Hopefully we can keep one thread for philosophy
I describe philosophy to myself as the "use of reason" rather then proven science, for once proven it would turn into science rather then be in doubt.
Just as long as he has had one, man as always speculated about his own brain, and I can see no other course of action if we are to make rapid progress in understanding it.
My personal ambitions are to ensure we leave no stone unturned in developing a new model of education, in order that every human born is educated just as quickly and thoroughly as is possible.
Massive diversions of thought and finance have to be brought to bear if we are to sustain any hopes of a peaceful and useful human existence.
Basic skill acquisition is at the heart of education, we will evermore require an ever broader personal skill base if we are to ensure ourselves of a worthwhile existence, we can not allow any group country race or religion, to dominate our personal or our combined future.
Our combined human future is dependant on our ability to learn and adapt quickly, we can only effectively communicate in written or verbal language, privately we can only ensure that we have the knowledge available to combine with others in ensuring a peaceful planet, a place where life can become more then an ever ending struggle for survival, where no regard for human welfare ruins countless lives through disease and selfishness.
Knowledge is the property of every human mind just as long as we know how to gain it.
READING the simple interpretation of symbols lies at the source of personal and combined knowledge.
SO HERE GOES WITH SOME BRAIN PHILSOPHY
Rapid growth of ability in symbol understanding from a sound and symbol combination is possible by using an abacus, and learning the most simple and universal language mathematics to the English math to the Americans my abacus is designed to be written in the words of every human language on earth. It is a symbol to me of five thousand years of human progress still possible with adaptation and investigation and development to benefit every child in their progress to read.
We use words in mathematics just as we use words in language to express ideas the same parts of the conscious and unconscious brain are in use in decoding groups of symbols whether they are letters or numbers.
A rapid development in reading ability, as been a feature of every child that uses an abacus as alphabet awareness is assimilated.
The human brain develops with use; we learn to speak by the simple expedient of saturation and necessity.
Making symbol awareness easy is at the forefront of reading ability just as reading is at the forefront of education.
I rest my hypothesis for the moment.
to Vijay Singh Pal
The Abacus One Map Users Guide
Consider the Abacus One Map it may be printed in English in capitals or lower case or in your local language or it may be printed blank and the child can copy in the language in whatever manner is best for them.
By copying in to a blank field the child is developing the language of mathematics and the mental framework of mathematic order.
If we say to a child think of a chicken even at 2 years old it can mentally image a chicken but without understanding the meaning of a number the child cannot visualise one number in order to then visualise a second number to add or subtract from.
So what we are teaching the child is the meaning of numbers. When we explain that a cat made by our two fists together, with its ears i.e. the two little fingers sticking up, for one and ten, the child can visualise the cat and the meaning of ten fingers. We then get the child to consider two kittens, the two hands of five numbers each, we then use language to prove a truth.
This hand is five, wriggling all five fingers for visualisation. The left hand first, then wriggling all five fingers on the right hand, the two kittens turn in to two fives. We then exclaim, this hand is five, showing the left hand and then showing the right hand, again saying this hand is five and finally saying they make ten together, one cat.
Using the Abacus Map
To start you put one stone on each zero.
The stone on the right hand column is always held in the right hand, and we use the left hand to make changes to the adjacent column to the left. For instance we place one stone on the number five on the right hand column (starting point), we then pick up that stone with our right hand and we count indicating with the stone one two three four five, still holding the stone in our right hand, then we place the left hand stone on the ten closing the sum by outing the right hand stone back to zero.
And so we acquire visualisation of the process and again explain, this hand is five, this hand is five, they are ten together.
Because we are dealing with only ten symbols and a repeating pattern using the same process, only altering the language to suit the situation of different numbers, the child’s mental arithmetic ability is developing every time it sees the map and picks up the stones.
Using the abacus one map as a working abacus is a slightly different process from using Abacus One itself. The main principle of the abacus mentality is understanding “the transfer ten technique”, i.e. how we transfer ten physically and symbolically. It is a transfer ten mentality that we are trying to achieve, with the abacus one map, holding a stone in the right hand column before transferring ten with the left hand, in just the same manner as we visualise on an abacus, moving the columns up and down with both hands at the same time, for instance if we hang on to ten counters in the right hand column and one counter in the left hand column we are illustrating the transfer ten technique.
On either system once the child can visualise the process the child accomplishes it automatically.
It is usually more difficult for an adult to understand in the first instance than it is for a child but the physical transfer of numbers is at the heart of the visualisation which goes on to create meaning within any number.
Ten symbols (0-9) and a system is all we need to learn mathematics quickly and effectively.
Once we fully understand the meaning of numbers and the processes we use to establish the numbers, we realise that an abacus is the worlds first hand driven computer.
We put in a number and physically add or subtract another number then we read off the answer.
The reason why India never sustained an abacus and relied on it, as did China, Japan and Russia, is down to notation.
India developed symbols and with those symbols mathematics was possible with pen and paper or sand and finger.
The Abacus disappeared from Europe once a universal notation system was in place.
Notation is by far the simplest process of mathematics, just as soon as the meaning of numbers is properly understood. This is why the Abacus One Map is so beneficial.
