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Starters Tutor Training Manual Abacus Me PDF
Starters Tutor Training Manual Abacus Me PDF
Starters Tutor Training Manual Abacus Me PDF
LEVEL 1
Published by
Indian Abacus Private Limited,
Global Head Office:
th th
No. A1 – 1857, 13 Main Road, 6 Avenue,
Anna Nagar West, Chennai – 600 040.
Tamilnadu, India.
Copyright:
Starters –Tutor Training Manual
This publication is copyrighted
No part of this publication should be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the owner
and the publisher. This book may not be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form
of binding or cover other than that in which it is published, without the prior consent of the owner / publisher.
ISBN NO.:
INDEX
S. No. Contents Page No
23 Fingering 52
25 Notes 61
Abacus
Lesson Plan
The Indian Abacus Mental Arithmetic Program has a well structured syllabus which must be
learnt as per the guidelines given in the lesson plan this is to maintain the uniformity in the learning
methodology of the Indian Abacus program all over the world.
Objectives
By the end of first term, the child must have learnt:
I. About Indian abacus
ii. Basic rules for operating the abacus
iii. The proper use of fingers and formulae
iv. To solve 1D 3,4,5R sums with the abacus and 1–2D 3,4,5R with the abacus
v. Basic Fingering exercise (1 to 9) based on the formulae
Formulae
ADDITION SUBTRACTION
+9 Direct ... –1 + 10 –9 Direct ... –10 + 1
+8 Direct ... –2 + 10 –8 Direct ... –10 + 2
+7 Direct ... –3 + 10 –7 Direct ... –10 + 3
+6 Direct ... –4 + 10 –6 Direct ... –10 + 4
+5 Direct ... –5 + 10 –5 Direct ... –10 + 5
+4 Direct +5 –1 –6 + 10 –4 Direct +1 –5 –10 + 6
+3 Direct +5 –2 –7 + 10 –3 Direct +2 –5 –10 + 7
+2 Direct +5 –3 –8 + 10 –2 Direct +3 –5 –10 + 8
+1 Direct +5 –4 –9 + 10 –1 Direct +4 –5 –10 + 9
Important Class Room Activities:
1. Speed writing:
Speed writing practice is aimed at writing of numbers at a fast pace, neatly and legibly by the children. Speed
writing initially may affect neat and legible handwriting of numbers. But with steady practice, the skill to write
at good speed neatly and legibly is attained. Since practice is a must for every child, children shall write
numbers as per tutors instructions & within a set time. After a month of practice the though children will be
able to write fast neatly & legibly.
In this activity, the children are required to write certain digits repeatedly/continuously within a specified
time, i.e. one minute. As they practice 'speed writing' in class and at home, their writing speed starts
improving, while maintaining / improving the legibility and neatness as well.
2
Class Room
Activities
4. Orals:
Call out oral sums is for the students to calculate and give the correct answers. The time to be allotted has
to be properly implemented. Listening to sums called out and doing the same to give answers not only
enhances the listening skills, but also enables the memory to become stronger. Apart from looking & doing
the sums, the hearing sense also adds to establish better memory skills. Ability to do fast & accurate
mental arithmetic calculations and listening to do the called out sums are the reflection of brain skills.
1. Rules to be followed while conducting oral sums:
I. Start with ready ……. End with "that is”
II. Maintain constant speed. 1 Digit < 1 second.
III. Don't repeat the numbers.
IV. Mention the same operation only once. Use "PLUS" when numbers have to be added and "MINUS"
when numbers have to be subtracted.
V. Ask students to write Date & mention number of rows & number of digits in the fingering exercise
Book.
VI. Draw the symbol (#) if the orals are to be done using the Abacus.
VII. Mention the formula if it is based on any new formula eg; +9 B/C or mention Rev +9 B/C if it is based
on revisions of previous formulae.
VIII. After the correction, ask the children to write the answer.
2. Flash Cards
Flash Card is a hand–held tool to project image of an object, letters/words and or numbers. Flash cards can also
be read from a computer with slides projecting at set time intervals. Flash Cards in the education field of
children are used to enhance clarity, comprehension and memory of a learned concept. In primary education
of children, the flash cards are used to teach alphabets & Numbers. In abacus based mental arithmetic, flash
cards used to have the bead images on the one side and the equivalent numbers representing the number
value on the other side. Children are shown bead images and are asked to write the numbers meant for each of
them, thereby the image of the memory of children is strengthened.
Children learning the Abacus based mental arithmetic of Indian Abacus do not need Flash cards practice. Since
the purpose of Flash cards is more than adequately met by the Indian Abacus tool itself. The slider images are
of colour and are visible as cut out images like flash card images. Practice of Abacus calculations using Indian
Abacus is enough. The benefit of Flash cards practice is not needed separately as the tool’s features – colour
images more than adequately met.
