The year 2000 is now 20 years old, and one thing still lingers in my mind. Since the early 1980s, cixi's schools have cultivated a large number of "little god operators" through "abacus mental calculation" teaching, and won many provincial, national and even international abacus and mental calculation competitions, which were praised as "Divine grace" and "one of the wonders of China". Me as a witness, workers and researchers - long river area center, cixi city experimental primary school teachers of primary school, 16 years, cixi city, ningbo, cixi city bureau of education teaching and research section bead mental arithmetic research staff and the abacus association deputy secretary-general, countless times by everyone (including leaders at all levels and abacus researchers and people from all walks of life) of abacus curious asked how the cixi "abacus" origin, how to develop and so on. In fact, as early as the end of 2000, I discussed this issue in detail in practice and Research on the Teaching Mode of "Abacus Calculation" (published by Education Science Press and Tianjin Education Press in January 2001). Here, I would like to sort out the relevant content, for everyone interested.

"Abacus mental calculation" also known as abacus mental calculation, is the use of abacus principle for mental calculation of a method. Therefore, speaking of its origin, we should start from abacus first. It is a great progress that human beings make use of tools to calculate. As early as the Zhou Dynasty, there was "calculation and research" in China. The so-called "chip" is a small bamboo stick of general thickness and length. This method of calculation is called "calculating". When "bead" is substituted for "chip", there is "abacus". Abacus is a great creation of the Chinese nation. When did it originate from, until there is still no exact statement. According to textual research, the word "abacus" was first used in the book Of Numerology, written by Xu Yue at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. In the painting "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival" in the Northern Song Dynasty, there is an abacus on the pharmacy counter, which shows that abacus was widely used in the society at that time. China's long history of Abacus culture has left a vast sea of Abacus literature, abacus teaching from generation to generation, hui sow at home and abroad. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the abacus has been improved, such as the establishment of "empty plate before multiplication", "roll multiplication", "one division to get many" and other abacus new methods, which have played an effective role in improving the speed of calculation. Cixi's "abacus calculation" teaching is developed on the basis of inheriting the Chinese abacus cultural heritage.

In April 1982, the abacus interest group in Tangtou Primary School, Tannan Commune, Cixi County, after more than two years of guidance from Teacher Xu Sizhong, the students mastered "abacus in mind", and an abacus appeared in their minds when calculating (see China Education News, November 22, 1992). Xu Sizhong, together with Chai Guoyong, teacher of teaching and Research Office of Cixi County Education Bureau, discussed with Chen Zhishan, teacher of Teaching and Research Office of Ningbo City (then called Ningbo area), and named this mental calculation method "Pearl brain combined calculation method". In the same year, under the guidance and support of prefecture-level teaching and research office and Abacus Association, Xu Sizhong's student Xu Qing won the first place in individual all-around in the second Abacus Technology Competition for elementary students in Ningbo area. Since then, Xu's students have won the first place in the abacus Communication competition for primary school students in China for many times. In July 1984, I recommend Xu Si the transfer into river area central primary school, in August, his students with bank of China in ningbo calculator operators to win in the competition, on August 27, the ningbo daily published the first edition of the close-up the red scarf stunt shocked - six small abacus ace battle calculator, stir in ningbo. In July 1985, he taught pool pond head south province primary and long river area center elementary school students participated in the juvenile abacus calculation technology between China and Japan summer camps, Xu Qun feng, Xu Liming in add and subtract the abacus and add and subtract mental arithmetic respectively in the two projects with 170 points, 140 points and 170 points, 160 points of good grades won the Chinese party is both the first and the second two, obtain the abacus calculation history research institute of Japan awarded second class three seats and the six awards, silver, beat is referred to as "the Chinese child prodigy" shanxi Gu Yingfang etc, cixi abacus reputation. In 1986, xu Qunfeng was awarded the title of "National Excellent Player" after competing with adults in the National Experience exchange Conference for excellent Abacus calculation players. Xu Sizhong delivered an academic report entitled "Abacus Calculation plus and Minus Enlightenment Training Method" at the conference. In October of the same year, he attended the founding meeting of The National Abacus Teaching Research Association and submitted an academic paper on "Abacus Brain Computing Teaching Method". In 1987, Xu Sizhong was transferred to Cixi County Abacus Association as the only full-time deputy secretary general.