How do we teach
Firstly 99% of what we know is acquired naturally by our senses eyes and ears.
Only 1% of direct knowledge has to be systematically taught.
“Numbers are the key to the human mind”.
Once we have acquired a natural ability within numbers we have established the process by which we convert symbols in to meaning.
TO THE HUMAN MIND
Speech carries meaning the mind is programmed to recognise speech and sounds create a meaning every word we use in any language is an
IDEA in its own right
We combine small ideas to create larger ideas in order to explain every which way the manner of all the problems and perception that humans are capable of.
Each word we use in speech or in written form builds up the imaging action which is our thinking process.
Clear understanding of the sounds we make when we decode symbols is essential in human beings we grow up naturally acquiring language simply by copying the sounds we hear in our every day lives. Those sounds create the meaning within our minds.
Once symbol recognition is established mentally by numbers and the meaning of numbers the doors to reading are wide open. We are already reading and we have only learnt 30 words which we need to place in order to understand the meaning of one million million numbers.
Mathematics play a major part in all science and engineering practice. Without a basic understanding of mathematics there is little mental process.
Reading our natural language is vital to us. We can read well at twice the speed of speech and effectively this can be increased enlightening the human mind beyond anything possible when we rely on speech alone.
We only have three human modes, they all involve the brain. We are thinking, or thinking subconsciously and talking (giving explanation), or we are listening reading or watching.
“GAINING KNOWLEDGE”
The philosophy of universal education
“Individually we can only think with the information we have, or the information we can create, from the information we have”.
Establishing a sound system of universal education depends entirely on symbol recognition and mathematics, they walk hand in hand together. For nearly 50 years my life concerned farming and farming issues.
For the last 15 years my life has been concerned with individual justice and fairness.
The only route to individual justice is through universal education. The only route to universal education is through the abacus we start with a small idea 1 and we build on it.
there is no public schooling in india
HELLO MR DHILLON
Thank you for coming back to me with your private email I hope this first reply reaches you directly,
Thank you also for the invitation to your school celebrations and the possibilities it presents to publicise the abacus and its benefits in early education, but even more then the direct benefits in early education, it is the base created within the mentality that is etched forever within the mind of the young child or an older child that has been denied a formal education which is so very important, in all my research work every child that masters the abacus goes on to develop well in reading and all thinking processes, mathematics are a vital part of all technical and science subjects, but alongside science the brain is using the same parts of its subconscious abilities in word recognition and decoding that are essential within reading and using language,
I believe that eventually use of the abacus will become as vital and significant as the use of numerals themselves in early education, neural pathways are being created to enable the brain to work without hesitation first in mental arithmetic and from then on in all intellectual activity.
The best demonstration of any new technique is a working model.
I am sure you are running a very good school in the Punjab and that very many schools are following closely your innovations, therefore with your agreement I shall arrange shipment to your software office, of one hundred abaci.
My perception of the abacus is that of a valuable resource which needs using both at home and within the school.
I envisage a piece of equipment which can be of some value just as quickly as the child can speak until every thing which can be achieved by the child on the abacus becomes second nature to them, when that happens and the child is able to do the mental arithmetic for calculations the child naturally sets aside the abacus, obviously this time will vary from child to child, but in reality it means starting around three years of age at home and nursery school, the child will benefit from using the abacus until the times tables are automatic chanting as a group in the nursery school is a good starting point, effectively the child will need one at home and the school will also have them available for the maths lessons.
The child will progress more if the parents are aware of the benefits of using the abacus and assist the child in the early years, the abacus is a useful link between parents and schools, parents need to be made aware that few children rarely achieve their full educational potential without parental and school co-operation. First rate speech mathematics and reading ability are always the foundation of a good education.
It is my opinion, that in, the best interests of peaceful world development, basic skills are taught universally and that each and every one of us accept the responsibility to see that this happens, not only by ensuring that our own children are taught well but that they also develop their ability to teach and be taught.
Hopefully we should be able to begin teaching the abacus in your school in the new year we would have one month available to us before your school open day, if we used children between five and six as an example and those children demonstrated one to one with children younger then themselves we would achieve a dramatic response, but only if we manage to teach the teachers in this year how to use the abacus in practical teaching how it establishes permanent neural pathways and how they need to develop the Childs ability to work alone. We show and the child does and therefore establishes permanent memory.
JUST COPY
What does a baby have to do to learn to speak.
JUST COPY
The human child is capable of teaching itself to speak simply by copying sounds and relating those sounds to meaning.
Proven by the fact that we all speak our local or family language in our local or family accent purely by the means of copying the sounds we hear and associating those sounds with the real things around us. “It is natural”
We are saturated in sound, and speech communication is vital.
“A necessity for survival.”
If a child is programmed to teach itself to speak what else is it programmed to do.
Less then 1% of what we need to know has to be formally taught.
LEARNING BY DOING
ABACUS ONE IS A BRAIN BUILDER
We say it, we see it and we do it, once a child has learnt its first oral language, it is time for it to learn the universal language of
“MATHEMATICS”
Within its birth language the child understands every word it uses a chicken is a chicken a horse is always a horse even the adjectives a small chicken a large horse have meaning understood perfectly by every child.
