Oral counting in the mind. The most effective mental counting method for kids

All about the benefits of mental counting for development, the main methods of mastering mental counting for children of preschool and primary school age. Games and secrets of successful classes.

From the rest of the living world, a person is distinguished by intellectual superiority. In order for it to become obvious not only to oneself, but also to others, the brain must be constantly trained. One of the methods of brain training is mental counting.

The best age to start learning

Most experts believe that the best age is between 3 and 5 years. By the age of 4, the baby is easily able to master elementary arithmetic operations (addition and subtraction). By the age of five, a child can easily learn to solve simple examples and problems.

Preparation for training

First of all, the child must form the concept of number. For a toddler, this category is an abstract concept. At first, it is difficult for a child to explain what a number or figure is.

Anything can be chosen as a learning material: favorite cubes, balls, soft toys, cars, etc. It is important that the baby understands that you can not only play with them, but it is possible to count them.

This should not be in the form of a boring and intrusive lesson, the child simply will not understand it. Everything should look like a game, as if "by the way."

It is important not to miss the time when the child perceives everything as an exciting game, then learning will become a pleasant experience for him.

Do not forget the main thing correctly - classes should be interesting and bring pleasure!

How to teach?

• Teaching a child the basics of mathematical counting should take place only in a playful way and if the child wishes.
• Learning to count should be carried out in a fun way and continuously (every day). The visual and tactile memory of the baby is involved.
• Classes should be built in a clear algorithm and have a system. Suppose, first, the understanding of “one” and “many” is consolidated, then “more” and “less”.
• It is important to explain the difference between the concepts of "greater than", "less than", "equal to".
• In a playful way, for example, going down the stairs, teach the child the ordinal score from 1 to 10;
• Show the child on objects how the spoken numbers correlate with the actual quantity;
• Try to explain to the child in elementary life situations how the number of objects increases or decreases, for example, another car came to one car, it turned out two cars, etc.

Learning to count up to 10

It is necessary to introduce an understanding of quantity into the daily life of the child, for this it is necessary to constantly focus on objects, with a mention of their number.

It is useful to learn counting rhymes with a child, verses in which numbers are mentioned.

To teach a child to count from 1 to 10, it is necessary to use various teaching materials.

Currently, there are many animated educational videos in which, in a form understandable to the child, favorite cartoon characters play and teach the child to count.

Here the visual memory of the child is used, information is also perceived by ear.

Expert opinion

By imitating the actions of cartoon characters, the baby learns to count. You should also use printed manuals.

It can be helpful in preparing for learning to count up to 10 by making learning material together with your child. You can cut out circles or cubes together, and then count them. Joint creative tasks, in addition to learning, contribute to family reunification.

Simple tasks will help the baby not only depict the above numbers and form an idea about them, but also train fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and attention.

Learning to count up to 20

In addition to the mechanical method of memorizing further counting, by the same methods as those used when studying counting from 1 to 10, the child needs to explain the concepts of “ten” and “one”.

Expert opinion

Klimenko Natalya Gennadievna - psychologist

Practicing psychologist at municipal antenatal clinic

Everything should be in the form of a game, not a boring activity. To do this, you can take 20 sweets and 2 boxes. It is necessary to offer the child in one box, counting aloud, add 10 sweets.

An adult must tell the baby that this is called a "ten". Having moved an empty box to the box with a “ten”, you need to put the rest of the sweets in there one by one, and say the count aloud: 11, 12, 13, and so on up to 20.

This game can be accompanied by a demonstration of cards on which the numbers being studied will be depicted.

It is important to explain to the child that after 10, all numbers will consist of two digits.

The first of which is "ten" (the first box of sweets), and the second one (the second box of sweets).

The child must understand the system by which all the numbers go one after the other: 11 after 10, 12 after 11, etc.

We need to continue to actively use educational cartoons, counting rhymes, songs, coloring pages with tasks, etc. - all that was used in the study of counting from 1 to 10.

