Abacus For Kids - Prepares Them For Future Competitions

Last updated: 24 September 2026

When we talk about the awaiting world for today's children, we can only say the competition is cut-throat. The academic journey is full of huge challenges. It is the responsibility of the Parents, schools, and educationists to make this journey easy, effective, and worthwhile for the generation. While the children are exposed to several programs to make them smarter, faster, better, and more confident, we as parents and educationists need to understand how Abacus for kids prepares them for future competitions.

With the explosion of the virtual world, there are many opportunities for after-school learning programs planned exclusively to help and motivate children to better learning.

We will discuss here the Abacus learning program and its benefits. It is being used and promoted as a program that can trigger whole brain development in children.

What is an Abacus?

It is the preliminary question that needs to be answered.

Abacus is a calculating device developed thousands of years ago, widely used in China and later modified by Japanese mathematicians. It has a wooden frame with an odd number of vertical rods and is divided by a horizontal bar into an upper and lower deck. The upper deck has one bead in each rod with a numeric value of 5. The lower deck has 4 beads with a numeric value of 1 each.

During Abacus training, children learn to do the basic mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Which is the right age to start Abacus Training?

Children are exposed to several routine activities to help them develop gross and fine motor skills at a very early age and learn at a great pace.

Most experts suggest that the right age to start Abacus training is around 6 years, once a child can recognise numbers and sit through a class. At Mastermind Abacus, the Abacus programme is designed for children aged 6 to 14, while younger children aged 5 to 6 can begin with our Lingo Bingo pre-abacus programme. Childhood and the early teenage years are widely regarded as a period of rapid brain development, which is why these years are ideal for building such skills.

The total time invested in mastering the Abacus takes almost two to two and a half years (at Mastermind Abacus, 10 levels of three months each).

The skills learned through the Abacus Training of two and a half years almost becomes a habit and stay with them for a lifetime.

What Abacus Competitions Test and How Kids Prepare

Parents often ask me what actually happens on a competition day. Abacus and mental-math competitions do not test only speed; they test accuracy under time pressure, listening, concentration and the ability to hold numbers in the mind. The table below shows how regular Abacus practice builds each of these skills. To see how a real competition day runs, read our National Level Mastermind Abacus Gala 2024 event recap.

What are the benefits of Learning Abacus?

Let me tell you Abacus training has numerous benefits.

a) Since both hands have to be used for calculations on an Abacus Tool, both the left and right hemispheres of the brain get activated. The use of both hands promotes whole-brain development. A better-developed brain is a lifetime benefit.

b) In Abacus Maths training, a child learns to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, all mentally at remarkable speed and accuracy without using the fingers or an electronic device. This calculation ability is also known as the ability to do mental math.

c) Learning Abacus develops the ability to visualize, logical thinking, visual memory, analytical ability, and recall ability of the child.

d) An Abacus-trained child often performs better in other subjects in school as well. Mathematical abilities are of great help in future competitive exams.

e) The entire process of Abacus training, due to these benefits, makes the child far more confident than their peers. It is a quality that is acquired at an early age and becomes a lifetime asset.

f) Math Phobia or fear of math is a common problem in children. It happens because the numbers are abstract, and it is always difficult for a child to understand the concept. The Abacus helps the child visualize the numbers as objects and thus eases the understanding of the concept. Improved understanding adds to the confidence and takes care of the fear problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do abacus competitions test only calculation speed?

No. Speed is only one part of it. Most abacus and mental-math competitions also test accuracy, listening (oral sums read out once), concentration and the ability to visualise numbers. A child who is fast but makes errors usually scores lower than a child who is steady and accurate, so training focuses on both.

How much practice does a child need to be competition-ready?

Short daily practice works better than long weekend sessions. Along with two one-hour classes a week, 10 to 15 minutes of daily practice on the abacus and mental sums keeps the skill sharp. Consistency over the levels matters far more than extra hours in the last few weeks before an event.

Can a child learning abacus online also take part in competitions?

Yes. Children in Mastermind Abacus live online abacus classes follow the same 10-level programme and level assessments as offline students, and they can take part in the events the company organises. The teacher guides them on which competitions suit their current level.

Does abacus training help in school exams and Olympiads?

It helps indirectly. Abacus training does not teach the school syllabus, but it builds fast and accurate arithmetic, concentration and working memory, which are used in every mathematics paper, Olympiad and competitive exam. Many parents notice that their child finishes calculation-heavy sections with more time left for the harder questions.

What if my child does not win a competition?

That is completely normal, and taking part is itself the real gain. The preparation builds discipline, the event builds confidence in front of others, and the result shows the child where to improve. We encourage parents to praise effort and consistency rather than only the medal.

Conclusion

With several benefits, training of Abacus for Kids is recommended for all children between 6 to 14 years of age. It will make the children's competition ready for the future when they grow up.

Several promoters provide Abacus training through their Abacus classes operated by their franchisees.

The challenge for the guardians is to select the right Abacus Company for their ward. Mastermind Abacus is a pioneer Abacus Company, providing Abacus Education since 2005. It has a global presence in 17 countries with 1,000+ Abacus centers. You can search on the internet, ‘Abacus Class near me’, there are all the chances you will find a Mastermind Abacus center in your vicinity.

Moreover, Mastermind Abacus offers its students both offline and Online Abacus class options.

They have developed an Online Abacus E-learning platform and a hybrid Abacus E-Teaching platform.

The online course is developed into learning videos to be used in the presence of a teacher. The students do practice through Abacus Math-based game videos. The entire system is developed to allow the constant presence of the teacher throughout the class via an inbuilt video conferencing tool.

To get a feel of the claims of Mastermind Abacus, you should book an online demo class and then make a decision.

Also Read: Six Signs Your Child Is Ready for Abacus and the Right Age to Start