As early as 1973, the central primary school of Whooping Crane began the experiment of "combining three calculations" until 1979, when it was interrupted by the use of unified textbooks nationwide. In 1983, Wang Tingfang, a teacher from the Teaching and research Office of cixi County Education Bureau, suggested that the school continue to adhere to the experiment. Principal Ye Shanchang accepted the proposal quickly and taught the combination of "three calculations" among the 103 freshmen in the first year, which later expanded to 18 classes in the whole school. In 1984, two teachers, Chen Zhishan and Chai Guoyong, proposed that the school set up an extracurricular abacus interest group, with Lu Changsen as the coach. Since 1985, wang Weida, my teacher of the same term, has been the coach. The "divine operator" cultivated by the school has participated in various competitions for many times and set new national records for many times. It has won 37 gold MEDALS in national competitions and 85 gold MEDALS in provincial competitions. On February 5, 1988, Shen Yang and five other primary school students from The center primary school of Crane town were invited to participate in the live broadcast program of "Xizi Cup" abacus mental arithmetic performance jointly held by Zhejiang Abacus Association and Zhejiang TV Station. In July 1988, at the invitation of Zhejiang Abacus Association, four primary school students led by wang Weida and Chai Guoyong took part in the friendly competition with "Japan-China Friendly Exchange group of Abacus Students" in Hangzhou. They defeated the Japanese masters in the tenth and ninth Dan of Abacus, and finished top four in the all-around. In October of the same year, Shen Yang and 5 other primary school students participated in the National Abacus Invitational Competition on behalf of zhejiang Provincial team, and won the second place of the team, only one medal less than the team champion Jilin Team. Since then, opened the Cixi harvest abacus, abacus mental calculation brilliant prelude. In August 1989, he took part in the invitational competition of selection of National Youth Abacus Training Team held in Changchun and won the first place in 6 items except counting. In July 1990, he participated in the selection of the National Abacus Intensive Training team held in Taiyuan city, 15 members were selected, 8 of whom were from cixi City, 11 students were selected, and the students from cixi city were all from the first to the fifth place. In 1986, "Abacus mental Arithmetic training experiment" undertaken by Chai Guoyong, Teaching and Research Office of Cixi County Education Bureau, Chen Zhishan, Qiu Huifen, Wang Weida, Xu Sizhong and other teachers was listed as the subject of general education research in Zhejiang Province. Teachers such as Zhou Limin and Chen Xingguo from Gaowang Township central Primary School also actively carry out "abacus calculation" teaching. In December 1987, the "Abacus Mental Calculation" training experiment Report was awarded the second prize of the Excellent achievement of zhejiang Provincial General Education research papers from 1986 to 1987 by Zhejiang Provincial Education Commission. Since then, yao Guohui, Sun Chuntao and Bao Xuming, successively directors of the Teaching and Research Office of Cixi Municipal Education Commission, under the leadership of the municipal government and the Municipal Education Commission, presided over the promotion of this achievement and organized the teaching and research staff and relevant teachers to deepen this experiment. In 1988, the Abacus Mental Calculation Course written by Chai Guo-yong and Wang Weida was serialized in Zhejiang Education magazine. In 1989, The Abacus Mental Computing Technology and The Newly compiled Abacus were respectively published by Zhejiang Education Press and Anhui Education Press. In July 1991, the research results of abacus mental arithmetic teaching in The central primary school of Minghe Town passed the appraisal. The appraisal meeting was jointly held by the leading group of Educational science planning of Zhejiang Province and Cixi Municipal Education Commission. The appraisal committee was composed of 11 experts and professors including Lv Xingwei, Shao Zongjie and Zhang Xiaoda from Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, etc. In 1991, "Abacus Mental Calculation", written by Chai Guo-yong, Wang Weida, Zhou Limin and Chen Xingguo, was made into a video by Ningbo Audio-visual Education Center. In 1992, it was sent to China Education TELEVISION station and broadcast there.