ABACUS ONE
PROVIDES THE CHILD WITH A MENTAL MAP OF MATHMATICS
Language allows us to create mental imagery what is in fact
“image in action”
Eventually we all learn rudimentary mathematics
BUT THE ABACUS AND ABACUS ONE IN PATICULER
CREATES MENTAL PICTURES
FROM PHIYSICAL MOVEMENT
QUICKLY
JUST COPY
The abacus provides pictures and patterns, which are a key to the human mind. Numeracy is a simple concept to a child that has already taught itself to speak. Ten simple symbols hold the key to mathematics once their meaning and position are understood.
Learning the language of mathematics involves the brain working subconsciously and consciously in union, building permanent neural pathways, understanding of place value is quickly established.
I have developed physical teaching exercises, which are constantly reinforced by using Abacus One. Pictures of exercises have been created to allow almost instant assimilation of those exercises.
The abacus columns have been named for assistance in memory retention, the right hand column, is the only one to be an exact replica of the Childs two hands, so we call it the finger column, the central column of Abacus one is a replica of the model the child can create with its two hands the cat, hence the centre column becomes the cat column, the right hand side column becomes a house column, a house with ten cats within it.
Showing any child how to use an abacus is easy
“Once you know how”
Our adult picture tutorial is simplicity itself every time you return to show your child how to use the abacus you will learn more but not as quickly as your child will learn.
When a child sees the number 1 or the letter a and recognises them it is reading.
PIN YOUR EARS BACK
ABACUS ONE DEVELOPES THE CHILDS ABILITY TO READ NATURALY
IT IS USING THE SAME NEURAL PATHWAYS THAT ARE SO EASILY OPENED WITH ABACUS AWARENES
THE NATURAL TIME TO BEGIN USING ABACUS ONE IS WHEN THE CHILD CAN SIMPLY BEGIN TO COUNT AND MOVE COUNTERS
Somewhere between two and four years of age
It is simply never to early.
THE NATURAL TIME TO STOP USING ABACUS ONE IS WHEN THE CHILD CAN MENTALY PERFORM EVERY POSSIBLE MANOVER WITHOUT IT
Somewhere between six and twenty years of age
It is simply never to late to learn.
EARLY ASSOCIATION WITH ABACUS ONE MEANS EVERY POSSIBLE NEURAL PATHWAY ASSOCIATED WITH LANGUAGE IS ETCHED PERMANENTLY WITHIN THE MIND
ABACUS ONE IS A BRAIN BUILDER
Let us use the knowledge we already have.
After discovering the properties of the Abacus, and contemplating and researching how we learn everything that we do, you could say that I have become a constructionist as regards the human ability to construct layers of knowledge as we progress’s through life. For instance no one appears to teach us how to speak, but virtually every healthy human learns to speak, through their ability to copy, we are surrounded with speech, we learn to speak through two phenomena’s saturation and necessity, between the ages of approximately one and a half years to two and half years of age the majority of us learn to speak. Maria Montessori working with children who were considered to be mentally ill, discovered that children learn by doing things, once this concept was fully understood by Maria Montessori she spent the rest of life developing real life illustrations in order to teach efficiently. Her personal contribution towards education will never be equalled.
Looking closely at what we consider to be the frontier’s of education, as it is presently perceived, the real problems are associated with ensuring universal primary education, once a young child is able to read count and think, education at every level is available to it. Western Europe and North America within the last two hundred years have embraced universal education, and through the process of dynamic technical development, much of it created by the necessity to fight two world wars during the last century, have achieved a standard of living the envy of the rest the world, with the exception of Japan.
Close examination of the written works of philosophy and scholars since the advent of the written word between two and three thousand years ago, provides us with examples of highly intelligent human beings and the like of Socrates Aristotle Plato and Archimedes, in Europe and Confucius in Asia that prove the existence of high-level thinking and personal knowledge acquisition possible over two and half thousand year's thousand years previously.
A thorough grounding in basic skills will equip every ten year-old child the ability to continue their education without the necessity of Western secondary schools colleges and universities, we can definitely not wait to build up the infrastructure of education necessary to provide our Western type education on a universal basis, but with a little ingenuity we can develop the possibility of personal levels of achievement on a universal basis, outstripping the achievements of our present educational facilities. By providing access to all the differing sources of information available universally, we are Demonstrably dependent on information exchange, in achieving and maintaining our standard of living.
Universal primary education is achievable immediately, purely on a voluntary basis, we need no schools, very little special equipment, each of us, is as well-equipped to teach as we are to learn, the manner of the human animal is to pass on knowledge, from father to son, from mother to daughter, from friend to a friend. Individually we are all limited in knowledge; collectively knowledge acquisition is proceeding at rates never in previous history conceivable. Every discovery already achieved, every theoretical idea, every practical concept is available immediately to a worldwide audience, the practical distribution of knowledge is passed on from a one-to-one situation to a one to billions effortlessly, with the exception of basic skills, and the practical physical skills that are necessary to maintain and develop universally our standard of living.
Within the family’s who control the practical businesses necessary for us to combine our resources practical education is vital for both family owners and the executives of the multinational, National and local organisations private government or combinations of both, that are engaged in the processes of manufacturer of agriculture and global urban development and maintenance, in the job, and on the job, is where the vital one-to-one training takes place.
