abacus ansan

[Chris1]

 This abacus-tutoring software might be worth a try- http://www.senapps.com/

Chris.

[Ouroboros1]

See MathAbacus.com and go to free downloads for sample pages. The e-book package is the cheapest option.

http://www.mathabacus.com/books.html

A free abacus instruction manual is available here-http://webhome.idirect.com/~totton/abacus/pages.htm#Soroban1

Chris.

[/quote]

Chris, have you tried these books?  I've become addicted to this abacus thing!  Got an iphone app with an abacus, but it's only 6 rods.  Ordered a 15 rod off of ebay for less than $6 including shipping.  I realize now that I need some practice problems & techniques.

 The link to :
http://webhome.idirect.com/~totton/abacus/pages.htm#Soroban1
Has been really helpful, especially the complementary number concept. 

[2010BEBES]

I am also very interestted in the abacus. not only for my grandson but for me, to keep my mind active. I have been told that Pacchi is out of stock but i think it iw worth waiting. Besides that Tomoe Soroban Co. is close from aug 11 to 17 for Japanese national holiday.
I have time to study which one i decide for.

[Ouroboros1]

I got an iphone app called Abacus' Brain which is nice, it lets you test your abacus skills adding quickly as is shown in those Youtube videos.  It was 99 cents.

My problems with the program is that there is no volume control, so you have to turn off your phone's ringer (which I sometimes forget to turn on and miss a call) and that there are virtually no instructions.  To get to 2 or 3 digit adding, you have to pass tests in the "Real Thing" mode instead of "practice" mode.  It has 5 levels, from 3 seconds between numbers given to add down to 1 second between numbers. 

It's MUCH more challenging adding 2 digit numbers than I ever expected!  The difficulty is when you have to add something like an 8 to a 5 which makes a 13, but if you already have a 9 in the hundreds column, you have to adjust, and if there's a 9 in the thousands column you have to adjust again.  It's a lot to think about in a couple of seconds.  But I love it!  It's really addictive, like a game.

Another app I got is called "soloban" which was free.  It gives you addition problems to solve on a 4 row abacus.  Kind of nice to practice at first, but after I got Abacus'Brain  I use it a lot less.

[TeachingMyToddlers]

What is the best age to start learning to use the abacus? My daughter is 20 months, my son is 7 months.

I admittedly did not read through this whole thread right now so forgive me if this has been covered, are there any companies selling "complete sets" to teach this skill? Like a package that would include the abacus, the training book/video, lessons, etc.

From what I am reading, kids use different sized abacuses depending on age, correct?

Is this method of math compatible with another program? I think I will be getting the Jones Geniuses math/reading program but i am wondering if I can do both at the same time on alternating days or if they will conflict with each other. I really like the brain stimulation the abacus proivides but I know so very very little about teaching/learning with this method.

[Chris1]

Ouroborus1,

Sorry for the late response-back from hols.

Good to hear that you found the complementary number concept useful.  Have you noticed that the subtraction of the complementary number is frequently the same as moving up beads that total the amount being added? Example-to add 6 to 6 you need to move up a 5 and a 1 bead to remove 4 and then add a ten.

No I haven’t bought their books but have viewed their free downloads. I am currently taking advantage of the 3 month free trial available here-MathSecret.org-    http://www.mathsecret.com/

MathSecret.org offer free abacus training for three months-restricted to 10 minutes per day.
Just click on the try now Lite box and follow the instructions.

LilyAndOwensMom,

The free trial -    http://www.mathsecret.com/   provides a gentle introduction to using an abacus.  They also sell the abacus along with textbooks and activity books.

 This abacus-tutoring software might also be worth a try- http://www.senapps.com/   They also sell a 5 rod abacus which has larger beads and matches the layout of the training soroban featured in the ShowMe Soroban application. The larger beads are suited to young children and the abacus costs $18.20.

 They claim that most people (aged 4 or older) can master the abacus and easily run the software.

The abacus can be taught alongside most other programs and it will hopefully provide a deeper understanding of numbers bonds etc. Perhaps you could discuss your concerns with the Jones Geniuses math/reading program team.

Chris.

[Ouroboros1]

I've tried the mathsecret.com free trial, but frankly it's driving me nuts.  They only let you do 3 or 4 "tests" a day so you can't move to further material.  Once you get the hang of it, you can tell 133 as easily as 33.  Going through 10s, 20s, 30s, 40s, etc is getting monotonous!  I even emailed them and they said it's structured like that so kids can grasp the concept. 

On Abacus' Brain I've been able to add ten 3 digit numbers in (on average) 40 seconds.  I do wish the program had subtraction as well as simple multiplication and division.  Hopefully in future editions.  You do get to a point where you don't have to think as much when adding numbers, like a 7 to 6 and thinking, what moves up, what moves down.

[Ouroboros1]

Is anyone familiar with the senapps software(ShowMe Abacus) for PC?    It's $80 for instant download. 

I've got my time for 10  3-digit number addition down to about 30 seconds, but that's the limit for my iphone app.  The abacus I got from ebay is pretty tiny, now I'm contemplating getting a bigger one.  It DOES help you do mental math quicker, especially with bigger numbers.  I think the trick is how complementary numbers relate when you add and subtract.  The layout of the abacus removes the "figuring" that you do when you calculate, since you figure from left to right.

I've seen this same method in the "math magic" by Scott Flansberg, etc, calculating from left to right allows you to add more quickly for some reason. 

[Ayesha Nicole]

Hi Kimba15 and Kyle’s Mom,

As requested I have just added these to downloads- abacus 1-10, abacus 11-20, abacus 21-30, abacus 31-40, abacus 41-50, abacus 51-60, abacus 61-70, abacus 71-80, abacus 81-90 and abacus 91-100.

These images can be found in either Printed Flash Cards or PowerPoint Slideshow. Status is currently unapproved.
I hope you enjoy and please report any errors for correction.

Chris.

Good Morning Chris,

Are the abacus ppt also available as LM files? 

http://forum.brillkids.com/downloads/?sa=myfiles;u=6459;pg=2

Do you also have the numbers from 101 - 1,000? or higher?  I think these should be used in LM as flashcards flashed randomly to test their recognition of numbers.  What do you think?  And then we can also flash the card, and ask the child to duplicate or set the abacus to that number to show practical understanding.

Thanks. 
Ayesha

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