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AW Discover Math is a parent-child math program for children ages three and four that introduces ways to work with the big foundational ideas of mathematics through rhymes, games, and hands-on activities. Children and parents learn side by side as children engage in activities to develop math skills and parents learn ways to support their children’s learning. Young children learn best through play, so AW Discover Math introduces concepts through hands-on activities, songs and rhymes, and games. Teachers model games and activities for parents and children, then support them as they practice in class. A weekly parent handout provides more ideas for home.
Our goal at AW Discover Math is for children to learn to enjoy math and build foundations for understanding and for parents to marvel at, and learn to support, the complex work that children do while learning through play. Parents attend class with their child and engage in learning activities for 30 minutes of teacher-led activities and 5 minutes of open exploration.
The activities within each class are designed to easily differentiate for students’ differing experience levels. Teachers aim to provide an appropriate level of challenge for each student. Each semester is 10 weeks long (except summer semester which is 6 weeks long). Learning targets vary with age and prior experience of the child. Throughout the entire program, children explore:
The activities are designed with the Common Core Initiative standards, Lake Washington School District Power Standards, and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards in mind.
“I have done lots of hard math before, but this class makes me stretch my brain in a very different way. It’s really cool!”
“I have never seen my daughter so excited about math. She does her homework right away and has taken her abacus to school to show her friends and teachers.”
“My son loves do his abacus homework. He is doing math questions very fast. He says he can move the beads in his head, it’s really amazing.”
“I am confident that her abacus math program along with the work we do on math facts in class will help her progress.”
“I wish this class was 5 hours a day and regular school was 1 hour!”
“Her first results for state testing came back and she increased her math from a 47 to a 71!! I am positive the abacus class helped with this improvement.”
“I really love to go to my abacus class. My homework is fun. ”
“Thank-you for offering such a valuable program for our children”
The core Abacus West program is designed for children between 5 to 12 years of age. AW Discover Math is designed for children who are 3 & 4 years of age.
The cost of the program is $300 per Level. Most new students will be required to purchase a Starter Kit for $50, which includes an abacus, a set of flash cards and a case.
The abacus used by Abacus West is the Japanese abacus or Soroban. It has 15 rods, each with 5 beads. There are 4 beads below the beam, and 1 bead above the beam.
Yes. The Abacus West program uses visual, auditory and tactile techniques to teach mental math which contributes to whole brain development and result in improved memory, focus and visualization skills. These are skills that are useful across all academic subjects.
All students start the program in Level 1 regardless of their age, grade level or academic ability. In Level 1 we introduce the foundational concepts and exercises of abacus math which are required for the upper levels.
Yes. Please visit https://abacuswest.com/theabacus.php?id=2#AcademicResearch to learn more.
Abacus West is focused on teaching abacus math, which leads to strong mental math skills. Once a child completes the curriculum, the mental math skills are generally there for life. The program is designed to be fun & interactive, so kids spend the in-class time learning from the instructor, and learning through certain exercises & games.
No. Abacus West classes are offered on a semester basis. We do not accept registrations after the semester has begun since the curriculum builds on itself. If you have missed the registration period we recommend that you register for the next semester.
Yes, we have many students in our program who have transferred in from other abacus math programs. Please contact us and we will set up a time to assess your child to ensure she starts in the appropriate level with us. The assessment fee is $75.
