The Role of the Abacus and Physical Exercise in the Cognitive Development of Students in Primary Education

Cognitive stimulation during the first years of school is key to the comprehensive development of children, as it impacts functions such as attention, memory, and intelligence, and contributes to their academic performance and social adaptation. The present study aims to evaluate how the use of the abacus and physical exercise improve cognitive skills in children in the second year of primary school. This study is a randomized clinical trial with a total of 82 children, of which 58.50% were boys and 41.50% girls in the first cycle of primary education, divided into an experimental group that carried out a combined program of training with abacus and physical exercise and a control group. Selective attention and concentration were measured with the D2 test, memory with the Spanish adaptation of the Reynolds Intelligence Scale, differential perception with the Differential Perception Test (CARA-R), and general intelligence with the Raven Progressive Matrices Test. The intervention showed statistically significant improvements in attention (Cohen’s d = 0.55), concentration (Cohen’s d = 0.04), memory (Cohen’s d = 0.53), differential perception (Cohen’s d = 0.77), impulsivity control (Cohen’s d = 0.90), and general intelligence (Cohen’s d = 0.43) within the experimental group, as well as significant differences between the training and control groups in post-intervention assessments. The combination of physical exercise and abacus training effectively improves children’s cognitive development.