In just the same simple manner that a six-year-old child demonstrates to a five-year-old child how to use an Abacus, so is the process of education achievable, if we simply divide our day into learning and teaching, simply by doing and being taught, we move to demonstration and reinforcement within the same day, whatever we learn in the morning, we simply teach in the afternoon, neither age or ability would prevent us from personal development. We are all aware that it is more efficient to show a man how to fish then to feed him, but our modern developed world, encourages specialisation and exchange of goods, if we are able and allowed to build our own home, to grow and to cook our own food, to teach our own children, it would go to long way to prevent us in becoming the servants of necessity. In efficiency terms specialisation improves our standard of living, it will never disappear but let it always remain as our servant, we can insure that it remains our servant just a long as we have the skills to provide whatever we need should we need it.
Only universal primary education and the natural condition of one-to-one education will ever insure provision of the resources and the techniques and technology that are a pre-requisite of a Democratic healthy and adequately nourished peaceful world Society.
TOE BY TOE PROVES THE CONCEPT
Last edited by John Nicholson : Yesterday at 03:18 PM.
John Nicholson
How to Teach Your Child Basic Numeracy
Even Albert Einstein used his fingers to count with. To teach you’re child to count to ten using their fingers from left to right. Put the numbers, on a sticker, on the nails, hold your own hands over a table and firmly bang on the table each finger in rhythm one to five and six to ten counting aloud (shout for ten) The child will always relate the fingers to the ABACUS
Before a child enters primary school, most learning is taking place naturally (unconsciously between the parents, the environment and the child.) From an informal learning environment, the child is pitched directly into formal education.
"Abacus One" Can Benefit Your Child...
It ensures educational equality.
Introduction to the abacus at the earliest possible age, even before formal primary school provides a link between natural education (awareness) and (formal) lessons being given to the child within a group or classroom situation.
The abacus is easily understood, natural awareness allows the child to relate it directly to the fingers. Assessment of the child's maths ability is easily accomplished alongside that of their peers. Unless the child is mathematically competent, and continually improving it's basic reading standards, neither the abacus nor initial phonetic instruction in reading should be abandoned. The more difficult that the child finds learning, the more important these two teaching modes become.
Children can be introduced to the Abacus at any age obviously the teaching methods vary according to the capability of the child, their age and the number of children being taught at any one time. The web site Abacus and alphabet is primarily to inform parents how to teach their own children in mathematics and how to assist on a one-to-one basis in helping their own children, to understand the phonetic variation involved in the differing combinations of letters. Basic reading at an early age.
For the purposed explanations,
THE FUTURE
All we shall ever have are words.
All we shall ever possess of any value throughout our entire lives is contained within words, so let us look closely at them.
What are words.
Every human word is an individual idea, ideas that we combine to create or explain what we know or what we think.
Ideas that may be simple or complicated, ordinary or bizarre useful or harmful. All human knowledge is contained within words, numbers though they may be precise are no more then words, our best explanations are possible with the correct use of words.
Our subconscious mind stores and delivers those words at will in order to give explanation or make inquiry throughout our lives.
Only by the use of written words can we store the precise meaning of the ideas we individually consider, every thing that happens to us or others takes place somewhere at sometime, where and when individually whether we recognise it or not we are all on a personal voyage of discovery.
The importance of words within the human condition can never be overstated. Reading from the prologue of Captain Cook by Tony Horwitz, he quotes from the journal of Captain James Cook
`(Ambition leads me further then any other man as been before me, but as far as I think it is possible for any man to go)`
Proud as I am to be from the same county and country and world as captain cook I am stirred by both his words and deeds.
My thoughts on the human condition are influenced from where we are, after a century described by Isaiah Berlin as the must horrific in the history of humanity, a century where he lived from nine years after its inception until three years before its close giving him both the time and the perception to write an explanation of philosophy and humanity concurrent with his century.
(The goal of philosophy is always the same, to assist men to understand themselves and thus operate in the open and not wildly in the dark.)
(Injustice, poverty, slavery, these may be cured by reform or revolution, but men do not live only by fighting evils. They live by positive goals, individual and collective, a vast variety of them, seldom predictable, at times incompatible.)
At sixty five years of age there is no time to look at the past only time to prepare for the future, my mistakes the worlds mistakes are history we do not have to repeat history only learn from it, individually we have in a modern world to absorb vast amounts of inconsequential knowledge, we need tools to deal with that knowledge, not only inconsequential knowledge which is peripheral to our existence but vital knowledge that enables individuals and societies to live in peaceful co-existence.
We learn naturally about everything we do from speaking to the highest achievements that humans are capable of, our personal potential in good health is virtually unlimited, only time and personal experience limit what we can achieve individually.
In combination with each other working with modern technology we are capable of building a fair world providing sufficient food and adequate housing as is necessary.
We need to exploit the natural resources that are available to us utilising the world’s non-renewable resources with respect.
The worlds greatest and most valuable resource is renewable, the human mind, by mans ingenuity every possible idea can be explored and utilised we are still in the educational Stone Age with provision and application of universal education.
