Abacus Program Options: Math: Discussion

[TeachingMyToddlers]

I am looking for a good abacus curriculum to begin with my kids. Please feel free to chime in with any programs I may not be aware of. Here are the options I know of. Edited to update with other BK member suggestions and other info I have compiled. Thanks to all who have contributed great info and resources!


Abacus Courses/Programs/Videos/Books

http://showmesoroban.com/ (software, 3 week trial available, teaches addition/subtraction only)

http://www.abacusmaster.com/ (software & physical abacus)

http://www.mathsecret.com/free-math-learning/ (online software/printable workbooks for sample/purchase, 10 minutes free daily) , ebook is also here http://www.scribd.com/doc/65720871/FREE-Soroban-Abacus-Maths-Secret-workbook (I do not recommend their physical abacus, I threw ours in the trash.)

http://www.3gabacus.com/en/contact-us/sales-of-dvd.html (DVD, physical abacus, books, local classes. note: uses a unique "updated" abacus)

http://www.mathgenie.com/home-study/ (DVDs, abacus, books, local classes)

http://www.abacusbraingym.com/Abacus_Brain_Gym/Store.html (DVDs, books, 10 levels of software, local classes)

http://www.nurtureminds.com/ (full course divided into 2 years, physical abacus & texbooks/workbooks)

http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Soroban-The-Japanese-Abacus/dp/B004IWEQX8 (book)

http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Abacus-Its-Use-Theory/dp/0804802785/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359166749&sr=1-1&keywords=soroban (book)

http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Brain-Toys-ABA-CONUNDRUMS/dp/B00392JTHG (larger abacus with non-traditionally shaped beads. not a full curriculum.)

http://www.nsls.in/Products/Nischals-Mathematics-Products/NISCHAL/Abacus/pid-859775.aspx (DVD, books, physical abacus)

http://www.jvindians.com/abacus%20exercise%20cd.php (DVD)

http://www.316art.com/ (DVD)

http://sigma-soroban.com/index-e.htm (DVDs, Books)

http://www.alohama.com/main/networks.php (online demo beta version e-learning)

http://www.soroban.com/index_eng.html (physical abacus purchase, general info)

http://www.sorobanexam.org/ (free customizable flash anzan practice program)


Apps

Aloha Abacus (free) https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aloha-abacus/id511657745?mt=8 ( Offers a few tutorial slides, practice for 1, 2 or 3 digits, race against the clock, and other modes).

Talking Abacus (free) https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/talkingabacus/id548246827?mt=8 This app reads the numbers aloud as you set them. I found this helpful for little ones learning to count to 100 on it, which is one of Shichida's suggested tasks that kids learn at Shichida school. We had quick progress with this.

Abacus Fun (free) https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/abacus-fun/id524587321?mt=8 This has been my favorite to use as an adult so far. Maybe I just like cheeseburgers? LOL Seems so much less intimidating that way. You unlock the levels of addition/subtraction as you master them and then it moves on to multiplication/division. More practice than instructional, but non-timed).

Abacus Adventure (free) https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/abacus-adventure-free/id568745586?mt=8 No Iphone, for Ipad only. Seems like this is probably one of the best ones judging by parent feedback on this forum, although I have not used it personally. It appears to have the most explicit *instruction.* So many abacus apps assume you have a clue. :P

FingerMath https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/abacus-adventure-free/id568745586?mt=8 Review: http://appsforhomeschooling.com/2012/homeschool-app-review-fingermath-abacus-app-review/

Mental Abacus http://www.freenew.net/iphone/mental-abacus/677214.htm (for ipad, ios 4.2 or later, interactive instruction book, not just practice.)