Cixi Municipal Commission of Education and the Teaching and Research Office attach great importance to the "abacus calculation" teaching and research work. Since 1996, cixi has made great breakthroughs in teaching objectives, teaching methods, teaching plan design, teaching mode, teaching functions, teaching means, teacher training, textbook compilation, foreign exchange and other aspects.

The teaching objective is to study the "National Standard for Grade Identification of Abacus Technology" formulated by China Abacus Association (trial draft), which stipulates that the highest grade is expert Level 1. "National Abacus technology Competition Regulations" stipulates that the maximum difficulty of the competition is 20 8-digit Numbers, 15 10-digit Numbers, multiplication is 11 digits in total for French business, division is 10 digits in total for French business, as well as subpoenas calculation, accounting table calculation and other requirements. Cixi city board of education teaching and research section as research staff and teachers in charge of the leadership and the schools after many changes, gradually formed the points grade to achieve the goal of the requirements, both look, and listen to calculate, clearly put forward the city's "abacus" interest group student project and topic, that teachers in the schools have a uniform phase training goals and objectives.

Teaching method Research cixi "pearl mental arithmetic" teaching has obtained the astonishing result, undoubtedly has the unique teaching method. On October 17, 1996, the teaching and research Office of Cixi Municipal Education Commission held the "abacus arithmetic" teaching method seminar. At the meeting, eight teachers spoke and were required to turn their speeches into text drafts after the meeting. Through the revision, Cixi city education and Science institute and the Teaching and research Office of the Education committee compiled the "1996" "abacus mental arithmetic" teaching experience album, the city's 8 teachers included 11 papers, most of the teachers for the first time published their own abacus mental arithmetic teaching articles. This activity has played a great role in promoting teachers to study the theory of "abacus arithmetic", enhancing the communication among schools, and improving the teaching method of "abacus arithmetic". From then on, it became a system to collect "abacus calculation" papers every year.

"Abacus mental Arithmetic" teachers attach great importance to the design of teaching content. In March 1997, on the basis of the teachers' full preparation, cixi Municipal Education Commission held the "Abacus calculation" teacher training and teaching plan design competition. After I gave the lecture "How to Design the Abacus Mental Calculation teaching plan", 33 teachers each completed one teaching plan that was closely related to their own teaching practice and could be applied in real time within 2 hours, and awarded more than 10 first, second and third prizes. This activity provides an example for the standardization of teaching plan, and also gives rise to further thinking about the reform of classroom teaching mode. In 1997, the 3rd issue of "Abacus" magazine issued a newsletter "Cixi City Teaching Plan Design Competition".

Teaching Mode research On September 23, 1997, Cixi City Education Commission teaching and research office again solicited "abacus mental calculation" teaching papers. It is clearly proposed that the theme of this paper is the research on the teaching model of "abacus mental Arithmetic", including the teaching system model of "abacus mental arithmetic" and the classroom teaching model of "abacus mental arithmetic". On January 13, 1998, in the "abacus mental arithmetic" teaching mode paper seminar, more than 20 teachers made a speech, deputy director of the municipal Education commission Wang Junqi and other leaders attended and made a speech. After the meeting, he compiled "1997" "Abacus mental Arithmetic" teaching experience album, which included 29 "abacus mental arithmetic" teaching papers of 28 teachers.

Teaching function research in September 1998, cixi city education teaching and research section began soliciting with "teaching" as the theme of "abacus" teaching, combined with the practice of the mode of "abacus" teaching and research, a summary of teaching results, launched many discussions, of more than 200 received the highest grade in the abacus and technology of China masters level students do none missing tracking, and the winning players to do the investigation and analysis in recent years, the editor the bead mental arithmetic teaching experience "album" in 1998, the income of 22 teachers 21 "abacus" teaching papers.

