Getting kids excited about reading can sometimes feel like a challenge. One day they’re curious about books, the next day they’d rather do anything else. Many Kiwi parents ask the same question: how can I improve reading skills for kids in a way that actually works?
Here’s the thing: strong reading skills don’t come from reading practice alone. Kids build better literacy when the brain skills behind reading—memory, focus, and visual processing—are strengthened too.
That’s where abacus learning becomes powerful, and New Zealand parents are trusting it.
Abacus learning does more than just boost math skills; it supports overall learning enhancement strategies—helping kids build stronger cognitive abilities.
Let’s break down how abacus and literacy development work together.
💡 Boosts Working Memory + Reading Comprehension
Quick question: ever seen your kid start a sentence and forget what they were saying halfway through?
That’s working memory running low. And it plays a big role in reading. Working memory and reading comprehension are closely connected.
Abacus learning acts like a brain workout for this skill. When kids solve problems using an abacus, they practise holding multiple pieces of information in their minds at once. Over time, this boosts memory and concentration, leading to reading comprehension improvement for kids and better focus while reading.
👁️ Develops Sequential Processing Skills in Children
Reading is all about sequence:
letters → words → sentences → meaning.
This is where abacus and sequential thinking become powerful. Abacus practice requires kids to follow bead movements step by step, boosting sequential processing skills in children.
These skills support sequential reading skills development, helping kids decode words, understand longer sentences, and build smoother reading flow. That’s why abacus practice can also work as one of the most effective activities to improve child reading skills.
🧠 Supports Prefrontal Cortex Development in Children
Here’s something interesting: the same parts of the brain used for processing numbers also support language.
Research shows that abacus training activates the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s centre for attention, memory, and flexible thinking. This type of prefrontal cortex development in children is a key focus of brain-based learning methods.
Abacus training also reinforces left-to-right scanning, the natural direction of reading. As focus and attention improve, kids often find it easier to follow sentences, stay engaged with books, and build stronger learning confidence.
🧮 Builds Visual Memory + Processing Skills
When kids use an abacus, they constantly convert numbers into visual bead patterns and back again.
This boosts visual processing skills and improves visual memory development for kids—both essential for reading. Strong visual memory helps kids recognise word patterns faster and remember tricky spellings.
That’s why abacus training and sight word recognition often go hand in hand. With better visual processing, kids can identify familiar words more quickly and read more confidently.
📍 Where to Find a Proven Abacus Program in New Zealand?
Good news: you’re already in the right place!
More than 5000+ Kiwi parents trust SIP Abacus to supercharge their kids’ learning journey.
In just a year of joining, our proven program has helped students show big improvements in both math and reading skills.
We’re available online + at multiple locations across the country.
👀 See for Yourself!
My daughter’s been doin SIP Abacus for 14 months and honestly, it’s helped her alot in school. Her behaviour is better too! She’s super focused now, and doin really well in both Math and English. She’s even more focused when reading books or just listening to us at home. She’s also just WAY more alert now. Getting her enroled in SIP Abacus was such a good decison. We’re so thankfull! The teachers are amazing and so patient with Shenelle, she didn’t even wanna learn numbers at first, but now she’s excelling at them. She knows her times tables all the way to 10 by heart! We’re so proud of her! Thanks sooo much for everything. Honestly, I don’t see a difference between online and in-person classes. Both are equally great.
Virat’s been goin to Abacus classes for 10 months now, and I’ve noticed that he’s really doin better in Math and English at school. He loves the in-class and online sessions. It even helped with his reading! I would def recommend this for any parent looking to suport their kids in a collabrative learning enviorment!! His English reading and Math have both improved sooo much.
We wanted Brianna to get better at math, and now she’s way faster with her calculations since joinin SIP Abacus. Her confidence has gone up a lot, her English is sooo much better, and she can focus waay more on her Math now. I’d totally recommend SIP Abacus to my freinds and I’m gonna get my younger daughter in too. I truly think SIP Abacus will help my kids live a better life.
We enroled our son Jashan for SIP Abacus after hearing a ton of good things about it. He used to watch a lot of TV, which was really messin with his focus. But since he started SIP Abacus, we’ve seen a huge change. His confidence has shot up, his English is WAY better, and he’s focusing more on stuff he enjoys like drawing. He actually enjoys studying more now. His Math skills are amazing now, he’s doing numbers super fast. SIP Abacus has definetly exceeded our expectations. I tell all my freinds and family about it, and some have already signed their kids up!
🎁 Still Unsure? Try a Trial First. It’s FREE!
We totally get it. Choosing a learning program is a big step.
So we make it easy. Book a FREE trial class and see the difference in one class itself!