For Right Handers: Hold the pencil with the last 3 fingers of the right hand,
index finger and thumb pointing out. Allow 2.5 cm projection at end of the
Pencil.
Short Clearance:
Hold the bar using right hand index and thumb fingers together on either
Abacus Holding
side of the bar and sweep the sliders from right to left, wherever it is
required .
Long Clearance:
Hold the bar using right hand index and thumb fingers together on either
side of the bar and sweep the sliders from right to left in all the columns of
the abacus.
Abacus Clearance
4
Abacus Basics
Introductory Class
Always start the batch with an introductory class.
1. Basics of using the abacus
I. Position the abacus four fingers away from the edge of the table & sit straight in half of the chair
II. Abacus should be straight and should be aligned with your nose
III. Always place the abacus below the sum, aligning the 7th column with the sum / five sum set, and
subsequently move the abacus
IV. Holding the pencil for right handed students and left handed students
V. Holding the Abacus with left hand
VI. Clearing the Abacus
2 Identification of Slider images
I. Set 1 – 4, on all the columns using right hand thumb finger Subtract 1 – 4 on all the columns using
right hand index finger
II. Set 5 remove 5 on all the columns using the right hand index finger
III. Set 6 – 9, on the columns using index and thumb finger of right hand (pinching & pinching away)
IV. Set 1 – 9, on the abacus using index and thumb finger of right hand (pinching & pinching away)
3. Wrong Answers
I. Do not use eraser in the class. In case of wrong answer, the following rule applies:-
Strike off the wrong answer twice and then write correct answer below or next to it, e.g. 33 44.
4. Speed Writing
Speed writing section of the book is used to listen and write randomly called out numbers, oral sums
practice and for speed writing practice of numbers. It is a very important exercise as it enables gaining
speed and writing through coordination of fingers usage with the listening and practice. (Listening will
improve the quality as well.)
5. Stop Watch
Stop watch is to set time for conducting speed writing and term test. It is also used to check the time
taken while doing mental arithmetic book work. Stop watches are used to measure the speed of the
mental calculation achieved due to the constant practice of abacus mental arithmetic concept. It acts
as a tool to measure the performance of abacus/ mental calculations, since time taken is essential to
attain accuracy.
6
Instructions
to Tutors
IV. Make sure that all the students come regularly. If anyone is absent, inquire about his / her absence,
with the parents. Also inform the parent about the date / day and time of the extra class.
V. Be patient with the student and pay individual attention to every student.
VI. Give the instructions properly. Do not interrupt while the children are doing their book exercise. Give
them hints but not the answers.
VII. Always go round the class while teaching. It helps you to observe if the students are operating the
abacus properly. Give homework in writing (use pen) along with the date marked on the page.
VIII. Check the copies regularly and correctly with a pen. Errors unchecked/omissions give a very bad
impression to the parents. Check if the child has responded to the previous corrections.
IX. Communicate with the parents of all the children who have not completed their homework.
X. Parents Teacher Meeting is compulsory. Conduct a PTM at the start of every level.
XI. Do not demoralize the child in the class or in front of the parents. Talk to the parents in the absence
of the child.
XII. Do not allow the parents inside the classroom while the class is in progress.
XIII. The responsibility for the batch that you are handling is yours. Drop outs of students are primarily
due to the Tutor’s omissions & in capacity in the class rooms.
“Image Flash”
“Image Flash” is the activity which is done to give larger scope for the students to read the Abacus slider
images representing values using which the students could have extended practice and also better
assessment of their skills in reading the values of images at a speed. Flash Cards were used earlier, but with
the advent of Indian Abacus program now the students have scope to view limitless number of images.
With the usage skills to read the constantly changing image values, students experience better challenges
which ultimately enhance their Visio-spatial memory skills, necessary to perform better in doing faster and
accurate mental arithmetic skills by image of Abacus. Speed and accuracy in performing Mental Arithmetic
by image of Abacus indirectly reflect their concentration & memory skills.
The Abacus Tutor during “Image Flash” session alerts the students to focus on the activity of reading the
values of slider images. The Abacus tutor would after saying ‘’Start’’ manipulates the sliders of the tool -
“Indian Abacus – Tutors” continuously to make the students read the images one after the other and write
down the number-value of each of such images flashed on the Tutor's Abacus and they should write the
number values on their note books. The Tutor actually writes down a series of numbers – Single,
double, triple, 4 digits, as the case may be, on a paper first and during the activity she would manipulate
the sliders looking at the numbers she wrote down which the students read and write.