• About
Friday, April 16, 2021
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
Lifeskills
  • Home
  • About
  • ELT
  • Food
  • IAF
  • Life & Travel
  • Military Intelligence
  • Entertainment
  • Parenting
  • Soft Skills
  • Women in Armed Forces
  • Sports
  • Home
  • About
  • ELT
  • Food
  • IAF
  • Life & Travel
  • Military Intelligence
  • Entertainment
  • Parenting
  • Soft Skills
  • Women in Armed Forces
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
Lifeskills
No Result
View All Result
Home Life and Travel

Abacus in Chandigarh

by Sqn Ldr Vidula Abhyankar Retd
August 27, 2020
in Life and Travel
47
Abacus in Chandigarh
0
SHARES
29
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

As a young officer of the Indian Air Force, I worked as Honorary Joint Secretary Air Force Wives Welfare Association (AFWWA) at Hyderabad. I was single and ready to mingle. I enjoyed playing with my colleagues’ children. Being an Education Officer too many times AFWWA and the Air Force School used to join hands to organise and sponsor some scholastic activities.  At one such occasion, we started an enterprise known as Abacus and Brain Gym. Parents were quite receptive as there were hardly any interesting activities available for children due to the distance and security related issues associated with the station.

The enterprise kicked off with a lot of support from the parents and the SIP franchise officials. It was one of the most popular activities on campus for some time. But within a few months, the number of students started to drop. And somehow, the mathematics of running it as a welfare activity didn’t prove to be very fruitful.  Ultimately, we had to close the enterprise.

It hardly mattered to me then as I wasn’t a parent. Until one day I met a group of parents whose children were still continuing with the classes at a center 40 kms away from the station. The parents used to take turns to drop the children due to their busy schedules. They blamed the poor administrative arrangements and my lack of interest in popularizing the activity for the added burden on them. Feeling hurt, I took it upon myself to restart the enterprise once again. This time there were two very strong lobbies of opinion amongst the parents about the abacus. 
Lobby in favour of Abacus said:
1. Children liked this activity. Parents could see the results of doing it in their child’s performance.
2. It made mathematical calculations easy.
3. It laid stress on basic concepts of arithmetic: BROD MAS ( Bracket open, Division, Multiplication, Addition and Subtraction)
4. It helped children to visualise numbers with the help of abacus ( a Japanese instrument with beads) in the beginning. And then slowly, enabled them to do mental calculations.
5. It progressed step by step concentrating on one competency at a time,say, addition & subtraction of single digit numbers, then double digit and so on.
6. It helped to bridge the gap between school curriculum and the students’ abilities/needs.
7. It removed the fear related to large Mathematical calculations with practice.
8. It made children competitive amongst their own age-group as they participated in competitions at many levels. 
9. It was financially viable and conducted inside a classroom.
10. It did not need any fancy accessories except an abacus and writing material.
11. It is better than sending children for expensive mathematics tuition at a later stage. 
12 The sooner the child starts the better.

Lobby against the Activity said:
1. It was not an Indian method of teaching/learning Mathematics. Vedic Mathematics would be a better option.
2. It meant an additional burden on the child as the method was totally different from what was taught in schools.
3. Children of older age group got confused as to which method they would follow in exams.
4. In fact, it was of no or little help for higher classes as their levels were only limited to calculations of sums. There was no co-relation of this method with practical problems in mathematics. It couldn’t help to teach my child linear/ quadratic equations. 
5. Its focus was only on speed and accuracy of arithmetic calculations. It did not focus on other competencies of Mathematics.
6. Parent could not be of any help to the child till the time they learnt the method.
7. Parents would not be able to know/crosscheck the learning of the child and would have to believe whatever the teacher said. 
8. Amongst the various franchisees of abacus too there was no universality. Say, the methods used by SIP are different from those used by SEMAS/ Brainobrain and so on. 
9. There was no guarantee that the child could continue this activity in the next station. So there was no reason to burden the child with an additional skill. 
10. It was an indoor activity which taxed the child of the mind instead an outdoor activity like Martial Arts would be much preferred. 
11. There is no need to make children face competition at such an early stage.

