Emotional intelligence is twice as strong as IQ in predicting success, research shows. Developing emotional and social skills, even at a young age, helps your child form good habits and healthy relationships that benefit them today and in the future. While it’s no question how important IQ is, you can give them the best chances for success if they develop their EQ early in the game, too.
Good news is, Abacus mental math has the capacity to not only improve your child’s cognitive and mathematical abilities, but develop soft skills they need in life as well. Here are three ways your child can improve their emotional intelligence through the abacus math program.
It develops self-control
Is your child throwing tantrums more often? Is their impulsive behavior getting out of hand? While impulsiveness is normal for their age, abacus math may just be your solution to too much rowdiness. A study in 2022 showed that Chinese elementary students who received at least 2 years of abacus training had significantly higher levels of self-control than their counterparts, a skill emphasized during abacus instruction. The focus and discipline required to learn abacus and mental math help curb inappropriate behavior and ignore distractions.
Abacus math also targets the part of the brain responsible for self-regulated behavior. A research done in 2017 gave primary school students various tasks targeting emotional regulation, memory, and multi-tasking. Afterward, they measured their brain activity through fMRI scans. Results showed that primary school students who have abacus math training weekly performed better vs students without abacus training in all these areas.
It boosts perseverance and achievement motivation
Another groundbreaking discovery is that abacus students are more driven to succeed than their counterparts. An abacus session requires complete dedication to master mental math. Thus, students learn how to commit to a series of tasks to achieve success. Developing a passion for the abacus is relatively easy too since it stimulates both the left and right brain, the left for processing logic and language while the right for developing creativity and emotional intelligence. This passion and determination transfers to how they deal with everyday situations, inspiring them to succeed in other areas too.
It boosts your child’s self-esteem
As your child gets a better understanding of mathematics and rational reasoning, their self-esteem increases. A healthy self-esteem addresses a host of problems such as math anxiety and lack of motivation. When children have high self-esteem, they believe in their capabilities and challenge themselves to develop in other improvement areas. If they mastered math, why can’t they master other topics, too?
Abacus mental math can be what your child needs to excel, not just in academics but also in life. As early as 4 years old, most children are able to use emotional regulation strategies so they can greatly benefit from this program already. If your child has started elementary school, we have also designed an abacus math program especially for them.
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