IESBVI students are counting on their math skills to advance them to a national contest in Louisville, Ky.
Students served by Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (IESBVI) will compete in Iowa’s Regional Abacus Bee, a national program of the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). The event is Wednesday, Nov. 18 from 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at Heartland Area Education Agency, 6500 Corporate Dr., in Johnston.
According to APH, it can be difficult to motivate students who are blind or visually impaired to practice their math skills, and the event provides a positive and encouraging reason for them to get excited about using the abacus. An abacus is not needed to participate, as students may use mental math, their fingers or manipulatives as well. Figuring with a pencil and paper however, isn’t allowed, which ensures accessibility and fairness for all.
“An abacus is a great calculation tool for students who are blind,” said Sara Larkin, math consultant at IESBVI and this year’s bee coordinator for Iowa. “It is comparable to paper and pencil for students who can see and allows students to keep track of their numbers while doing computation. It is not considered a calculator because it requires the student to perform the operations and manipulate the beads.”
Competitors, ranging from kindergarten to the 12th grade, are divided into six levels based on the outcomes of a placement test conducted weeks earlier. All scores from the regional competition will be sent to APH and the top scorers in the country will be invited to compete at the national Abacus Bee, scheduled for March 4-7 at APH in Louisville.
Students compete in four to six rounds, depending on their skill level. Each round lasts about half an hour and questions during the rounds are provided to the students in braille or large print. Students record answers to the problems by brailling or writing them.
Between competition rounds, students will sharpen other STEM skills by building moving Land Rover vehicles and testing distances with them.
During the Space Race round, scheduled from 12:35 – 1:05 p.m., parents and others are permitted to watch in person. In this round, math problems will be provided orally.
Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to first, second and third place finishers in each category at a ceremony from 3:15 – 3:30 p.m.
Abacus Resources, Types and Video Trainings
Video: IESBVI Abacus Bee Featured on Des Moines News
Video: What the Students Have to Say About the Abacus Bee