I was fortunate that I had the President AFWWA to decide the fate of this enterprise. For her it was the mathematics of the welfare activity which dictated the existence of the venture. As long as it was a fruitful venture economically, it would continue. I did not think much about its relevance to children after that.
 
Life was complicated once I became a mother. As a parent, you want your child to do whatever you are not good at. So the first thing I searched for was a Martial Arts and Abacus center. I found both at our very own AFWWA. My tragic pleasure knew no bounds when I saw that the Abacus franchise of SEMAS ACADEMY was running in the same condition as it was under me in Hyderabad. Same small dingy, not-so well lit classroom with old furniture and practically nil ventilation. But the most pleasing fact about the whole affair was the conviction with which the teacher met my daughter.

My daughter took a liking to the teacher, Mrs Jasmeet Kaur from the very first day. She looked forward to Sunday mornings as it meant fun with numbers. The teacher taught me the basics too so that I could assist my daughter in her learning. And the fun with numbers continued at home. As my daughter saw she could do something much better than her mother she started to enjoy the activity thoroughly. It was just a pastime activity till Jasmeet; one day asked me whether I would be interested in sending my daughter with her to Chennai for an International Abacus Competition. I was taken aback. She convinced me that my daughter was capable of competing. Once my daughter decided to participate, she went on professionally and passionately to train the students for the big event. 

There were 19 countries participating in the competition in addition to students from all over India. All the instructions were given in English by the varied group of examiners who spoke in different regional accents. At the competition, Jasmeet was performing her official duties and didn’t get much time to look after her students. But she had already prepared her students to this extent that all of her students bagged prizes. My daughter too became a Champion in her age group and her level also known as KYU in their terms. 

She created an identity for my daughter. There was no looking back after that. My daughter won another trophy at the Nationals held at Faridabad.But this time she was not a Champion. Still I was very happy as my daughter was learning and enjoying the new freedom. But somehow, Jasmeet thought her student deserved more. She went for a rechecking of her students’ papers and luckily many of them got higher prizes, including my daughter. She was again a Champion. 

Although many parents will find nothing great in her doing so as she gets all the financial benefits through it. Yes, very true. But she doesn’t make it so obvious. She doesn’t just benefit from the parents’ capital but also knows how to provide them and their wards infinite opportunities to excel, celebrate and grow in life.

It was third time this year that she encouraged my daughter to participate in the Nationals held at S.D.College, sector-32, Chandigarh on 30 July. Although my daughter joined the preparations just a month back she again won a prize. This time I knew it was difficult for her as the level was quite higher than her earlier attempts. Still Jasmeet instilled in her so much of confidence and desire to achieve that she started to practice and believe it was possible. Although she did not win the champions’ trophy this time, she had surpassed her own personal best score in practices. 

The competitive mother in me again started to debate over its relevance for my daughter. My cool husband gave me some advice to relax.
As if the schools’ cut throat competition wasn’t enough, we force children to do something more than the school curriculum. I tried to generate my daughter’s interest in a lot of activities starting from drawing, painting to dance, vocal singing and so on. But finally my daughter decided she wanted to continue with these two activities: Abacus and Taekwando. As a parent, I am to be blamed or credited for whatever choices she made to a large extent because it was my inclination and my weaknesses which prompted her to be stronger than me or better than me in these respects. I wanted her to challenge herself to know her strengths and limitations. Sometimes while doing so, I forgot that our children have their own life too. I looked at it as another ground for showcasing my child’s talents and my involvement in parenting. The marketing strategies of educational entrepreneurs further force us to believe that these activities are much required for our children.
I started to relax when I realised it did not matter to my daughter whether it was ABACUS or VEDIC MATHEMATICS or the latest CUE MATH. At an early age it is your and the teacher’s outlook towards the child and the activity that matters. As far as my daughter was concerned, I felt she found a recognition for her abilities through her coaches and trainers in those two fields. She enjoyed doing these activities and taking a few challenges once in a while. She made a few friends and followers. She also came to know how other children behave in a group. That helped her to like and believe in herself. Many times I have seen her fall, stumble, make mistakes and again stand back and prepare for the next time. I know she is going to grow out of them too at some point of time.And then we will start to look for new ways to challenge ourselves. 

