Learn the Abacus - 123 Step-by-Step Lessons
Step-by-step soroban lessons with PlayBuddy and PlayType: a dice abacus that shows every move, practice with hints, games and a mind round in every lesson.
Start: Meet the abacusNew to the abacus? Try it first0 / 123 lessons
Bead VillageL1Meet the abacus
0 / 13 doneYou are here
13 lessons · Learn → Practice → Play → Test · suits K to 1 · sticker: Bead House
1
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LEARNMeet the abacus
2
LEARNZero: a clear abacus
3
LEARNBottom beads: 1 to 4
4
LEARNThe top bead: 5
5
LEARNNumbers 6 to 9
6
PRACTICEAny number, 0 to 9
7
LEARNThe tens rod: 10 to 99
7a
LEARNCounting on: 11 to 20
8
LEARNHundreds: 100 to 999
9
PRACTICERead the beads
10
PRACTICESet the number
11
PLAY
Game time: Bead Balloons
12
TEST
Bead Village test
Easy StreetL2Easy sums
0 / 15 done
15 lessons · Learn → Practice → Play → Test · suits 1 · sticker: Street Lamp
13
LEARNAdding with bottom beads
14
LEARNAdding with the top bead
14a
LEARNAdding 6, 7, 8 and 9
15
PRACTICEAdding practice
16
LEARNTaking away bottom beads
17
LEARNTaking away the top bead
17a
LEARNTaking away 6, 7, 8 and 9
18
PRACTICETaking away practice
19
LEARNThree numbers in a row
19a
LEARNAdding and taking away tens
20
LEARNAdding tens and ones
21
LEARNTaking away tens and ones
22
PRACTICETwo-rod practice
23
PLAY
Game time: Feed Mochi
24
TEST
Easy Street test
Small Friends PondL3Friends of 5
0 / 15 done
15 lessons · Learn → Practice → Play → Test · suits 1 to 2 · sticker: Pond Frog
24a
LEARNFriends of 5
25
LEARNSmall friends: plus 4
26
PRACTICEPlus 4 practice
27
LEARNSmall friends: plus 3
28
PRACTICEPlus 3 and plus 4 practice
29
LEARNSmall friends: plus 2 and plus 1
30
PRACTICEPlus 2 and plus 1 practice
31
PRACTICESmall friends: all the adding
32
LEARNSmall friends: minus 4
33
LEARNSmall friends: minus 3
34
LEARNSmall friends: minus 2 and minus 1
35
PRACTICESmall friends: all the taking away
36
LEARNSmall friends on the tens rod
37
PLAY
Game time: Friend Pop
38
TEST
Small Friends Pond test
Big Friends BridgeL4Friends of 10
0 / 23 done
23 lessons · Learn → Practice → Play → Test · suits 2 · sticker: Rainbow Bridge
38a
LEARNFriends of 10
39
LEARNBig friends: plus 9
40
LEARNBig friends: plus 8
41
PRACTICEPlus 9 and plus 8 practice
42
LEARNBig friends: plus 7 and plus 6
43
PRACTICEPlus 6, 7, 8 and 9 practice
44
LEARNBig friends: plus 5
45
LEARNBig friends: plus 4 and plus 3
46
LEARNBig friends: plus 2 and plus 1
46a
LEARNWhich way to add?
47
PRACTICEBig friends: all the adding
48
LEARNBig friends: minus 9
49
LEARNBig friends: minus 8
50
PRACTICEMinus 9 and minus 8 practice
51
LEARNBig friends: minus 7 and minus 6
52
LEARNBig friends: minus 5
53
LEARNBig friends: minus 4 and minus 3
54
LEARNBig friends: minus 2 and minus 1
54a
LEARNWhich way to take away?