Free Videos/PowerPoint/Printables/Resources

http://japanmath.com/how-to-make-a-soroban-japanese-abacus.html (instructions to make a homemade soroban, other FAQs and general info)

http://www.sorobancymru.co.uk/page50.html (free Introduction to Soroban ebook at bottom of page)

http://www.sorobancymru.co.uk/page9.html (free flashcards)

http://www.nurtureminds.com/worksheets/math.php (free worksheets)

http://www.uitti.net/stephen/soroban/soroban_sheets.pl (free worksheets)

http://www.japan21.org.uk/downloads/resources/soroban/soroban_1.pdf (free ebook)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/65720871/FREE-Soroban-Abacus-Maths-Secret-workbookl (free downloadable Math Secret ebook)

http://forum.brillkids.com/downloads/?cat=65 -(type "abacus" in the search box, free Powerpoint slides or search by member "Chris1")

https://sites.google.com/site/osakasoroban/materials-1/book (free instructional book with practice questions)

http://www.japansociety.org.uk/schools/resources/downloads/soroban-the-japanese-abacus/ (downloadable PDF's)

http://cherlynleezhiying.blogspot.com (blogger who's child reached Anzan very young, scroll down to earlier posts to read about her)

http://katinaferguson.hubpages.com/hub/The-Soroban (blogger who documented her children's progress in abacus classes)

http://www.sorobanexam.org/ (exam prep worksheet generator & software)

http://dada.cca.edu/~gkuk/soroban_beyond_calculator/benefit.html (general info)



YouTube Clips

(I created the top playlist for my own kids, let me know if there are other good clips to add to it.)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/wD5ALPHQuC0&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/wD5ALPHQuC0&rel=1</a>

A 1st grader after just 8 abacus class sessions

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/T1VjpekL3t0&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/T1VjpekL3t0&rel=1</a>

A very young Aloha Math student

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/HqKEMpuJ_iM&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/HqKEMpuJ_iM&rel=1</a>

http://www.youtube.com/user/r2abraham (lots of great instructional videos)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/OCNtMEeEFT8&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/OCNtMEeEFT8&rel=1</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/TfknNia8Rsg&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/TfknNia8Rsg&rel=1</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/bi7Ne_RvbVQ&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/bi7Ne_RvbVQ&rel=1</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/xguMYWW8EAU&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/xguMYWW8EAU&rel=1</a>

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZORSQs8hvDU&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/ZORSQs8hvDU&rel=1</a>


Local Tutoring Centers- (Note: these are mostly in the US as it is difficult to locate abacus classes the States, while in many other countries they are commonly found. Eventually I may continue to compile these in a spreadsheet or post them somewhere online as to not clutter up the forum, but for now this is it)

http://www.aloha-usa.com/arithmetic.html (multiple locations)

http://www.mathgenie.com/ (New Jersey)

http://www.3gabacus.com/ (Note: uses unique "updated" soroban. India, Malaysia, Turkey)

http://www.playabacususa.com (Illinois, Texas, Georgia)

http://www.abacusbraingym.com/Abacus_Brain_Gym/Parents_View.html (Texas)

http://companies.findthecompany.com/l/25418961/Sai-Speed-Math-Academy-in-Charlotte-NC (North Carolina)

http://www.betteratmath.com/System/System.html  (New York)

http://www.jamsportland.com/ (Oregon)

http://bestbrains.com/pages/Location.htm (Maryland, Virginia, Illinois)

http://www.wizardofmathsd.com/ (California)

http://www.vjcc.com/orgs_clubs.htm (California)

http://www.komodousa.com/Company/Locations.aspx (Maryland, Virginia)

http://supermath.com/ (California)

http://sigma-soroban.com/index-e.htm (California)

https://abacuswest.com/aboutus.php?id=1#Locations (Washington)

http://www.soroban.com/school_eng.html (Limited Global Directory)

[Kerileanne99]

TeachingMyToddlers:
Fantastic thread and fantastic timing! I am also looking into different programs utilizing the abacus. I have borrowed the RightStart program from a friend to try with my daughter:
http://rightstartmath.com/

Are you looking for one program to encompass both kids?  I think this makes a bit of a difference...for example, I looked at Aloha as there is a center about two hours away, and the absolute youngest they take (at least here) is five years old...