Political will is lacking
I remain with James Cook and Isaiah Berlin on a journey of exploration we can longer leave education in the hands of past experience, that is not experiential every child needs to read and speak if it is to develop normally, symbol recognition in a multi dimensional manner is essential the first official part of the
One percent of vital knowledge we have to be taught early in our lives.
It is as natural for a human to learn as it is to breath, provided we arrange learning alongside practical demonstration, at an advanced stage something’s may be considered, just as you are considering this statement without reflection, without experience and without intellectual curiosity, obviously there is a better way of doing everything, but with human behaviour standard practise is simple it requires no intellectual application.
Education in its present manifestation is sadly lacking, it is failing the human race, most of us live in poverty, many of us waste half our lives learning, the cost of public education is difficult for countries with little resources to sustain in its present mode.
Time taken to teach children that have become disenchanted with education not only slows down their potential development in practical experience but it takes up others time and resources that would be better used else ware
If new models of education are not to be thought through, and developed as concepts in future education on these pages where are they to be considered?
http://abacusone.net/
SYSTEMATIC STEPS IN READING
STEP ONE
Learn to sing the alphabet in alphabet rhythm
STEP TWO
Learn to read the alphabet in alphabet sound
STEP THREE
Learn to read the alphabet in the alternate phonetic
Sounds
STEP FOUR
Learn to read syllables and letter combinations
STEP FIVE
Learn to read sentences out loud without fear of
being wrong in pronunciation
STEP SIX
Learn to read aloud and self correct from the
content of the sentence
STEP SEVEN
Learn to read for pleasure and profit, knowledge and
Satisfaction
READING FOR LIFE
A child stumbling over a simple three-letter word or a confident speed-reader are dependent on the same principles for decoding any word.
“ Knowledge of the letters and sounds.”
Decoding any word is letter driven
Unless the reader knows the letters and the alternative sounds they represent, fluent reading will always be impossible.
Our subconscious mind works at the speed of light.
Every word in itself is an idea.
A child first creates a rhythmic memory, independent of sight, (vision). Then a picture and sound memory combination need to become as one.
When we see the letter the brain recognises it as a sound, and when we hear the letter the memory can identify the letter.
The human ability is to naturally convert “ words” spoken or text into image.
“Image in action.” (Imagination)
The speed with which the mind can decode any word, combining the ideas of the individual words within the larger idea of the sentence,
is at the speed of light.
It means that we have to learn all the combinations of sound that individual letters and letter combinations are capable of making.
We are establishing our first vital vocal neural pathway in formal education.
It is no accident, that in the alphabet sounds used to express the different letters of the alphabet they are in the main common sounds used within speech, capable of being formed into a rhythmic chant in order to establish the first,(in this instance vocal memory) of the alphabet.
It is quite natural for a child to be able to remember easily the sounds of the rhythmic chant of the alphabet in what I term as alphabet sounds.
Over a very short time a whole classroom or an individual child soon establish naturally a perfect sound memory of the alphabet. To establish whether the child understands/remembers the alphabet chant clearly, starting from random letters, a proficient child will automatically follow on with the next letter of the alphabet.
The rational for Systematic steps in reading.
Step one Our first systematic step in teaching a child to read under any intelligent reading system has to be the vocal alphabet sound, learnt of by heart. We are establishing our first vital vocal neural pathway in formal education.
Step two. Even before the child fully grasps, the vocal memory of the alphabet the essential forerunner of learning the letter symbols easily, the six line layout of the alphabet can be used in conjunction with establishing the verbal memory of the letter, although these two stages may be carried out to some extent together, we must never lose sight of the fact that they are, completely separate systematic stages within the process of learning to read.
Nothing will replace the automatic vocal neural pathway, which gives the child the ability to follow instantly in the vocal alphabet locking in the picture of the letter in the visual memory, linking together forever the picture and the sound within the mind.
In natural learning we copy sounds, establishing a sound memory of the alphabet, we then use our sound memory, to remember (link) the picture of the sound.
Systematic step three
Once the child has established a neural pathway of vision and sound we are able to simplify and assist the memory of the child in automatically pronouncing and memorising the phonetic alternative purely by the use of pictures.
When a child sees a picture of an apple and the word apple the subconscious memory, starts to build, the natural subconscious memory, which is vital to us in establishing ability to read words we have never seen before.
Eventually every word becomes a picture.
That picture instantly holds meaning within someone hearing it or seeing it, listening to words within our natural language, we clearly establish a memory of the meaning, recognising a written word as a picture, means that we see a picture built up of letters where our subconscious automatic ability decodes the word instantly.
Once the brain as established initial recognition of a letter the subconscious memory starts to be built around it, the alternative sounds of letters in different combinations develops quite naturally with constant use, establishing automatic memory of sounds where pictures can be used to represent words is a good starting point for the third systematic step. The automatic memory of the picture of an ever growing memory, that involves thousands of common words where automatic decoding takes place instantly, creates the instant ability to make the sounds of letters in words the reader has not previously read or in some cases heard before.
The fourth systematic step
Learning to read syllables and letter combinations, are naturally linked together with the third step, just as the two first steps are heavily linked together so are the third and fourth steps.
