I watched my son practicing his abacus lessons the other day, and I was confused. His hands were twitching, his fingers moving rhythmically in the air, but the table in front of him was empty.

“Where is your abacus?” I asked, ready to correct him for slacking off. He tapped his temple. “It’s in here, Dad. I’m moving the beads in my head.”

That’s when it hit me. I wasn’t watching a simple math drill; I was watching visualization in real-time. It instantly reminded me of that scene in The Queen’s Gambit, where Beth Harmon stares at the ceiling. She visualizes the chess pieces moving and calculates lines of attack 20 moves deep.

We think of abacus training as “just a way to do math fast.” But after digging into it, I realized that what my son is doing is essentially weightlifting for the brain. It’s not just about arithmetic; it’s about opening up cognitive pathways that most of us let atrophy.

If you are a parent wondering if this “mental math” stuff is worth the effort, I have something to share. I would like to share what I’ve discovered. There are hidden superpowers being built inside that invisible abacus.

The “Visuospatial Scratchpad” (It’s Not Just Math)

When a child performs mental abacus calculation (Anzan), they aren’t using the language centre of their brain. This is the part that says “two plus two equals four”. They are using the visual cortex.

They are creating a high-resolution mental image of the bead positions and manipulating it. This enhances the Visuospatial Sketchpad. It is a component of working memory that allows us to temporarily hold and manipulate visual information.

Why this matters for life: This is the same skill used by architects. They visualize a building before it’s drawn. Engineers use it to troubleshoot an engine in their mind. Athletes use it to predict the trajectory of a ball.

Bridging the Hemisphere Gap

Traditionally, we are taught that logic and math are “Left Brain” activities, while creativity and visualization are “Right Brain” activity. Mental abacus shatters this wall.

• Left Brain: Handles the logic of the calculation rules.
• Right Brain: Visualizes the beads and the movement.

The child forces these two sides to work in sync. This action builds a high-speed bridge (the Corpus Callosum) between logic and creativity. This “whole brain” development is rare in standard schooling, which usually focuses heavily on just one side at a time.

Photographic Memory and Focus

Have you ever tried to visualize an image and hold it steady? It usually fades or gets blurry after a few seconds. To do mental abacus, my son has to:

1. Create the image of the beads.
2. Hold that image steady while the teacher calls out numbers.
3. Update the image instantly with every new number.

This requires a level of concentration that blocks out the rest of the world. Over time, this repetitive visualization improves photographic memory. They learn to take a “snapshot” of information and recall it later with high fidelity.

The “Processor Upgrade”: Speed and Confidence

The most obvious benefit is speed. These kids can calculate faster than a calculator because they don’t have to punch buttons. But the real benefit is Processing Speed.

When the brain gets used to processing information quickly, it becomes more adaptable to rapid-fire data. This ability translates to other areas such as reading a book. It also applies to learning a new language or reacting to a situation in a video game or sport.

• Confidence Boost: There is a unique swagger that comes from knowing you can solve complex problems without any tools. That confidence bleeds into other subjects. If they can tackle “impossible” math mentally, a history essay doesn’t seem so daunting.

Future-Proofing for “Deep Work”

In an era of TikTok and 8-second attention spans, concentration is a challenge. Being able to focus deeply on a single mental task for 10-15 minutes is a superpower.

Mental abacus practice forces a state of Flow. It teaches the brain that it is possible to be completely immersed in a task without digital stimulation. This ability to perform “Deep Work” is one of the most valuable skills for the future workforce.

A Note to Fellow Parents

If your child is struggling with the visualization stage, don’t worry. It is cognitively expensive! It’s hard work. Here is how we can support them:

• Patience over Pressure: Just like learning to ride a bike, the transition from physical beads to mental beads is wobbly.
• Celebrate the “Invisible”: Praise the effort of focus. “I saw how hard you were concentrating just now.”
• Connect it to their interests: If they like Chess, Minecraft, or Lego, connect the concept to their interests. Explain that those builders use the same “mind’s eye” power.

The Verdict?

My son isn’t just learning to count. He is learning to see. He is building a mental workspace that he will use for the rest of his life. It doesn’t matter whether he becomes a mathematician, an artist, or a grandmaster.

So, the next time you see your kid twitching their fingers at empty air, don’t interrupt. They are just moving pieces on the board.