Since the beginning of civilisation,men has learnt to perform basis calculation. Due to the need to trade and barter he has developed various ways of primitive calculation by using stones,sticks or tying knots.As society progressed the art of calculation become more refined.

The earliest counting beats are said to be pottery beads made in the Western Zhou Dynasty more than 3,000 years ago.Then the abacus had one upper bead and four lower beads in different colours.It cannot be accurately determined when the modern abacus was developed.But some evidence points this time period to be the Song Dynasty.

Starting from the Yuan Dynasty, the popularity of the abacus increased and the use of abacus spread throughout the entire country. During the Ming Dynasty, the abacus had rhomboid beads with 1 row of upper beads and 5 rows of lower beads . It was only after the Qing Dynasty when rounded beads were used. The round-beaded abacus has 2 rows of upper beads and 5 rows of lower beads. In the present days, the widely used abacus come with a restorer, with 1 row of upper beads and 4 rows of lower beads.

The use of abacus is gaining much popularity as a new skill in many parts of the world such as Western Europe, Africa and Asia. Arithmetic experts continuously strive to research on the aspects of using Mental Arithmetic to speed up learning. The abacus is no longer seen as an archaic means of calculation but as a modern mean of creative learning. It may seem like a simple tool, however, as one steps into the world of abacus, one will be surprised to learn the many mathematical wonders it can perform. It could even put a calculator to shame

Benefits of learning Mental Arithmetic and Abacus

The learning of Mental Arithmetic using abacus can improve children's effectiveness in mathematical calculations. The programme inculcates in the children the ability to use quick mental visualization to solve mathematical feats such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. It increases their concentration and memory power and also sharpens their observation and analyzing skills. With these 'advantages', children will develop strong interest in Mathematics. Going through the programme will also help children to gain more self-confidence too. As a result, children will be able to speed up their learning, reading and conceptualising skills. Although children formed the majority in the learning of abacus, adults going through the programme have also benefited tremendously from the learning.