When the child has an understanding of “tens” and “ones”, then you can master the count further up to 100.

Remember to pay attention to others

Teaching methods at different ages

For children 2-3 years old

It is necessary to instill in the child in a playful way an understanding of the account and the initial skills of applying it to objects. For example, we count fingers on one pen, we ask you to bring one, two ... items. We instill the concepts: "a lot", "little", "big", "small".

For children 4-5 years old

You need to use the desire of the baby to help parents in household chores.

Putting the toys together in a box, you can count them or ask the child to serve one or more plates from the table.

Gradually, the baby should form the concept of “one” and “many”, “less”, “more”, “wider”, “already”.

Also, unobtrusively, the baby needs to be introduced to the understanding of the shape of objects: a round ball or a square cube, etc.

Contact training is much more effective, at this moment the baby feels the object, several zones of perception of the object are turned on and learning is easier.

Toddlers compare "many" and "one". Different objects need to be compared in order to develop an understanding of their properties, without overloading the baby with the characteristics of the object. Gradually, the child must himself combine different objects on the same basis (small - large, long - short).

In the classroom, gaming techniques and didactic games are widely used (it is proposed to superimpose objects on pictures, sample cards, etc.).

For children 5-6 years old

Children learn to compare adjacent sets element by element, that is, compare sets that differ in the number of elements by one.

The main methods are superposition, application, comparison. As a result of this activity, children must learn to establish equality from inequality by adding one element, that is, increasing, or removing, that is, reducing, the set.

For 1st grade students

First of all, the child learns to count in groups of 2, 3, 5, gradually he is led to an understanding of the decimal system of calculus.

At this age, much attention is paid to oral counting, for which educational methods with a game bias are used.

The technique allows the operation of addition and subtraction within 100 to be brought to automaticity, moreover, in the mind.

The most interesting tricks

1. A child of preschool and primary school age gets tired quickly, so the ability to count must be taught in a playful way.
2. The kid may not learn the material for a long time, you can not be nervous and scream, insult the child.
3. The child should be encouraged for success with praise.
4. Classes should be regular and frequent, with a clearly defined goal.
5. It is necessary to choose a method of classes based on their individual characteristics of the child.

How to learn to quickly count in the mind of an adult

• Learn to focus on the details and mentally pronounce them.
• You should not resort to a calculator to solve elementary mathematical problems, for example, in a store. Mathematical operations have their own characteristics, but they are not difficult. You need to figure it out once, and then train. This should happen systematically 5-10 times a day.
• Master simple mental counting techniques and set yourself daily tasks to train your brain. There are many mobile applications on the Internet with brain training tasks.

In the next video, a mathematician will tell you how you can learn to count in your mind.

Why do we need a mental account, if it is the 21st century in the yard, and all kinds of gadgets are capable of almost instantly performing any arithmetic operations? You can even not poke your finger at the smartphone, but give a voice command - and immediately get the right answer. Now even elementary school students who are too lazy to independently divide, multiply, add and subtract are doing this successfully.

But this medal also has a downside: scientists warn that if you don’t train, don’t load it with work and make it easier for him, he starts to be lazy, he is reduced. In the same way, without physical training, our muscles also weaken.

Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov spoke about the benefits of mathematics, calling it the most beautiful of sciences: “Mathematics is already worth loving because it puts the mind in order.”

The oral account develops attention, speed of reaction. No wonder there are more and more new methods of quick oral counting, designed for both children and adults. One of them is the Japanese oral counting system, which uses the ancient Japanese soroban abacus. The technique itself was developed in Japan 25 years ago, and now it is successfully used in some of our schools of oral counting. It uses visual images, each of which corresponds to a certain number. Such training develops the right hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for spatial thinking, building analogies, etc.

It is curious that in just two years, students of such schools (children aged 4–11 years old are accepted here) learn to perform arithmetic operations with 2-digit, or even 3-digit numbers. Kids who do not know multiplication tables here know how to multiply. They add and subtract large numbers without writing down their column. But, of course, the goal of training is the balanced development of the right and.

