Soroban Learning Zone

Learn how to use the soroban in just three easy steps.

Multi-sensory engagement supercharges learning

Using the soroban stimulates several senses at the same time which strengthens the learning experience.

👀

Sight

Seeing numbers displayed on the soroban allows us to create mental images of these numbers. Once a person becomes proficient at using the soroban they will be able to perform math operations in their mind by "seeing" numbers change.

🖐️

Touch

Kinesthetic or tactile learning occurs when we move beads with our fingers by strengthening the association with the method used to perform the operation.

👂

Sound

Whenever a bead moves on the soroban, it makes a click. Hearing this simple sound reinforces the action in our minds. This feature is not currently active in the web apps.

Inspired by my daughter's discovery

I was spellbound when I saw my daughter pick up a soroban for the first time. She started playing with it just like a new toy - exploring how it felt in her hands and how things moved. She laughed when I explained to her she how it could be used to count her teddy bears.

If my daughter learned so quickly and happily, I wondered if other children would have a similar experience. A few of our family friends and their children were given the soroban to try and the outcome was the same. Interestingly, the kids understood what was going on much faster than the parents who had been taught using different methods.

It was at this point that I decided to raise awareness of the soroban and make it easy to learn.

Let's get started

So what is a soroban and how does it work? Find out by learning the basics or looking at the examples. When you feel more confident, or if simply want to take a different approach to learning, you can see it in action by using the soroban to count.