| Hakim Hayat |
A UNIQUE mental arithmetic programme designed to help children improve their mathematics skills and learning focus has made its way into the Sultanate, and is looking to expand here to help academically weak students perform better.
Innovate, an award-winning international brain development programme that was first incepted in Malaysia, is a leading Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Education Institute that incorporates multimedia teaching techniques with music.
At the opening of Innovate Brunei’s main office in the Kiulap commercial area yesterday, Ivylina Tiang, founder of Innovate Malaysia and its International Master Trainer said the programme, which has been endorsed by the Malaysian Education Ministry and now registered with the Ministry of Education (MoE) here, has been widely accepted in Australia, Kzakhstan, Cambodia and Brunei, with many more other countries in the pipeline.
Mental arithmetic is a form of calculation solely done by the human mind or performing mathematical calculations mentally without using any physical or external instruments such as computers, calculators, paper of pencil.
Ivylina explained that although there are many mental arithmetic programmes available nowadays, the programme she developed through research seven years ago is unique because it is the first to advocate the use of two hands in the teaching of abacus and mental arithmetic, while incorporating multimedia teaching including an online practice platform accessible from home and the incorporation of music into their curriculum.
Ivylina Tiang, founder of Innovate Malaysia, demonstrating the mental calculation skills of one of the programme’s students.
Ivylina with partners of the Innovate Brunei. – PHOTOS: BAHYIAH BAKIR
She said the programme, designed for children of age three to 13, uses the two-hand system, which promotes a balanced development of both the right and left brain. She said it has been proven to boost children creativity and focus, and is taught according to an individual’s learning pace.
“As a healthy brain stimulant, this programme challenges the way children think and focus and can help them improve mathematic skills, focus, mental agility, self-confidence, photographic memory and promote positive thinking,” she added.
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