Enthusiastic school children got an opportunity to unlock hidden mathematical potential and skills as part of a special Smart Brain Workshop at the 15th Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival that kicked off on Wednesday at the Expo Centre.

Syrian instructor Lamar Albabili who taught attendees, some as young as five, how to use fingers to count numbers beyond 10, said this was a perfect platform for young learners to fall in love with “not just mathematics but the beauty of numbers”. “This Smart Brain Workshop aims to make learning maths fun and engaging for children, helping them develop essential skills such as concentration, problem-solving, and critical thinking. 

Through interactive activities, games, and exercises, participants will learn how to perform complex mathematical calculations quickly and accurately, boosting their confidence and self-esteem in the process,” said the 19-year-old student of physiotherapy who will be conducting the daily workshops at the ‘Brain’ section of SCRF 2024 until Monday. 

For Mohammed Hamdan, the hour-long session was a wonderful journey of self discovery. “I never realised that we could count so fast and so high using just our hands and fingers,” said the grade 6 student of Sharjah Private School. Meanwhile, his schoolmate Marwa, a grade 3 student, enjoyed the process of memorising numbers. “I learnt how to write down big numbers quickly,” she said.

Sultan, a grade two student at International School of Creative Science  – Muwaileh, said the workshop was fun because he picked up new things along the way. “I am smart and I became smarter now,” he said referring to how he enjoyed using traditional counting devices like abacus.

The Smart Brain Workshop, open to children of all ages and skill levels, will take place every day until Monday at the 15th Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA).

The festival, themed ‘Once Upon a Hero’, will feature a diverse array of over 1,500 cultural, creative, and edutainment activities led by 265 esteemed guests representing 25 countries, alongside the participation of 186 publishers from 20 nations.