You can also master mental arithmetic with the help of the problem book “1001 tasks for mental arithmetic at school”, compiled back in the 19th century by a village teacher and well-known educator Sergey Alexandrovich Rachinsky. This problem book is supported by the fact that it went through several editions. This book can be found and downloaded online.

People who practice quick counting recommend Yakov Trakhtenberg's book "Quick Counting System". The history of this system is very unusual. In order to survive in the concentration camp where he was sent by the Nazis in 1941, and not to lose his mental clarity, the Zurich professor of mathematics began to develop algorithms for mathematical operations that allow him to quickly calculate in his head. And after the war, he wrote a book in which the quick counting system is presented in such a clear and accessible way that it is still in demand.

Good reviews about the book by Yakov Perelman “Quick Count. Thirty Simple Examples of Oral Counting. The chapters in this book are devoted to multiplication by single and double digits, in particular, multiplying by 4 and 8, 5 and 25, by 11/2, 11/4, *, dividing by 15, squaring, calculating by formula.

The simplest ways of oral counting

People with certain abilities will quickly master this skill, namely: the ability to think logically, the ability to concentrate and store several images in short-term memory at the same time.

Equally important is the knowledge of special action algorithms and some mathematical laws that allow, as well as the ability to choose the most effective for a given situation.

And, of course, you can not do without regular training!

The most common quick counting methods are as follows:

1. Multiplying a two-digit number by a one-digit number

Multiplying a two-digit number by a one-digit number is easiest by decomposing it into two components. For example, 45 - by 40 and 5. Next, we multiply each component by the desired number, for example, by 7, separately. We get: 40 × 7 = 280; 5 × 7 = 35. Then add the results: 280 + 35 = 315.

2. Multiply a three-digit number

Multiplying a three-digit number in your mind is also much easier if you decompose it into its components, but presenting the multiplicand in such a way that it is easier to perform mathematical operations with it. For example, we need to multiply 137 by 5.

We represent 137 as 140 - 3. That is, it turns out that now we must multiply by 5 not 137, but 140 - 3. Or (140 - 3) x 5.

Knowing the multiplication table within 19 x 9, you can count even faster. We decompose the number 137 into 130 and 7. Then we multiply by 5, first 130, and then 7, and add the results. So 137 x 5 = 130 x 5 + 7 x 5 = 650 + 35 = 685.

You can decompose not only the multiplicand, but also the multiplier. For example, we need to multiply 235 by 6. We get six by multiplying 2 by 3. Thus, we first multiply 235 by 2 and get 470, and then we multiply 470 by 3. Total 1410.

The same operation can be performed differently by representing 235 as 200 and 35. It turns out 235 × 6 = (200 + 35) × 6 = 200 × 6 + 35 × 6 = 1200 + 210 = 1410.

In the same way, decomposing numbers into components, you can perform addition, subtraction and division.

3. Multiply by 10

Everyone knows how to multiply by 10: just add zero to the multiplicand. For example, 15 × 10 = 150. Based on this, it is no less easy to multiply by 9. First, we add 0 to the multiplicand, that is, we multiply it by 10, and then subtract the multiplicand from the resulting number: 150 × 9 = 150 × 10 = 1500 − 150 = 1350.

4. Multiply by 5

It is easy to multiply by 5. You just need to multiply the number by 10, and divide the resulting result by 2.

5. Multiply by 11

It is interesting to multiply two-digit numbers by 11. Let's take, for example, 18. Let's mentally expand 1 and 8, and write the sum of these numbers between them: 1 + 8. We get 1 (1 + 8) 8. Or 198.

6. Multiply by 1.5

If you need to multiply some number by 1.5, divide it by two and add the resulting half to the whole: 24 × 1.5 = 24 / 2 + 24 = 36.