Looking forward to following everyone's comments and suggestions...

[aangeles]

For me, the most important aspect to consider when comparing different abacus programs is how easily and how fast their students could translate their skill on the physical abacus into mental math and to what level of mental calculations (the 4 operations only, up to decimals/fractions, square roots/cube roots, or even beyond) that specific program can take them. I would want to look at their workbooks from the beginner level up to the highest level and see how fast or slow they go, when they expect the student to be doing anzan, and what kind of mental math their students achieve when they "graduate" from the program.

Hopefully, Soroban (Tom) will chime in here to give us his expert opinion.   

[TeachingMyToddlers]

A link to more schools:

http://www.soroban.com/school_eng.html

[Kimba15]

I really like the look of show me soroban and I like mathabacus as well. ALthough while the website for show me soroban looks really flashy it does not say if the software goes up to Anzan. I might have to buy it.

[Kimba15]

This forum costs me a fortune!!

[bella]

i got rightstart math for my kids and i really love it . i wish i could stop myself looking somewhere else and feeling my kids will miss out if i don't try the so many programs you are all talking about . my dd5 was resistant to do math before but now she really likes it and we are progressing fast , but what is happening is that her brother dd3 is learning in the background without any formal lessons .i got the level A as a gift and the person who gave it to me later switched to saxon . another friend i knew started with it than switched to singapore but she admitted it is the one on one that she couldn't cope with . i read so many good reviews about kids ability to do mental math with rightstart and well thinking the lesson only takes like 12 minutes i don't mind the one on one session . i purchased used 4 levels for really good price , i felt like gambling committing that far to one program we are still at level A with.i also have made and bought some nice montessori math material that i pull out whenever my lesson in rightstart needs it . they say in the parents forum that the scope and sequences of different curriculum is not the same , like some programs work on subtraction at some point  when another keeps it for later and you can get the whole benefit only when you can complete all the levels , and i was like crazy on parents forum trying to read reviews of parents who are at higher levels and i was happy to read very good reviews . many eventually did the switch to singapore higher level books but they said that rightstart help build good foundation in math understanding . one mother moved her son to rightstart when he got stuck with singapore and the child said in his own words : mama before i could do math , but now i understand why i am doing math . and i really like his statement .
 i had  a discussion with a friend on brillbaby forum who is doing so much in math and her daughter is doing so well with so many curriculum fitting in but her daughter is really amazing at three . well maybe if i have the money and i could afford to expose my little one to other programs like jone genious ,singapore ,...but honestly raising a specialneed child and therapy costs put lots of restrictions on me . when my hurt daughter was doing doman we'll come back from philadelphia with a suitcase full of books and material . Now that our 2 little ones came along and we still doing therapy with her i have to be really careful how to spend money . after all we cannot live on books only and curriculum    left to me i would hehehe .
so  i am playing with faith , i was really lucky how rightstart came my way , and i feel i need to commit and stick with it to see results .
i like to hear from other here who are using rightstart how it is working for them and if they are using other things .
love
viv

[Mandabplus3]

I went through all those links ( with my parent and teacher glasses on ) Of them the only one I would even consider is rightstart math. All the other programs seem to only teach number. Math is more than just number. It's pattern, geometry, algebra, space, measurement..... Right start was the only one that covered all areas. The other abacus programs only covered number. Addition, subtraction, multiplications and division.
All of the programs had potential for advanced mental math calculations. This would be a great addition to a child's academic life but it is only one area of math that they need to learn. So the question becomes "what do you want them to learn?" If what you want is an abacus program to teach mental math at speed then choose the cheapest one  They all should do that. And some will do it with a traditional sized/shaped abacus.
If you want your kids to be strong in all math areas (especially important if you are planning to homeschool) rightstart is the best of that bunch. I really liked the look of all their math manipulatives and the abacus looks easy to understand and appealing to children. I liked the look of it enough to consider a purchase..quite an achievement considering I am trained in early years math teaching and really don't need a program to teach it!
Anyway surely rightstart isn't the only abacus based program that has a full corriculum. Has anyone else come across others?