It is relatively simple to use pictures to automatically trigger alternative sound awareness once a letter is clearly established in the original alphabet sound, small words and vital syllables are beginning to be recognised as pictures, regular association forms an instant combined neural link, between the picture and the sound of the word.
Initially the child has to process letter sounds until a perfect picture memory of the word is instant, but thorough grounding in the first three steps develops the processing ability and once the processing is automatic (it always taking place subconsciously and INSTANTLY WITH WORDS WHERE THE PICTURE IS PERFECT) we are aware of it the moment a word is unfamiliar and mental or vocal pronunciation allow us to confirm it when we use it within our vocabulary.
Step five A great many things from the first four systematic steps can be practised and done together in a classroom situation but the next stage requires a listening partner, virtually every child benefits enormously the longer this stage goes on, and just as the first and second steps have a close relationship along with the third and fourth, so have the fifth and sixth systematic steps. The child will gradually move into the sixth stage as soon as it discovers more interesting material.
Step six Learn to read aloud and self correct from the content of the sentence.
The subconscious mind quickly sorts the potential meaning and reconciles it with written word, building it into the automatic memory.
Eventually every word becomes a picture.
The seventh step is entirely within the hands of teachers and parents; if a constant supply of interesting material is unavailable the child will quickly discover more exiting and vastly less worthwhile pastimes.
THE FUTURE OF THE WORKING BRAIN
All we shall ever have are words.
WORDS CREATE IDEAS
IMAGERY
IMAGERY is my best explanation of the teaching techniques I am proposing.
All we shall ever possess of any value throughout our entire lives is contained within words, so let us look closely at them.
What are words?
Every human word is an individual idea, ideas that we combine to create or explain what we know or what we think.
Ideas that may be simple or complicated, ordinary or bizarre useful or harmful. All human knowledge is contained within words, numbers though they may be precise are no more then words, our best explanations are possible with the correct use of words.
Our subconscious mind stores and delivers those words at will in order to give explanation or make inquiry throughout our lives.
Only by the use of written words can we store the precise meaning of the ideas we individually consider, every thing that happens to us or others takes place somewhere at sometime, where and when individually whether we recognise it or not, we are all on a personal voyage of discovery, we do not have to repeat history only learn from it, individually we have in a modern world to absorb vast amounts of inconsequential knowledge, we need tools to deal with that knowledge, not only inconsequential knowledge which is peripheral to our existence but vital knowledge that enables individuals and societies to live in peaceful co-existence.
We learn naturally about everything we do from speaking, to the highest achievements that humans are capable of, our personal potential in good health is virtually unlimited, only time and personal experience limit what we can achieve individually.
In combination with each other working with modern technology we are capable of building a fair world providing sufficient food and adequate housing.
We need to exploit the natural resources that are available to us utilising the world’s non-renewable resources with respect.
The worlds greatest and most valuable resource is renewable, the human mind, by mans ingenuity every possible idea can be explored and utilised we are still in the educational Stone Age with provision and application of universal education.
Symbol recognition is essential the first part of the one percent of vital knowledge we have to be taught early in our lives.
It is as natural for a human to learn as it is to breath, provided we arrange learning alongside practical demonstration. At an advanced stage something’s may be considered, just as you are considering this statement with reflection, with experience and with intellectual curiosity, obviously there is always a better way of doing everything, but with human behaviour standard practise is simple it requires no intellectual application.
Education in its present manifestation is sadly lacking, it is failing the human race, most of us live in poverty, many of us waste half our lives learning, the cost of public education is difficult for countries with little resources to sustain in its present mode.
Time taken to teach children that have become disenchanted with education not only slows down their potential development in practical experience but it takes up others time and resources that would be better-used elseware.
WORDS CREATE IDEAS
IMAGERY
IMAGERY is my best explanation of the teaching techniques I am proposing.
Image in action not (imagination).
Imagination is the product of imagery we appear to only use it successfully and subconsciously, when we are asleep, at least that is when we are most aware of it.
Humanity is programmed to instantly utilise imagery in order to convey meaning from words. (Ideas)
Why are human beings teaching and learning, learning and teaching constantly throughout their lives?
Simply because they have no other choice, it is natural for them to use words we all exchange words, words are nothing but ideas.
So let us look closely at ideas.
What are ideas?
Simply by the use of words we create imagery.
Obviously we do not always have to use words to create imagery.
Imagery occurs naturally within the mind.
In normal thought occurring without concentration we rely heavily on imagery it is as of the speed of light, but written spoken or thought words, direct that imagery through the concepts and linked ideas we are regarding.
If we reverse the words of Descartes `I think, therefore I am`
Into English `I am, therefore I think` there we have the human state.
We simply have no choice.
Even in sleep our mind never rests, constantly it mixes the ideas occurring naturally in our daily lives, it freely mixes real ideas using uncontrolled imagination and produces bizarre results, as we lose control of our active mind, falling asleep is heralded by the first unrecognised imagery that occurs at the onset of sleep, rapid eye movement no more then a dramatic moment within our dreams.
Imagery is the natural manner of thinking, after prolonged periods of either physical or mental activity sleep is our saviour.
Words are only our best attempt of conveying the ideas necessary to create the imagery we need to consider those ideas.
