FAQ
▶ Why the CMA books have to be returned to CMA Centre after the student completed using the book or quit studying from CMA Centre?
The copy rights of CMA books are with PT CMA Mental Arithmetic Indonesia (and CMA Taiwan). The students are granted only right to use during the student tenure with the Centre. Once the student completed the book and/or the student quit studying from the centre, they have to return all these course materials to CMA centre
▶ Why must one learn abacus while calculator is available for computing numbers in the world today?
The calculator is a mechanical tool and it doesn’t require a brainy person to use it. No mental process is required, and no genius ability is required for computation. In short, there is no brain activity involved.
Children who use abacus are required to use massive brain functions and mental abilities to derive an answer, and in the process there is a coordinated effort of left brain’s logical function with concentration, memory and imaging function of right brain. This will allow overall human brain to be developed in a better and fitter way.
Like the body that requires exercise to be fit, so does the brain. Research has shown that effective mental arithmetic training does help to prevent or decelerate senile dementia.
▶ How does learning mental arithmetic help in school mathematics?
- Children who have undergone mental arithmetic classes achieved far better results in the following areas: comprehension, mathematical abilities (including recognizing and understanding mathematical concepts, calculating abilities, and problem solving), and IQ test.
- Students who have had one or two years of learning of mental arithmetic program are found to possess a better grasp of mathematical concepts, calculation and are more efficient in solving mathematical problems than those who have less than one year training. Thus, this indicates that the longer the children is exposed to such training, the better his mathematical abilities.
▶ Can abacus training help improve a child’s exam grades in school?
Yes! CMA’s programs aim to increase a child’s calculation skills, concentration, memory capacity, ability to understand and comprehend issues, mental endurance and patience through our unique “Total Brain Development” approach. These skills are transferable to other subjects, not only mental math or school math only. A child who can concentrate better will perform better in all subjects.
▶ Does CMA give homeworks to the students?
CMA gives homework to the students with intention for them to do more practice and understand the concept of dual-hand abacus system. Practice Makes Perfect!! However, CMA gives the flexibility to students to decide the quantity of their own homework as CMA believe that learning is something that we need to encourage not by force.
▶ Is your organization registered?
Yes. CMA Mental Arithmetic has registered its trademark with its relevant authorities
▶ Your fee is too high and too expensive. Can you please reduce?
Base on our teaching method and our environment, your child will learn effectively. Therefore, it is value for money. Not expensive.
▶ How the parent can assist in their kid(s) study at home?
- Regular seminars or talks organized by our centres help to guide parents on how to assist their children in their learning. These seminars or talks will include topic on techniques of beads stirring and calculating involving the operation of numbers;
- Online learning. Attending CMA students will be given a password to access the online tutorial;
- Via communication with teachers. Communication between teacher and parent is important. Teacher will highlight the child’s progresses and area for improvement and provide guidance for parent to teach him/her at home.
▶ How many students can CMA cater for 1 class?
CMA can cater between 9-18 students in class as they’re learning according to their individual’s progress and standard. However, teacher in class is always ready to coach and supervise them.
▶ If you have in class a different level and standard student, how can you teach?
We teach according to individual standard and ability. If he is a fast learner we will go fast, if he is slow then we follow slow.
▶ How do you teach/make a child understand?
- Our teaching method is very lively and interesting. We have different types of activities to keep the children interested/ alive.
- We follow the individual student ability to teach.
- We always communicate with parents, so to understand the children performance and their mental progress.
▶ How long does it take before we can see the result?
It will take about 10 lessons to see the difference.
▶ What is the duration of one lesson?
Kindy Program : 1 hour
Kinder & Primary : 1.5 hours
▶ What programs available at CMA?
- Kindy Program ( 3 -4 years old)
- Kinder Program (4 - 6 years old)
- Primary Program (7 – 13 years old)
- Youth/Adult (above 13 years old)
- Certified Trainer Course
▶ Why is it important for children to learn mental arithmetic at a young age?
- Neurological development – a child’s brain development requires early intervention, to help set a good foundation in learning. 90% of children’s neural network is formed at the age of six.
- Discipline – children need to learn good habits of study so that their full potential can be exploited. A good coordination of hand, mind and eye helps to instill a powerful mind of concentration, and these three elements are coordinated during abacus training.
- Many researchers have concluded that abacus method of mental calculation is extremely effective in activating the right brain. Studies showed that a child who has good mental formation from young till the age of 13 will continue to remain brilliant even up to the age of 70.
▶ What is the difference between CMA and other abacus centres?
- CMA is using the two-hand system that is faster than the old method, one-hand system and more accurate.
- Traditional mathematical education uses the left brain. However, CMA’s “image abacus” training ropes in the creative right brain in creating a visual of the abacus while utilizing the logic left brain to manipulate the virtual abacus.
- CMA’s approach does not focus on calculation only. We focus on the concept of “Total Brain Development” and emphasize on multi-sensory brain development. It includes speed training, response training, dual hand training, listen and count training, and see and count training.
- CMA is the first abacus learning institute in the world that introduces multi-media and online learning for eg. Internet teaching aid, CD exercises and internet homework. With these, we provide additional platform for students not only to study and exercise during the classroom but also to have fun learning in mental arithmetic from their home at their comforts.
- CMA is a professional mental arithmetic educational organization. It has primary, adult and also teachers’ training courses.