These are just the simplest ways of mental counting, with the help of which we can train our brain in everyday life. For example, counting the cost of purchases while standing in line at the checkout. Or perform mathematical operations with the numbers on the numbers of cars passing by. Those who like to "play" with numbers and want to develop their mental abilities can refer to the books of the above-mentioned authors.

It is not difficult to learn how to quickly count in your mind, it only requires experience and training. The ability to operate with complex numbers increases the level of control over many life processes, makes a person more collected and organized. Also, a quick count in the mind allows you to escape from sad thoughts, improves memory, attention and a sense of self-confidence.

Features and Benefits of Quick Mental Counting

Practically every educated person can now operate in the mind with numbers up to 20. However, it is already difficult to make mental calculations with values ​​that have three numbers or more. This can only be done by those who regularly perform mathematical operations in their minds, such as mathematicians, scientists, accountants, etc.

How to master the same quick counting skills as these specialists? This is not something impossible. Each of us has a natural ability to do this. For some, they are developed to a greater extent, others need to be trained a little. Tasks for training can be found freely available on the Internet. You can develop your own methodology that will take into account all personal characteristics and help you quickly master the necessary skills.

In order to succeed in this business, the following basic rules must be observed:

• regular workouts

First you need to develop your own training regimen, and then, if you really want to achieve impressive results, strictly follow it. During the first month, training should be done once a day for 10-15 minutes. It is not recommended to do them longer, because you can get very tired and cool this activity.

If it is difficult, then you can take a break for one or two days. Take your time, learn the technique at your own pace. Learning to count quickly is like learning poetry. If something doesn’t work right away, then don’t back down, keep practicing and success will not keep you waiting.

• mindfulness and concentration

This is a very important point when learning the fast counting technique. First of all, you need to remember the algorithm for working with complex numbers. Then, in the process of training, he will be remembered, and it will not be difficult to perform an action in the mind even with three- and four-digit numbers.

Try not to be distracted by extraneous matters so as not to overload the brain with unnecessary information and quickly master the necessary skills.

• compliance with the training regimen

This is one of the foundations of success. Only patience and regular work on yourself will allow you to get what you want. Make a schedule for what time you will practice. You can even mark there information about the exercise performed every day.

• motivation

It is also one of the keys to success, when a person sees a goal in front of him, he will strive to achieve it, even if this requires the acquisition of certain skills and abilities.

• patience

In any business, to achieve success, you need patience and perseverance, even if everything does not work out right away. All people are different, someone needs more time to acquire these skills, someone less. The main thing is not to give up after the first setbacks.

Also, before starting training, you must consider the following key points:

• natural ability

Not all people are naturally endowed with a mathematical mindset, so it will take them a little longer to master the speed counting algorithms. Just do not make this fact the main excuse not to learn the technique.

• knowledge and understanding of mathematical algorithms

This is necessary in order to further make quick calculations in the mind according to a pre-learned scheme.

• nutrition

During the period of intense mental training, you should include in your diet foods for nourishing the brain, for example, walnuts, honey, and fruits are good.

Using these skills, it will be very pleasant to carry out mental counting operations without resorting to the use of a calculator and other means of calculation.

Basic techniques

There are many ways to develop mental counting skills. Everyone can choose the most convenient for themselves. There are four operations with numbers: addition, multiplication, subtraction, division.

It is enough to understand the algorithm once in order to develop the necessary skills later. It will be enough to train 10-15 minutes a day, and then periodically maintain the acquired abilities with episodic training. The first results will be noticeable in half a month, and in two or three months you will be able to reach a decent account level.

• quick addition technique

This is the easiest level to start with when training. It's best to start with two-digit numbers. For example, you need to add the numbers 23 and 51. First, add the tens: 20+50 = 70, then add the remainder 3+1=4 to the resulting amount. As a result, we get the number 74.

