Any initial kit is supplied to children?

   Yes, A student kit comprising of an Indian Abacus, Starters Book A & B, Bag, T. Shirt, Pencil, Sharpener.

9. What is the cost of student kit & fee payable per student?

   Rs.900/- per kit, fee of Rs.600 per month for A class, Rs.450 per month for B class, and Rs.300 for C Class.

10. How many classes are conducted in a month and what is the duration of the class?

    The classes are 4 of 2 hours duration in a week.

11. Whether any home practice is necessary for the children?

    Yes, It is a must, Through constant home practice only, a child gains speed and accuracy.

12. Whether any certificate is issued after completion of a level?

    Yes; On completion of each level and on conducting an Assessment, a level completion certificate is issued when a child gets a minimum of 70% marks. The children can go to the next level only after completion of the previous level.

13. Whether a child can enter in any middle level?

    No, Any child has to enter in the first level only irrespective of their age in the age group of 5 to 14 years.

14. Whether any Course Completion certificate is issued?

    Yes; After completion of 8 levels, a Course Completion Certificate is issued. A Graduation Ceremony for those who have completed 8th level is also convened and a Graduation Certificate in Abacus and Mental Arithmetic is issued.

15. Can children participate in any other competitive examination?

    Yes, Children can participate annually (i) International level competition (ii) National level competition (iii) State level competitions (iv) International Grading Examination.

16. Any assessment for Application Level is conducted?

    No; Level completion certificates are issued after completion of each level.

17. How a Franchisee is appointed?

    A Franchisee is appointed on eligible terms and conditions an executing a Franchise Agreement for an initial period of 3 years on payment of prescribed fee which can be renewed for subsequent block of 3 years on payment of renewal fee.

18. What right is conferred on the Franchisee after signing the Agreement?

    The Franchisee, after signing the Franchise Agreement, becomes the licensed / authorised to conduct the business of Indian Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Education for younger children of age group 5 - 14 years.

19. What are the territory / area of operation for the Franchisee?

    The Franchisee can operate up to a maximum distance of 2 km radius.

20. What infrastructure the Franchisee has to provide?

    The franchisee has to provide classrooms with good furniture - Benches, Chairs, tables, Display Boards etc. besides an office room and toilet facility. A parents waiting hall and drinking water facilities are also to be provided.

21. What Display materials will be provided to Franchisees?

    The Franchisee centres are provided with Tutor Abacus, for a cost, which should be used for teaching. The copy of the Franchisee Certificate issued by the Global Head Office has to be displayed in the centre. The posters and other display materials will be supplied. After signing the Franchisee Agreement, we shall provide advertisement materials such as all Course materials, Street posters, Banners, Broachers, Promotional to Artwork CD, Posters, Stickers, Labels and other promotional materials in the form of a kit.

22. How Abacus Tutors are appointed and trained?

    Eligible Tutors can be appointed on payment of training fee for a period of 3 years by executing an agreement. It can be renewed after 3 years on payment of prescribed renewal fee. The Abacus Tutor is given a certificate of training, ID card, visiting card.

23. Whether the Franchise can open another centre?

    A franchisee can open an extension centre is any institution or in any place where a cluster of students are available, within a maximum distance of 1 to 1.25 kms radius.

24. All the amounts mentioned above are exclusive of Service Tax.

    Service Tax at applicable rate is to be added.

25. Why does Indian abacus admit children only in the age group of 5 to 14 years?

    It is scientifically proved that the growth of nerves and tissues is rapid only in this specific age group. Further it is also observed that 80 - 85 % of brain development happens only during this period. The Indian abacus and Mental Arithmetic programme, which is designed for brain skills, works extremely well for children in this age group. A child less than 5 years cannot be admitted because the program requires a student to be able to identify 1 to 9 objects. Similarly a 16-year child may not be able to appreciate the concept of thinking in pictures because he / she will be so used to looking at numbers the conventional way.

26. Does the Indian abacus programme affect the school curriculum?

    NO, the program, at all times, is designed to help the students. It, in no way, disturbs the school curriculum . A child would be able to verify the answers using Mental Arithmetic. Also the program is conducted during the weekends and imparts the skill at a consistent and steady speed which will ensure that the students can attend to regular school schedule without any disturbance.

27. Is there a crash course / summer course / correspondence course?

    NO, the key to this program lies in consistent and steady home practice. Though it is only one class per week, a student is expected to practice this everyday for about 10 to 15 minutes. This implies that the course can't be completed in a shorter span.

28. How does the Indian abacus and Mental Arithmetic Programme ensure the overall academic proficiency?

    The result of the Programme is not confined to arithmetic only. The concept of thinking in pictures leads to better understanding and enhanced memory, which is basic for all academic studies. Thus the results of this program can be witnessed in all subjects.

29. How does this program help children face competition?

    The basis of any competition is only speed and accuracy. Our programme helps the student achieve consistent accuracy and once this is achieved through constant practice the speed is improved. The accuracy and speed reflects on the memory of a child, which ensures that the child is accurate and fast in whatever he or she does.