- CMA has its own set of syllabus, more than 200 different types of books, and many other mental arithmetic organization in Taiwan buy books from CMA.
▶ What is CMA’s Unique Teaching Methods?
- Ability-based training program paced according individual learning’s progress
- Stimulation of different senses, transformation of number to visual & vice versa.
- Comprehensive learning modules
- World’s 1st Abacus Mental Arithmetic Organization using multimedia teaching method integrated with on-line learning
▶ What is so special about CMA?
- Program tested and proven for more than 20 years (since 1984)
- Pioneer of ‘Two-hand, four-finger’ abacus system
- Effective left and right brain development program
- Improve the accuracy and speed in calculating skills and logical reasoning
- Build stronger memory power
- Promote longer concentration span
- Enhance imaging skills and photographic memory
- Create higher learning capability
- Increase the ability to understand and comprehend things
- Have better sense of observation and visualization power
- Sharpen sound judgement and hearing skills
- Building up self confidence and self esteem through value learning
- Ability-based program paced according to individual learning’s progress
- All trainers certified by CMA Taiwan.
- World’s 1st multimedia method of teaching integrated with on-line learning
- Awarded the Best Teaching Institute by the Chinese Children’s Abacus Association, Taiwan
- Appraised by Taiwan ROC for the Association of Children’s Abacus Calculation as the most comprehensive system with the highest standard
- International CMA Examinations
▶ History of CMA and its founder (Master Tai Chiang Ching)
- Established in Taiwan in 1984 (over 26 years)
- Professional institution specializes in Dual Hand Abacus Mental Arithmetic Program for Overall Brain Development
- Founder of CMA “Dual-Hand, Four-Finger” Abacus technique
- Awarded the world’s Best Mental Arithmetic Trainer in 1991
- Director of the Association of Children’s Abacus Calculation in Taiwan
- Authored more than 200 mental arithmetic books, VCDs, CDs and CD-ROMs
- President of Yu-Ming Publishing Co Ltd, largest mental arithmetic book publisher in Taiwan
▶ What is the language medium use to teach?
Most of the class is conducted in Bahasa Indonesia, however, most of the centres are able to provide class with English medium if such demand arises.
▶ Are the teachers trained to teach?
All our teachers at CMA are certified by CMA Taiwan and have to go through a rigorous teachers training program.
▶ My friend’s/relative’s child learnt mental arithmetic before but stopped because he did worse in his school mathematics.
- How long did the child learn mental arithmetic? Sometimes, some children or parents do get impatient and will attempt to apply abacus mental arithmetic method to their school work at too early stage.
- A Chinese Professor was quoted as saying that a person who learns abacus mental arithmetic for one year will have great brain stimulation and stay ahead for 10 years if compared to someone who has not learnt at all.
- Therefore, we need to be more patient and allow the child to get out of the confusion himself. That is what mental arithmetic is about – allowing the child to find his way out mentally. Just like riding a bicycle and a motorbike. Both have similarities but need two different methods of riding. Do we get confused?
▶ Will my child be confused by school and mental arithmetic methods?
- No. There are various methods of calculations namely school method, mental arithmetic, abacus arithmetic, using calculators, using computers etc. A child who has not mastered the abacus mental arithmetic is not supposed to apply in his school work. He is required to continue using the conventional method in school. However, once he has mastered the abacus mental arithmetic he can apply this method for crosschecking his school mathematics.
- Learning abacus mental arithmetic has a lot of hidden values. Students will gradually have better concentration, memory, alertness, flexibility, imaginative and creative. This will make a child more intelligent in overall.
▶ If the child has been learning one-hand system, can he switch to two-hand system?
DEFINITELY CAN!!! We can teach him from the start. CMA’s unique dual-hand abacus system is faster than one hand system. Not only that, it is more accurate.
▶ Is it too late for a 10-year child to learn abacus mental arithmetic?
It is never too late to study, as the program is designed according to individual progress of learning.
▶ Can my child enrol and join an existing class in the middle of a term? Will my child be able to follow the on-going lesson?
Yes, your child will be able to join an existing class in the middle of a term. Please do not worry as CMA provides a unique learning environment, in which the program allows the child to learn at his/her own pace and will be in accordance to his/her individual progress.
▶ My child is in primary schools now, does she need to start from lower level?
No, as CMA will give the different starting program/kits to each student according to his/her level in school, for e.g. If he/she is in Primary 2, CMA will distribute starting kits containing books of 116-5, 116-7, 115Lian, 115Qin, number and picture cards while for pre- schoolers, their books will be of 116-D, 117-1, 115Lian, 115Qin, number and picture cards. The books given are customized according to their levels.
Additional notes:-
- CMA follows the progress of individual child and to allow the child flow according to his pace. Some schools fix the pages.
- Adult learn abacus mental arithmetic in order to understand the concept. Initially fast with better understanding power. However, children will be faster in terms of speed as they have more time to practise.
▶ What is the best time for a Child to start learning?
The best period to start learning is when the child starts writing number (from 0 to 9). Children from kindergarten to primary one or two have the best learning and absorbing brain power, and hence this should be the best time to start nurturing the brain’s abilities and a critical stage where a child can start to grasp mathematical concepts.
Mental arithmetic provides the fundamental training in mathematical and calculation concepts. It is also at this stage when the child’s school work is lighter, so the child can fun learn and practice more on the program, hence could build a stronger foundation for the child future education endeavors.