Mastering the addition of multi-digit numbers is also not difficult. For example, let's add 342 and 741. To do this, we divide these numbers into digits 300, 40, 2 and 700, 40 and 1, respectively. Then, by analogy with two-digit numbers, we begin to add in our minds: 300 + 700 = 1000, 40 + 40 = 80, 2 + 1 = 3, then add 1000 + 80 + 3 = 1083.

• technique for fast subtraction

Just like with addition, subtracting two values ​​is not difficult. Let's start with two-digit numbers, for example, we need to subtract the number 23 from 35. Let's also start with the digits: 30-20 \u003d 10, 5-3 \u003d 2, then add the resulting values ​​​​10 + 2 and get the desired number 12.

Subtracting multi-digit numbers is also easy, for example, subtract the number 154 from 377. To do this, we divide the digital values ​​into digits 300, 70, 7 and 100, 50 and 4, respectively.

Subtract 300-100 = 200, 70-50 = 20, 7-4 = 3, then add the resulting numbers: 200+20+3 = 223.

In the same way, you can subtract the numbers l in your mind with a higher bit depth.

• technique for fast multiplication

This procedure can be greatly facilitated by learning the multiplication table. We know that multiplication is a simplification of the operation of addition. For example, 3 * 6 = 18, but in fact this is the sum of three sixes. When multiplying, you can also use the bit depth technique, for example, you need to find the product of 42 * 3. First 2*3 = 6, 4*3 =12, then we combine these numbers, putting the last before the first, i.e. we get the number 126. This algorithm is suitable for calculating the product of two-digit numbers.

When multiplying a three-digit number in the mind, the technique will be slightly different. For example, we need to multiply 421 and 372. Here we have to apply addition. We multiply 421 in turn by each digit of the second number: 421 * 2 = 842, 421 * 7 = 2942, 421 * 3 = 1263, then add these numbers, observing the bit depth with an offset: 2000 + 1000 = 120000, 800 + 900 + 200 = 29800 , 40+40+60=6440, 2+7+3 = 372, as a result we get the number 156612.

When multiplying three-digit numbers, you need to be especially careful not to make a mistake with the addition of digits in your mind.

• rapid division technique

The division of single and double digit numbers in the mind is carried out according to a simple principle using the multiplication table. For example, we need to divide 35 by 5, remembering the multiplication table, we know in advance that the result will be 7.

Dividing multi-digit numbers is a little more difficult. For example, we divide 345 by 5, we also do this taking into account the bit depth: 300/5 \u003d 60, 45/5 \u003d 9, then add 60 + 9 and get the desired number 69.

As far as you can see, the principle of making any calculations in the mind is based on the principle of bit depth.

Need to know

Acquiring the ability to quickly count in the mind is a significant advantage for the individual, since only a limited number of people have such skills. However, the following points must be taken into account:

• regularly maintain acquired skills;
• speak aloud mathematical operations during training;
• do not overdo it.

The road will be mastered by the walking one. Only with due patience and motivation, it is possible to keep the ability of quick mathematical calculation in the mind for a long time.

Learning to count quickly in your mind is not an impossible task. Everyone can master the technique of fast mathematical calculations, this requires perseverance, concentration and regular training. There are many ways to get this skill, everyone can choose for themselves the one that they like the most. The implementation of fast computational operations in the mind is based on the principle of bit depth.

Quite often, parents are faced with the task of teaching a child to count. It may seem that there is nothing difficult in this, but for a small child it can sometimes be very difficult to learn how to count. Toddlers, as a rule, tend to remember only what they are interested in, so adults should try to interest the baby first, then the process of acquiring new knowledge will be much easier.

What is the best age to start teaching your child to count?

It is best to start teaching children to count at a time when their brain is very actively developing. This usually happens before the age of 6-7 years. It is important for parents to start developing numeracy skills in the child even before they enter school.

Children at an early age, as soon as they start talking, show interest in counting. Parents need to maintain this interest with the help of special educational games.