[waterdreamer]

This forum costs me a fortune!!

Your not even kidding Kimba!! I have more materials then I can use and I still want to buy more.

[TeachingMyToddlers]

I wanted to add this video- check out all the neat creations! How fun.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/NqjMy2zrSEk&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/NqjMy2zrSEk&rel=1</a>

[linzy]

This is a really good introduction to the Soroban:

http://www.sorobancymru.co.uk/page50.html

The free early stage learning book at the bottom of the page is a work book with sorobon instructions for young learners. From there you should be able to go into more advanced materials.

They also have free flashcards:

http://www.sorobancymru.co.uk/page9.html

[TeachingMyToddlers]

Months ago I unsuccessfully tried to get the trial of the ShowMe Soroban software going. I decided to try again today, I downloaded the trial and requested a license key via email. I heard back within 4 hours and was able to activate the 2 week trial. After that. I hit a snag as I couldn't get the software to past the the opening title screen. it just froze repeatedly. I emailed customer support but in the meantime, started googling the error and was able to download something from the microsoft website and got it working on my own.  I am so glad I took the time to do so, out of all the programs out there, this really walks you through step by step! Getting is going was a bit of work, but worth it. The little bird talks you through every step of the way.  I am going to see if I can get some video of this so you see what it's like.

What I like-
It's so easy to understand! At least from what I have seen. Really demystifies the whole thing and explains it in plain English.
It makes teaching soroban accessible to those of us starting from zero with no schools nearby. I can learn from this much easier than a text book, but I know I will feel more comfortable USING worksheets and such after getting a good understanding of the basics with this program.
It tracks your child's progress automatically
It has a review section and a daily practice timer for 5, 10, or 15 minutes
It shows the hands! I never knew if we were "doing it right" and they can be turned on/off
That I can try it for free for 17 days to ensure it's a good fit for my kids, no credit card or future billing required

What could be improved-
The installation was a bear and the software gave me another error a few minutes ago, but it didn't seem to affect the program?
I can't maximize the window to fill the whole screen, only about 2/3's or 3/4's or so.
The bird flys over the number from numerals from time to time, but it's not a huge deal because you can move him.
The automated computer voice takes a little getting used to. It's not a deal breaker, but a professional voice recording would have been preferable although it would add a considerable expense for the developers and probably drive up the price.
It only covers addition and subtraction but they are looking to expand it down the road. Perhaps at that point we will have grown much more comfortable to use books, apps, and youtube videos to learn that, or less user friendly abacus software if they have not done so by the time we move on.

[TeachingMyToddlers]

This FingerMath Abacus App looks good, too. Might have to get this one.

http://www.smatoos.com/?page_id=8611&mingleforumaction=viewtopic&t=1.0


Also, counting on your fingers abacus style (thumb is 5, fingers are 1) is a neat concept that will help kids count in school if they have not reached anzan yet.

http://predelusional.blogspot.com/search?q=finger+math

[TeachingMyToddlers]

This is a really good introduction to the Soroban:

http://www.sorobancymru.co.uk/page50.html

The free early stage learning book at the bottom of the page is a work book with sorobon instructions for young learners. From there you should be able to go into more advanced materials.

They also have free flashcards:

http://www.sorobancymru.co.uk/page9.html

I just had a chance to download this book tonight. It looks really great! Thank you for sharing this link, it's most helpful. Karma!

[A_BC]

Thx a lot TMT for the links and the review. Please keep us posted with any updates. I am planning to start learning Soroban myself before teaching it to DS. Our closest Soroban school (Aloha) accept kids only from 5y and up    and I can't wait that long!

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