Research on Teaching Means We attach great importance to the application of modern educational means in "abacus calculation" teaching. In 1995, Zhou Yuehui, general manager of China Jinlun Group Jinlun Computer Co., Ltd. invested in the development of "abacus mental Arithmetic" teaching software. Xu Sizhong, director of Cixi Abacus Mental Arithmetic Scientific Research Institute, and I presided over this project. Zhou Limin, Chen Zuming, Chen Changlian, Zhang Yiqu and other "Abacus mental arithmetic" teachers participated in this work. In this study, teachers have gained many inspirations. Since 1996, each experimental school of "abacus calculation" in Cixi has been equipped with computers, and various kinds of "abacus calculation" proposition systems have been widely used in "abacus calculation" exercises and competitions, and multimedia teaching has also been trying. On November 4, 1999, the third experimental primary school in Cixi city held an open class activity with the theme of "application of modern teaching methods in abacus arithmetic teaching". The color picture on the big screen of computer showed its unique charm in "Abacus arithmetic teaching".

Teacher Training The Teaching and Research Office of Cixi Municipal Education Commission has been attaching great importance to teacher training since the 1980s. With the extension of "abacus calculation" teaching from primary school to kindergarten, we begin to attach great importance to the training of preschool teachers. For example, in 1996, the city teaching and research office in April 9, September 19, October 24 held three "abacus mental arithmetic" teacher training, to participate in the teacher 112 person-time, preschool teachers up to 50. On May 16, 1997, the municipal Teaching and research Office organized "abacus mental arithmetic" teacher training, 74 teachers participated, among which 42 preschool teachers. On July 23, 1997, solstice 26, the city's teaching and research office and the city abacus mental arithmetic scientific research institute contact, invited the city's primary school and kindergarten teachers to participate in a four-day national "abacus mental arithmetic" teacher training course.

The teaching of "abacus arithmetic in mind" is a pioneering work. From its origin to its development, there are many teachers constantly exploring. The questions in the national competition stipulated by The Abacus Calculation Association of China are too difficult, too demanding and not suitable for primary school teaching. To promote the teaching of "abacus mental arithmetic", a set of textbooks should be prepared in line with the teaching rules of "abacus mental arithmetic" and the rules of students' cognition. In 1996, Xu Sizhong of Cixi City Abacus Mental Arithmetic Scientific Research Institute and I co-authored abacus Mental Arithmetic (Cizizhong No. 96007). In 1998, the textbook "Abacus arithmetic" applied for the national patent and obtained the patent certificate issued by the State Patent Office (ZL98309244.3). The textbook has been rewritten and published by the People's Education Press and other domestic and foreign publishing houses.

"Pearl mental arithmetic" has become an important window of zhuhai's opening to the outside world. Cixi "pearl mental Arithmetic" contestants have performed on many important occasions at home and abroad, and have been invited to visit the United States, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other countries and regions. In February 1992, by the whooping crane Wang Weida town center elementary school teachers, and China youth simplified group is composed of three students were invited to visit the United States, in Washington, New York, San Francisco and other cities in the 21 "abacus", professor k. jen said after watching the show: "I met a lot of amazing things in my life, but the most to my surprise the show today, the Chinese really proud." In August 1993, Mr. Zhou Limin and two students from Gaowang Primary School visited Japan to perform "abacus calculation". Since March 1995, He has received many interviews from Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and introduced cixi's abacus arithmetic in detail. At the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, He has also trained more than 200 teachers of abacus arithmetic for Malaysia. In February 1996, Hong Kong mental arithmetic expert Cheng Hu came to Cixi to investigate the teaching of abacus mental arithmetic. In June 1997, Mr. Xu Sizhong was invited to Singapore to give a lecture on "Abacus mental Arithmetic". In August 1997, 46 teachers of abacus arithmetic from Taiwan came to Cixi to attend the 1997 Cixi Taiwan Abacus Arithmetic Teachers' Seminar, and listened to the academic report of teachers of abacus arithmetic. In November 1997, wang Jun, deputy director of Cixi Municipal Education Commission