Basic rules for learning to count

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If you want to teach your baby to count, you must adhere to the main rules of learning:

1. The amount of information received by the child. Classes should be done three times a day, the duration of each of which should not exceed 10 minutes. Thus, the child will not get tired of the abundance of information, the interest in new knowledge will not disappear.
2. Do not repeat the material covered every day. It is better to remember it only in those cases when the accumulated knowledge is required to solve more difficult tasks.
3. Do not give your child too difficult tasks. Do not scold the child if he fails to achieve the desired result. It may be that it is really difficult for him to cope with the task at hand. Give your child tasks that they can solve.
4. Apply the acquired knowledge in everyday life. Engage your child more often in counting everything that is around: cars, birds on a tree, the number of plates on the table, buses on the road, etc.
5. Follow the order of the steps. According to psychologists, the process of acquiring new knowledge in a child consists of three stages: the stage of getting used to, the stage of understanding the information received, memorizing the material.

The most important thing is not to rush the baby. Be patient, communicate with the baby more often, compare objects when talking, talk about numbers, provide support and help in gaining knowledge.

You can also teach a child to count on a walk, where remarkable interesting objects come across.

Baby teaching methods

To teach a child the correct calculation in the mind, you must use the following methods:

1. Fingers. This method is one of the most popular among parents. Its essence lies in counting the fingers on the hands. The method helps to develop the baby's visual memory, hand motor skills, and also promotes rapid learning to count objects.
2. Account material. Ideal for teaching a toddler to count examples. As a material, ordinary toys or certain developmental kits are suitable. When choosing such a set, give preference to brighter and more colorful ones, make sure that they are made from environmentally friendly and safe materials.
3. Developing children's books (we recommend reading:). At the moment, the stores offer a huge assortment of interesting books for the development of a preschool child. Try to choose a textbook written in a simple and understandable language for the baby, so that in your absence he can continue to learn to count objects himself.

Make sure that the child's brain does not reboot during classes. Too much information can tire the baby and will not bring the desired result. At the beginning of classes, teach him to count examples up to 10, devote no more than 10-15 minutes to this, in the future you can work with your baby for up to 30 minutes. During each new lesson, review the previously covered material.

Learning to count up to 10

You can start teaching your baby to count up to 10 as early as two or three years. First, he must learn to count up to 5, and then up to 10. At this age, kids already know that they have two legs and that means they need to wear two socks. At 3-4 years old, you can give your child more complex tasks. The most important thing is that the child begins to understand the meaning of the words "equally", "more", "less". You can give him simple examples: “Masha had three tangerines, and Katya had two. Which girl has more fruit and which one has less?

To make it easier for your baby to master counting to 10, invite him to count his fingers. Give the baby the task of adding 2 + 1, let him raise one finger on his left hand and two on his right, and then count the total number of fingers raised.

The same manipulations can be carried out so that the baby learns to subtract: the child bends several fingers, and then counts the number of fingers remaining in the raised position. The same can be done with various objects: pencils, pens, etc.

Learning to count up to 20

When the baby learns to count up to 10, proceed to learning to count up to 20. Cars on the streets are well suited as material for counting. On the way to kindergarten, you can offer to count their number. When the child has mastered the lesson well, try to count the cars in reverse order.

It can be quite difficult for a kid to add numbers from 1 to 20, so classes should be carried out with a game bias. For example, you can say: the eight decided to add three to itself. She first took a deuce from a three and turned into a ten. Three became one. How much will it be if the eight adds three to itself?

Your baby's brain needs daily exercise. If the baby at an early age begins to engage in mental counting, then he will have well-developed mental abilities.

Learning to count

When your baby is 5 years old, try to wean him from using counting material, including your fingers. Let him learn mental counting. If at first it helped him a lot, then in the future it will only interfere with the process of acquiring new knowledge.

After five years, children must be taught to add and subtract numbers up to 10 on the machine, i.e. you need to ensure that the baby remembers the results of calculations. To achieve these goals, the use of mathematical chains helps a lot. Do not forget that in the process of obtaining knowledge, the game character should be preserved. For large numbers, there are separate methods.

