ABN METHOD

It has long been clear that the way of teaching and learning mathematics needed a renewal. The endless sessions in which the teacher transmitted knowledge while students were expected only to listen and repeat what they had learned through thousands of mechanical exercises are now behind us. It is more than evident to us that the results of these old methods are far from encouraging; for this reason, our centre is committed to a more natural way of bringing mathematics to children: the ABN method.

The open calculation method based on numbers (ABN) has undergone enormous development in a short space of time. Today, it represents a real alternative to the old procedures involving senseless sums and calculations. The key to its success lies in the improved performance achieved by pupils using the new algorithms, who learn faster, learn better, go further, and develop a deeper understanding of arithmetical tasks.

The ABN method connects naturally with the brain’s spontaneous and intuitive way of processing calculations and dealing with numerical realities. Old procedures rely on a methodology where everything must be learned from scratch; they are static, and arithmetical knowledge is presented as something pre-existing, with fixed procedures that the pupil must simply memorise. However, the ABN method works with concrete quantities, allowing the child to manipulate them, discover the rules, and build numbers—and, consequently, the relationships between them. Ultimately, it offers children the opportunity to create their own strategies, those that are most meaningful and useful to them.