Say Aloha to maths, the Bangalore way

Did you ever get the heebie jeebies every time the math period came up at school or when you had to appear for a math exam? If you did, then in all probability you are set to pass on your “math phobia” to your kids as well. But before you hit the panic button, take a look at these special schools in the city where learning math can indeed be fun!

Like it or not, math will never disappear from the face of the planet. If getting ahead in life today is made of part math, then getting on the right of the subject makes all the sense and doing just that are institutes like Shankar Educational Academy, School for Ancient Wisdom, Aloha Institute, Universal Concept Mental Arithmetic System (UCMAS) and Smart Brain Karnataka.

While some of these schools are based on the concept of Vedic math, others use abacus, (a traditional Mesopotamian tool, considered the father of computers), to teach the basics of arithmetic. Vedic math is based on Vedic sutras–sixteen one-line aphorisms originally written in Sanskrit–which can be easily memorised and equips the learner with quick solutions of problems on arithmetic, algebra, geometry and trigonometry. Practising Vedic maths helps slow-learners grasp the basic concepts of maths and induces creativity and innovation.

In this system, calculations can be carried out mentally and learners can invent their own methods, not limiting themselves to the one “correct” process. Shankar Educational Academy and School of Ancient Wisdom have been instrumental in introducing the students to this novel method of computation. Most books on the subject of Vedic math can be picked up from Motilal Banarsidass Bookstore, Jayanagar.

Another method making waves is the one that uses the abacus. While it’s tough to link such breeziness as the name “Aloha” evokes with math, the acronym actually stands for “abacus learning of higher arithmetic”. Catering to the age-group of 6-13 years, centres like UCMAS, Smart Brain Karnataka, Smart League, Jaynagar, use abacus and have managed to turn maths into a widely popular hobby! The objective of these schools is not to add to the academic burden of children but to rather make the regular curriculum easy, through an understanding of the “whys” and “hows” of this abstract discipline.

The training, aptly named “mental arithmetic”, helps the child solve complex number problems mentally without the help of any external tool like pen and paper, calculator or computer. It also helps the child develop other skills like imagination, memory, analysis, logic, and creativity.

Now, isn’t that the edge one is looking for?