Learning to count in grade 1

For every kid there comes an important moment in life - he goes to 1st grade. This is the time when the basis of all knowledge about the future is formed. In the first grade, the child has a change of activity, but the peculiarity of learning everything through games does not disappear. The kid tries on the role of a student, develops self-organization skills. He needs to master the skills of planning his work, monitoring and evaluating his actions, communicating with peers and the teacher.

First-graders pay much attention to oral work. To teach first-graders to count in their minds and consolidate their previously acquired knowledge, teachers use some methods with a game bias:

1. Zaitsev's cube method. It is a very common method of a gaming nature, the purpose of which is to quickly learn to count. Toddlers are gaining knowledge with great interest using cubes. The essence of the method is to use several tables, with the help of which children learn to add and subtract numbers in the mind much easier and faster. This method can also be used by parents during developmental activities with a child at preschool age. The set of Zaitsev's cubes has a training manual and a CD with songs, which makes the process of acquiring new knowledge very interesting and simple.
2. Glenn Doman method. This method consists in the fact that children learn to count using special cards that show dots. The method allows you to develop the visual memory of the baby, and the ability to count the number of objects.

Teachers in their practice can also use other methods of teaching counting, so it is advisable for parents to clarify in advance how the learning process will take place at school. To achieve a high result, experts advise not to use different teaching methods - this may not have the best effect on the child.

The Doman technique can also be used for an early age, but during preparation for school it is especially effective.

Learning to count in 2nd grade

The next important test for the baby is admission to the second grade. Some teachers follow the implementation of only the school curriculum and do not pay due attention to the learning process of their students. It turns out that the child seems to know how to add and subtract, but at the same time he is unable to understand why another number is obtained from one number.

In mathematics, it is very important to follow the sequence of actions and train your memory regularly. Only in this case, the baby will be able to confidently count two-digit numbers in his mind.

If parents are faced with the problem of their child's poor performance at school, teachers advise to study more with him at home. Examples for homework:

1. Add up two-digit numbers 30 + 34 in your mind. You can invite the baby to break 34 into 30 and 4. So it will be easier for the baby to complete the addition. Train your visual memory as often as possible while doing everyday activities.
2. Perform addition 40 + 35. Some children find it much easier to do backward addition. To do this, you need to round the smaller number to the nearest ten: 40 + 40. Then just subtract the extra part: 80-5=75.
3. Practice adding and subtracting simple examples in your head. For example: 2+3 or 2+2. Then start to complicate the tasks: 3+7=10, 10-2=8, 10-8=2. If the baby is good at solving simple problems, then tasks with two-digit and three-digit numbers will not be difficult for him.
4. If the child has a rich imagination, you can invite him to count objects or animals in his mind. Each baby is individual, so parents should choose the most appropriate teaching method based on their characteristics.

Mental counting will be easier to master for a dreamer child who will replace boring numbers with animals or toys

Do not think that the desired result will be achieved quickly, be patient. It is not so easy for a kid to learn how to count, as it might seem at first glance.

Experts advise to adhere to the following recommendations:

• Watch during classes how the baby reacts to the learning process. If he is bored and uninterested, it is better to try a different technique.
• Do not force the baby to study against his will. Thus, you will not achieve the desired result.
• Do not be nervous during classes and do not scold the baby.
• Review what you have learned regularly.
• Praise your child for every achievement.

Teaching a child to count quickly is not so difficult (we recommend reading :). It's just that parents need to approach this with all responsibility, show love, patience and understanding for the baby, then the result will not be long in coming.

Clinical and perinatal psychologist, graduated from the Moscow Institute of Perinatal and Reproductive Psychology and Volgograd State Medical University with a degree in Clinical Psychology

Recently, a new methodology for the development of intelligence has begun to gain popularity in Russia. Instead of the usual chess sections, parents send their children to schools of mental arithmetic. How kids are taught to count in their minds, how much such classes cost and what experts say about them - in the material "AiF-Volgograd".