Words are all I have to convey the meaning and consideration of IMAGERY.
Imagery is immediate, as fast as the speed of light, as broad as the universe, as encompassing as the world, as precise as a flea, are you bitten by the idea of a flea, thrilled by the idea of a world understood by imagery, or as frightened by the concept of the universe as I.
Formal education needs to concentrate on the precise tools for thinking, symbols sounds and ideas, alongside the multitude of headings those ideas are contained within.
With mathematics and reading we are developing the Childs brain, allowing it to create its own meaning, once the child can speak, ten symbols and thirty words allows it to understand numbers, basic arithmetic truths are readily understood, simply by format and familiarity, basic arithmetic utilises the eye, to brain, to meaning, process which is essential in decoding written words.
Every child posses the ability to recognise some words as pictures,
Especially so with familiar words the likes of one to ten, this ability should never be mistaken for true reading, eventually all words become pictures but pictures that need to be decoded at the speed of light, the first letter is the key, the second letter the sound direction, the signpost.
Without the ability to recognise every sound combination created by the different combinations of letters within words no child will ever read fluently.
Seven logical steps in familiarity are vital tools in reading progress.
For a child that has taught itself to speak (every healthy child) reading and maths are no problem once it has been taught systematically, concentrating on the essential sounds of the thirty six symbols that create meaning in a multitude of combinations that are made possible by building words to express ideas.
Children naturally build a vocabulary associated with whatever they are made familiar with.
Broadly ideas from the past present and future.
In the first years of education we all need the same input.
Language and vocabulary development concerning words and numbers.
The more substantial the common base in early mathematics the easier the child develops its abilities in reading and vocabulary.
Reading and mathematics both share the same neural pathways
The Abacus – A Simple Teaching Tool
of Immense Power
The ABACUS is a superb tool for teaching children the basics of arithmetic. (A further spin-off is that the confidence a child gains from it helps that child also in developing his/her reading skills – as I found whilst using the ABACUS with two of my grandaughters both of whom were dyslexic). It is particularly useful in the form that John Nicholson has developed it – i.e., three columns of plastic counters with ten counters per column. The system is compact, the counters cannot be lost and young children are attracted to it as a playtool.
The simple reason that the ABACUS is so successful as a teaching tool, is that it is a robust, mechanical device which provides children with a concrete realization of all the abstract concepts they meet in arithmetic. In short the child comes ultimately to realize via “playing” with it that all of arithmetic is simply an extended form of counting whether this be for whole numbers (i.e. numbers each of which are usually greater than unity) or for numbers each of which is less than unity (i.e. proper fractions, decimals and percentages). All of this is attained through the use of the “counters” and “columns” out of which the ABACUS is constructed. The teaching method is breathtakingly simple and the child masters the subject through the brain transferring from the conscious to the unconscious the mechanical procedures associated with sliding “counters” up and down “columns” – i.e. the child develops a mental map. As a result the child moves from “solving” problems in a slow, conscious, mechanical fashion to solving them rapidly in an unconscious fashion – i.e. his/her “mental” arithmetic capabilities rise rapidly and ultimately dominate his/her thinking process because he/she understands exactly the “rules of the game” and why they work. The child also understands exactly what a fraction, a decimal or a percentage means and why you can manipulate them to obtain the solution to any given problem. This depth of understand also means that, in the end, children can teach other children the basics of arithmetic using the ABACUS as the teaching tool.
W.E. Hagston D.Sc.PhD, B.Sc, ARCS Emeritis Professor of Theoretical Physics
FOOTNOTE
Arithmetic is a precursor to many branches of mathematics of direct relevance to modern society – these include algebra and the integral and differential calculus. Integral calculus, for example, is concerned essentially with adding together (i.e. counting) a large number (in fact infinite) of infinitesimally small numbers to give a finite number as the end result. Likewise the differential calculus is concerned with equations involving fractions in which the numerator and denominator both become infinitesimally small but in such a way that their ratio (i.e. the fraction itself) is a finite number.
It is essential that a child understands fully the basic ideas governing arithmetic, because only then are they in a position to understand and appreciate the beauty, simplicity and elegance of the straightforward extension of these ideas to the important areas of mathematics just alluded to. I am firmly of the opinion that the vast majority of children could master these areas of mathematics with relative ease. Unfortunately many of them fall at the first hurdle, because their initial acquaintance with mathematics via arithmetic, is taught so poorly in a large number of schools. Sadly they then come to regard the whole of mathematics as something to be avoided like the plague. The ABACUS is a brilliantly simple teaching tool which, in the right hands, could be used to reverse this trend completely and enable children to realize how elegant, simple and enjoyable mathematics really is.
The Professor is an East Yorkshire man, a man who spent his whole life working with mathematics.
I was asked by friends working with religous organisations to provide a testimonial on behalf of Abacus One, for their better understanding of it.
In order that it may be used in the third world by missionaries working there.
Are we not all on a mission here.
I printed the email above directly as i recieved it from the Professor.
Professor Hagston has produced over two hundred working papers involving research conducted by himself, as well as has his outstanding teaching work, lecturing in mathmatics and Physics, developing students many who had not achieved A level mathematics previously.