55
PRACTICEBig friends: all the taking away
56
LEARNBig friends on the tens rod
57
PLAY
Game time: Friend Pop, big friends
58
TEST
Big Friends Bridge test
Mix MountainL5Both friends together
0 / 13 done
13 lessons · Learn → Practice → Play → Test · suits 2 to 3 · sticker: Mountain Flag
59
LEARNThe mix: plus 6
60
LEARNThe mix: plus 7, plus 8 and plus 9
61
PRACTICEMix practice: adding
62
LEARNThe mix: minus 6
63
LEARNThe mix: minus 7, minus 8 and minus 9
64
PRACTICEMix practice: taking away
65
LEARNWhen the ten needs a small friend
66
LEARNCarrying over several rods: 99 + 1
67
PRACTICECarry practice
67a
LEARNLong sums with friends
68
PRACTICEAll the friends: three-digit sums
69
PLAY
Game time: Tortoise and Rabbit Sums
70
TEST
Mix Mountain test
Column TowerL6Column sums
0 / 10 done
10 lessons · Learn → Practice → Play → Test · suits 3 · sticker: Tower Bell
71
LEARNColumn sums: three numbers
72
LEARNColumns of four and five numbers
73
PRACTICEOne-digit column practice
74
LEARNColumn sums with two-digit numbers
75
PRACTICETwo-digit column practice
76
LEARNColumn sums with three-digit numbers
77
LEARNThe tall tower: up to ten numbers
78
PRACTICEMixed column practice
79
PLAY
Game time: Flash Magic
80
TEST
Column Tower test
Times MarketL7Multiplying
0 / 14 done
14 lessons · Learn → Practice → Play → Test · suits 3 to 4 · sticker: Market Basket
81
LEARNTimes: groups of the same number
82
LEARNThe 3 table and the 4 table
82a
LEARNTurn it around
83
PRACTICETables practice: 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10
84
LEARNThe 6 table and the 7 table
85
LEARNThe 8 table and the 9 table
86
PRACTICEAll the tables practice
86a
LEARNTimes tens
87
LEARNTwo-digit times one-digit
88
LEARNBigger products: 47 times 6
89
PRACTICETimes practice: two-digit by one-digit
90
LEARNTwo-digit times two-digit
91
PLAY
Game time: Sum Racer
92
TEST
Times Market test
Sharing GardenL8Dividing
0 / 10 done
10 lessons · Learn → Practice → Play → Test · suits 4 to 5 · sticker: Garden Sunflower
93
LEARNSharing: what dividing means
93a
LEARNSharing facts
94
LEARNDividing by 6, 7, 8 and 9, and checking
95
PRACTICEDivision facts practice
96
LEARNSharing a two-digit number
97
LEARNWhen the tens leave some over
98
PRACTICESharing practice: two-digit numbers
99
LEARNSharing a three-digit number
100
PLAY
Game time: Number Pilot
101
TEST
Sharing Garden test
Mind CastleL9Mind math
0 / 10 done
10 lessons · Learn → Practice → Play → Test · suits 4 and up · sticker: Castle Crown
102
LEARNPicture the abacus in your head
103
LEARNFlash sums: more numbers
104
PRACTICEFlash practice: past ten
105
LEARNFaster flashes
106
LEARNTwo-digit flash sums
107
PRACTICETwo-digit flash practice
108
LEARNListening sums
109
PRACTICEMind math: mixed practice
110
PLAY
Game time: Wildwood Number Duel
111
TEST
Mind Castle test
How the lessons work
Each lesson takes five to ten minutes. A guide says what you will learn, then the abacus shows the move one die at a time, with the die about to move ringed in green. Next it is your turn: the next move stays ringed until you have it. Then you do a few on your own, try the same numbers on your fingers, and finish with a mind round where the abacus is hidden and you picture the beads.
The top die on each rod is worth 5 and every bottom die is worth 1. A die counts when it touches the bar. That one idea is enough to read and set any number, and the rest of the course builds on it: adding and taking away, the “friends” of 5 and 10, columns, times, sharing and, at the end, sums in your head.
New to the abacus? Try the free online abacus first. A grown-up? The quick soroban course for adults covers the same ground in short units.