How to Choose the Right Abacus?
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Which abacus should I buy for my child? What are the benefits of different types of abacuses? Which one is best suited for my child's needs?
If you're here, you're probably asking yourself that very question. As abacus specialists, we're here to help you.
We will introduce you to the different types of abacuses to help you determine which is best suited for your child's needs.
Without further ado, let's get straight to the point.
Student Abacuses (Western)
Western-style student abacuses are the easiest to understand. While they may be less versatile for practical use than Japanese soroban abacuses, they remain excellent learning tools.
For young children, their simplicity is less intimidating than a two-part Chinese or Japanese abacus and is easier for them to comprehend and for you to explain.
Abacus Universe recommends this type of abacus for all children under 7 years old who have never learned to use an abacus. It will be the easiest and most fun to learn.
Discover our kids abacus collection today
Chinese Suanpan and Japanese Soroban Abacuses
The main difference between these two types is the number of beads. The Japanese soroban has 5 beads per rod, while the Chinese suanpan has 7 beads per rod.
The reason for the difference in bead count is that the soroban uses a "base-10" numbering system, while the suanpan uses a "base-16" (hexadecimal) numbering system. We discuss this in more detail in a previous article.
Difference Between Chinese and Japanese Abacus
Since the Japanese abacus is simpler and uses our standard base-10 numbering system, we highly recommend using the Japanese soroban for practical use.
The most important feature to note on the Japanese soroban is the number of beads on each vertical rod: 5 beads. You'll notice there is 1 bead on top, separated from the 4 beads below by a horizontal bar called the reckoning bar. Again, we recommend buying the Japanese configuration for a child's abacus starting from primary school age.
The Japanese abacus is ideal for teaching mathematics because the soroban is built on the same base-10 number system, i.e., the digits 0 to 9 we use every day.
Japanese abacuses come in different sizes with varying numbers of vertical rods, where each rod represents a base-10 place value (digits 0-9). Therefore, the more rods the abacus has, the larger the numbers and more complex operations you can perform.
Student sorobans will have 13, 15, or 17 rods. Any soroban of this size will be more than adequate for a primary school student, even into middle school. A 17-rod soroban can count up to 100 quadrillion.
However, it's important to consider that operations involving multiplication, division, and decimal numbers take up more space and require an abacus with more rods.
From ages 6 to 9, 10 rods are generally sufficient. After age 9, we advise a soroban with at least 13 rods.
The Montessori Abacus
The Montessori abacus is a variant of the "classic" student abacus. However, it follows specific design rules intended to provide superior ergonomics and aid the child's understanding.
It is used with a specific tool, the Montessori abacus calculation board, which helps create an easy link between calculations on paper and those performed on the abacus.
This abacus learning methodology can obviously be used outside of Montessori pedagogy as well.
To learn more, we recommend reading our dedicated article.
Official Montessori Abacus: The Real vs. The False
Russian Abacuses (Schoty)
Its operation is similar to the Western abacus, but with a slight difference: instead of 10 beads per row, it has 9, which is more coherent for serious calculation.
Advisable, though very difficult to find. After the fall of the USSR, its use in education seems to have fallen somewhat into disuse in favor of Japanese abacuses. Few are still manufactured.
Nevertheless, we have a few references in our catalog if you are looking for one.
In the end, no matter which abacus you choose, teaching this skill to your child will be highly beneficial and yield returns beyond what you imagine.
To learn more, we invite you to read our latest article.