30. What is "image abacus"?

    Image Abacus is a method of mental calculation based on the principles of abacus calculation. A virtual image of the abacus is formed in the mind and used to perform calculations at highly accelerated speed.

31. The global Head Office (Phone No: 0091- 44 - 26182396 / 2577 / 4577, Mobile 9444 952 532 / 7200 227 227, Email ID: [email protected] Website: www.indianabacus.com ⁄ www.indianabacus.in can be contacted for any further clarifications.

32. Which age group of children can be coached in Indian Abacus and how?

    Indian Abacus is used for coaching young children of the age group 5 – 13 years for doing Abacus Mental Arithmetic calculations – Mental Arithmetic by image of Abacus.  Indian Abacus is a calculating device (calculator) which can be used with finger manipulations by the children of the age group mentioned.

33. Which age group of children can be coached in Indian Abacus and how?

    The Indian Abacus(manual) does not require power to operate “The nimble fingers of a young child could manipulate the sliders for calculation purposes”. It is semi abstract and pictorial with colour display in representing numbers. Numbers/values are represented by the slider positions displaying colour images. This tool contains 17 vertical slots. Each slot contains totally 5 sliders. The bar within the frame runs horizontally and divides each slot into 2 parts. The sliders below the bar on each slot are called lower sliders. The slider above the bar on each slot is called upper slider. There are 4 lower sliders and 1 upper slider in each slot.

34. What is done on Indian Abacus to add or subtract and how values are represented on the Abacus?

    The value of each lower slider value position is 1 and upper slider value position is 5. Thus the total value on each slot could be a maximum of “9”.  Each slider gets value, only when moved towards the bar. To add a number, the slider is moved towards the bar and to subtract, it is moved away from the bar.

35. What is Indian Abacus Teachers version? What for it is used and Why & how?

    Indian Abacus - the bigger size is used by the Teachers, coaching the children in Abacus Mental Arithmetic. While the operation & methodology are the same for the Teacher’s Abacus, the Teacher’s Abacus is a bigger tool kept hung on the wall or supported on a stand to show working of the sliders moving them up and/or down with value positions displayed through colour projections.

36. Does Indian Abacus and the program benefit children only in Mental Arithmetic?

    Indian Abacus is used for Whole brain Development. The Abacus Mental Arithmetic training imparted to the young children result in Whole brain Development. It is enhancing of the capacity of the Left & Right brains and also to have highly effective co-ordination between them to bring about the best of result in any task.

37. What special brain skills do the children benefit from using Indian Abacus?

    Indian Abacus is used for training children of the age group mentioned for not only for fast & accurate arithmetic calculations (Speed & Accuracy) but also for developing better CONCENTRATION, VISUALIZATION (PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY), IMAGINATION, PICTURISATION SKILLS, apart from creativity. Children acquire through the training Presentation skills and become self confident and self-reliant.

38. Does Indian Abacus training enhance memory skills in a child?

    Indian Abacus through the training imparted to the children of the age group mentioned gain enhanced Visual, Auditory and Working memory.

39. Abacus manipulations to calculate, in general, is said to enhance concentration skills in children. Does it benefit Adults too?

    Indian Abacus can be used for better concentration levels of even the adults. Prolonged practice of Abacus computations enhances scope for increasing Concentration as a skill even to adults.

40. Are Indian Abacus and its methodology helpful for young children to understand number concepts and the number relations better?

    Usage of Indian Abacus helps very young children to learn the numbers, since the Indian Abacus enables conversion of semi-abstract numbers in to visual colour images, which are the value positions covered and/or uncovered by the sliders on the Indian Abacus, which move up and down.

41. What do the colour images in Indian Abacus indicate?

    The colour images, when the sliders moving up and down while manipulating with the fingers – are colour stickers glued / stuck on the appropriate positions to reveal the colour images, which have the specific number values. The colour stickers could be made in future using any alternate material. Colour images facilitate better visual stimulus and help in memory anchoring better.

42. How does the Indian Abacus compare with other conventional Abacus devices. Can the children using other existing Abacus devices change over to use Indian Abacus without any difficulty?

    Design of Indian Abacus – The design of the abacus is largely changed and Indian Abacus is actually many more times improved version of the Conventional (current) Abacus. Much care is taken to ensure that while the design changes are made to enhance the effectiveness of the results / benefits to the children who get trained in Abacus Mental Arithmetic using Indian Abacus for the purpose of Speed and Accuracy in Arithmetic calculations, the usage pattern & the methodology is unchanged, which is to ensure that the students now using the generic and current Abacus be easily essayed into a change to use the Indian Abacus in future to gain enhanced benefits / skills, since there are no disadvantages.

43. What is the special focus of Indian Abacus , which makes it score over the conventional Abaci?

    Design is mainly focused on the objective of better Visualization (photographic memory) through colour projection for the value positions moving the upper or the lower sliders up and / or down.

Indian Abacus

• Why Indian Abacus
• Preamble - Conceptual facts:
• Features, Advantages and Benefits
• Comparison
• Indian Abacus - Salient Features