Professor Hagston was a friend and admirer of Richard Fynman, he quotes Richard Fyneman when asked, the question what was the most important thing he ever learnt said `The differance between words and the meaning of words.`
In defence of Words, I give you my best shot to date. For Two Professors who love and treat numbers with more respect then words. Where would numbers be without words?
``Words are the only stepping stones we have to explore the ideas within the universal pool of knowledge, a pool streching to the extent of the universe.``
http://richard-feynman.ask.dyndns.dk/
for a child taught mathematics starting with an abacus Richard was wrong.
Even the first chant one to ten tapping fingers is vital chanting.
pushing up the counters in the middle column of Abacus One and chanting the words ten to onehundred provides a memory linking words and position, the same goes with the left hand column of Abacus One.
Let evey child set the numbers on the abacus as it chants first the simple addition of numbers two to twelve.
BUT ROTE LEARNING OF THE TIMES TABLE PROVIDS THE IMEADIATE ANSWEAR TO THE LIKES OF SEVEN TIMES SEVEN OR SIX TIMES EIGHT.
A well taught child can easily add numbers mentaly at speed, getting older children to read and add three column numbers is a good brain exercise, try it.
but a child taught properly that incudes rote times table gives an instant answear that it well understands.
Thankyou Richard
His Quote
'''Rote learning''', is a learning technique which avoids grasping the inner complexities and inferences of the subject that is being learned and instead focuses on memorizing the material so that it can be recalled by the learner exactly the way it was read or heard. The major practice involved in rote learning techniques is "'''learning by repetition'''", based on the idea that one will understand the meaning of the material the more they repeat it. However, in many fields, especially mathematics, this can often produce poor results. Rote learning is sometimes attributed the derogative terms "'''parrot fashion'''" or "'''regurgitation'''" because one who engages in rote learning may give the wrong impression of having understood what they have written or said. However, some material can only be learned in this fashion. For example, when learning the Latin alphabet or the conjugation of foreign irregular verbs, one must simply memorize because there is little or no inner complexity that can be grasped.
more quotes
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/author...ynman.html
Hi John
,
I would like to repost your quote from Richard Feynman, as it highlights the problem with the rote learning approach:
''Rote learning''', is a learning technique which avoids grasping the inner complexities and inferences of the subject that is being learned and instead focuses on memorizing the material so that it can be recalled by the learner exactly the way it was read or heard. The major practice involved in rote learning techniques is "'''learning by repetition'''", based on the idea that one will understand the meaning of the material the more they repeat it. However, in many fields, especially mathematics, this can often produce poor results. Rote learning is sometimes attributed the derogative terms "'''parrot fashion'''" or "'''regurgitation'''" because one who engages in rote learning may give the wrong impression of having understood what they have written or said. However, some material can only be learned in this fashion. For example, when learning the Latin alphabet or the conjugation of foreign irregular verbs, one must simply memorize because there is little or no inner complexity that can be grasped.
Where the crucial issue, is that learning is not associated with meaning.
Without meaning, learning cannot be applied?
Which returns to value of experiential learning.
Geoff.
but the abacus provides that experiential learning and understanding, a great part of it is visual and therefore in the main subconscious.
Regards john
http://www.icn.ucl.ac.uk/Research-Groups.../index.php
My own area of interest is mainly in the creation of the perfect brain, I begin at the beginning
a child learning to speak (working on its own just copying the sounds it hears in its daily life, and associating those sounds with familiar objects).
Using the most modern 50,000 thousand year old brain that has been cooking for a million years or more.
Obviously some parts of the brain are associated with differing senses but those senses are organised to work in union.
Language is ancient, words and their meanings have a multitude of variations, but we have made wondrous progress with ten universal symbols for numbers they mean the same the world over we can all communicate using ten numbers in the right place, an ancient tool the abacus establishes mental order and has done for over 5000 thousand years.
BUT ONLY IF WE PROVIDE THE CHILD WITH ONE
Howard Gardner will always be known as the man that split the human brain, it is high time now to consider his findings and reassemble the brain.
Instant memory retention is a major part of brain function WE NEED TO THINK MORE ON IT
MEMORY OF SOUND (the individual sound memory of our associates voices is automatic and is naturally occurring)
WE CAN NOT TRAIN TO REMEMBER EVERY VOISE INSTANTLY but one word on a telephone identifies most close associates
Visual Cognition Group
Description of Research
The research in this group is concerned with detection, discrimination and short-term memory of visual stimuli. A key part of the approach to the work is to study interactions between different regions of visual cortex, and interactions between visual and non-visual areas by using transcranial magnetic stimulation, psychophysics, eye movements and electrophysiological recording methods. Human vision is a dominant force in our behaviour and the study of vision therefore takes research questions into many different areas of perception outside of our more obviously visual work on visual search, the functions of the parietal cortex, the frontal eye fields and how the brain changes with learning. These include the perception of time, visuomotor learning, music, and mathematics - apparently different functions which often draw upon the same brain resources. The group is engaged in extending the use of TMS in combination with other methodologies, in particular electrophysiological recording and work with neuropsychological patients.
Experimental techniques
Psychophysics
Transcranial magnetic stimulation