What is mental arithmetic?

Mental arithmetic is a Japanese technique for developing a child's intellectual abilities using calculations on special "soroban" accounts, sometimes called "abacus".

“By performing actions with numbers in the mind, children imagine these scores and in a split second mentally add, subtract, multiply and divide any number, even three-digit, even six-digit,” says Natalia Chaplieva, teacher of the Volga club in which children are taught according to this method.

According to her, when children are just learning all these actions, they count the numbers directly on the soroban, touching the bones with their fingers. Then they gradually move from the account to the "mental map" - a picture depicting them. At this stage of learning, they stop touching the abacus and begin to imagine in their minds how they move the bones on it. Then, the children stop using the mental map as well, starting to visualize the soroban completely.

Soban accounts. Photo: AiF / Eugene Strokan

“We recruit children from 4 to 12 years old in groups. At this age, the brain is most plastic, the child absorbs information like a sponge, and therefore easily masters the teaching methods. It is much more difficult for an adult to learn mental counting, ”says Ekaterina Grigoryeva, teacher of the mental arithmetic club.

How much does it cost?

The abacus has a rectangular frame containing 23-31 knitting needles, each of which has 5 bones strung together, separated by a crossbar. Above it is one knuckle, which means "five", and below it - 4 knuckles, denoting units.

It is necessary to move the bones only with two fingers - thumb and forefinger. Soroban counting starts from the very first needle on the right. It stands for units. The needle to the left of it is tens, the one following it is hundreds, and so on.

Soroban is not sold in regular stores. You can buy these accounts online. Depending on the number of knitting needles and material, the price of a soroban can range from 170 to 1,000 rubles.

At the first stage, children are engaged in accounts. Photo: AiF / Eugene Strokan

If you don’t want to spend money on bills at all, you can download a free application for your phone - an online simulator that imitates an abacus.

Mental arithmetic classes for children in Volgograd cost about 500-600 rubles per hour. You can buy a subscription for 8 lessons for 4,000 rubles and 16 lessons for 7,200 rubles. Classes are held 2 times a week. The Volga school gives out abacuses, mental maps and notebooks to children for free, their students can take them home. At the end of the course, the child can keep a soroban as a keepsake.

Children have to learn mental arithmetic for about 1-2 years, depending on their abilities.

Tasks for students. Photo: AiF / Eugene Strokan

If you don't have the money to attend a special school, you can try looking for video tutorials on YouTube. True, some of them are posted on the website by organizations that provide lessons for money for the purpose of self-promotion. Their videos are very short - 3 minutes long. With the help of them, you can learn the basics of mental arithmetic, but nothing more.

What do the experts say about it?

Teachers who conduct classes in mental arithmetic are confident that training is worth the money spent on it.

“Mental arithmetic develops well the imagination, creativity of the child, his thinking, memory, fine motor skills, attentiveness, perseverance. Its classes are aimed at ensuring that the child develops both hemispheres at the same time, which is very important, because the traditional preparation of the child for school develops only the right hemisphere of the brain. teacher Natalia Chaplieva.

Psychologist Natalya Oreshkina believes that in the case of children 4-5 years old, mental arithmetic classes will be effective only if they take place in a playful way.

“Children of this age generally can hardly concentrate for such a time, unless we are talking about watching a cartoon,” the expert says. - But if the lesson is built in a playful way, if the children study on the abacus, decorate something, then they will acquire knowledge while being in their natural environment - in the game. In addition, children should not be hard, do not exceed the permissible load level. For example, for 4-year-olds, classes should go no more than 30 minutes. I can say that mental arithmetic for children is very interesting. But if a child lags behind his peers in some way, then such activities will be too difficult for him. If a child does not have an internal resource for classes, then it will be a waste of time, effort and money.