Till then lets watch Jasmeet and Shruti bask in glory.

Sqn Ldr Vidula Abhyankar Retd

Sqn Ldr Vidula Abhyankar Retd

Next Post
Inspiring Young Minds through Case Studies

Inspiring Young Minds through Case Studies

Comments 47

  1. order quetiapine says:
    3 months ago

    I am only writing to make you understand what a remarkable experience our princess undergone viewing your webblog. She picked up some things, which included what it is like to possess an ideal teaching spirit to make the mediocre ones without difficulty master specified tortuous things. You undoubtedly surpassed readers’ expected results. Thanks for rendering those useful, trustworthy, revealing as well as unique tips on your topic to Mary.

    Reply
  2. Marcosarefs says:
    1 month ago

    order tadalafil: http://tadalafilonline20.com/ tadalafil online 20

    Reply
  3. RandyFup says:
    1 month ago

    buy prescription drugs online without: https://genericwdp.com/ drugs without doctor script

    Reply
  4. Jasondam says:
    1 month ago

    buying prescription drugs from canada: https://genericwdp.com/ generic pills without a doctor prescription

    Reply
  5. JasonVal says:
    1 month ago

    viagra 100mg price п»їviagra pills
    viagra 100mg price

    Reply
  6. WaynePaurE says:
    1 month ago

    viagra discount when will viagra be generic
    best place to buy generic viagra online

    Reply
  7. JasonVal says:
    1 month ago

    best place to buy generic viagra online viagra amazon
    viagra without a doctor prescription usa

    Reply
  8. JasonVal says:
    1 month ago

    viagra over the counter mexican viagra
    viagra online usa

    Reply
  9. JasonVal says:
    1 month ago

    viagra amazon where to buy viagra
    best over the counter viagra

    Reply
  10. JasonVal says:
    1 month ago

    viagra amazon buy generic 100mg viagra online
    viagra from india

    Reply
  11. WaynePaurE says:
    1 month ago

    best place to buy viagra online mexican viagra
    where to buy viagra online

    Reply
  12. WaynePaurE says:
    1 month ago

    over the counter viagra online doctor prescription for viagra
    order viagra online

    Reply
  13. Michaelpoort says:
    1 month ago

    http://diflucanfavdr.com/ – how to get diflucan online
    ed drugs over the counter

    Reply
  14. Michaelpoort says:
    4 weeks ago

    http://paxil100.com/ – paxil hair loss
    ed drugs

    Reply
  15. RicardoNow says:
    4 weeks ago

    order aralen online can you buy chloroquine over the counter
    canadian drug

    Reply
  16. KevinJAl says:
    4 weeks ago

    best over the counter viagra https://viagrapills100.com/ price of viagra

    Reply
  17. KevinJAl says:
    4 weeks ago

    viagra cost per pill https://viagrapills100.com/ viagra discount

    Reply
  18. RicardoNow says:
    4 weeks ago

    order viagra online https://viagrapills100.com/ viagra price

    Reply
  19. RicardoNow says:
    4 weeks ago

    where can i buy viagra over the counter https://viagrapills100.com/ cheap viagra online

    Reply
  20. Terryphync says:
    4 weeks ago

    cheap ed pills in mexico order ed pills
    order ed pills

    Reply
  21. Terryphync says:
    3 weeks ago

    cheap ed pills from canada ed pills without a doctor prescription
    cheap ed pills

    Reply
  22. PeterTievy says:
    3 weeks ago

    http://zithromaxst.com/# zithromax 500 mg for sale

    Reply
  23. PeterTievy says:
    3 weeks ago

    http://prednisonest.com/# 50 mg prednisone from canada

    Reply
  24. PeterTievy says:
    3 weeks ago

    https://gabapentinst.com/# neurontin 100 mg caps

    Reply
  25. PeterTievy says:
    3 weeks ago

    http://gabapentinst.com/# buy neurontin 300 mg

    Reply
  26. PeterTievy says:
    3 weeks ago

    http://gabapentinst.com/# neurontin 2400 mg

    Reply
  27. Rafaelaboft says:
    2 weeks ago

    http://zithromaxproff.com/# zithromax 250 mg tablet price
    zithromax 500 mg

    Reply
  28. BillyDuh says:
    2 weeks ago

    generic ampicillin: order zyvox online
    buy zyvox generic

    Reply
  29. FrankTer says:
    2 weeks ago

    biaxin tablets: order zithromax
    zyvox for sale

    Reply
  30. MichaelNiz says:
    2 weeks ago

    united pharmacy india: generic pills india buy prescriptions from india pharmacy

    Reply
  31. MichaelNiz says:
    2 weeks ago

    buy medication online from india: india pharmacies online buy prescriptions from india pharmacy

    Reply
  32. CharlesHal says:
    1 week ago

    ordering medicine from india: all generic meds from india prescriptions from india

    Reply
  33. breashy says:
    1 week ago

    Expensive M. Anonymous, A 500-word essay implies only this: five hundred phrases. It means that a max of five hundred phrases, perhaps not an article that’s strictly 500 phrases.” … This response, by way of instance, is strictly 164 words my touch and also the question by the ending result. https://ru-facts.com/choosing-the-best-possible-math-homework-service/

    Reply
  34. MichaelNiz says:
    1 week ago

    india pharmacy drugs: online medications from india trusted india online pharmacies

    Reply
  35. RobertMed says:
    1 week ago

    viagra pills: https://edpillsonline24.com/# mail order erectile dysfunction pills

    Reply
  36. Danilotib says:
    7 days ago

    free adult personals site
    online dating sites

    Reply
  37. RobertMed says:
    6 days ago

    top erectile dysfunction pills: https://edpillsonline24.com/# viagra pills online

    Reply
  38. Michaelobest says:
    6 days ago

    otc viagra: buy viagra online without prescription viagra without a prescription

    Reply
  39. Harrydoche says:
    5 days ago

    generic viagra names viagra online without prescription buy viagra without prescription

    Reply
  40. Michaelobest says:
    5 days ago

    viagra from canada: buy viagra without prescription viagra without a doctor prescription usa

    Reply
  41. TimothyIrrib says:
    4 days ago

    personal ads free
    free chatting for marriage

    Reply
  42. TimothyIrrib says:
    4 days ago

    free adult dating
    good free dating sites

    Reply
  43. ClaudWaime says:
    3 days ago

    doxycycline 100 mg: odering doxycycline – buy doxycycline without prescription uk

    Reply
  44. ClaudWaime says:
    2 days ago

    clomid buy online: cheap clomid – buy clomid

    Reply
  45. RobertoKnima says:
    23 hours ago

    http://doxycyclinest.com/# doxycycline online

    Reply
  46. ClaudWaime says:
    14 hours ago

    doxycycline online: doxycycline antibiotic – generic for doxycycline

    Reply
  47. online pharmacies says:
    4 hours ago

    canadian pharmacies shipping to usa

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Cosmic Connections: Gauri and Lord Ganesha

Cosmic Connections: Gauri and Lord Ganesha

2 years ago
Monster Mommies

Monster Mommies

2 years ago

Popular News

  • Read your Baby

    Read your Baby

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Women in Armed Forces – Part III

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Importance of Group Testing at SSBs

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • How to get a job without being nervous in an interview

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Importance of Personal Interview in SSB

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Connect with us

Lifeskills
Sqn Ldr Vidula Abhyankar (retd) A SSC Officer of Indian Air Force, having background of a linguist in English Language (ELT) has worked for last 17 years in the field of education, training and development of Air warriors and their families.

Category

  • ELT
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • IAF
  • Life and Travel
  • Military Intelligence
  • Others
  • Parenting
  • Soft Skills
  • Sports
  • Women in Armed Forces

Social Links

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram

Recent Posts

  • Thematic Apperception Test
  • SITUATION REACTION TEST
  • WORD ASSOCIATION TEST

© 2020 Lifeskills

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About Us
  • ELT
  • Food
  • IAF
  • Life and Travel
  • Military Intelligence
  • Entertainment
  • Parenting
  • Soft Skills
  • Women in Armed Forces
  • Others

© 2020 Lifeskills

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In