Abacus Math Program

Ages 6 to 10
Home Abacus Math Program

Overview

Looking for more than “just math”?

You’ve found it! Abacus West is an after-school math enrichment program that teaches math fundamentals while improving focus, concentration, and confidence. The center of our math curriculum is the Japanese Soroban Abacus. The Soroban is a base 10 system that is intuitive and easy to learn. With our curriculum, math is no longer merely counting, memorizing, or repetitive worksheet drills, but learning math through:

  • Touch – we teach our students to perform math functions on the abacus by manipulating beads. Place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are at their fingertips.
  • Sight – we work with our students to improve focus and concentration skills to visualize the abacus to perform math calculations mentally.
  • Sound – we develop listening skills in our students to calculate beyond visual worksheets.
  • Movement – our classes are designed to be fun and interactive for all students with some activities that teach math without sitting down.

Building Strong Math Skills, Confidence, and Creating a Love for Math…

Our goal at Abacus West is for kids to take an interest in math, enjoy math, and enjoy learning in all areas. We connect with our students in a classroom environment in small groups. Each class is 55 minutes in length and weekly homework is part of the program.

The entire program consists of 10 levels and each level is approximately 10 weeks long.

The Tools for Success

The Soroban abacus is simple, yet powerful. It remains a popular method of teaching computation skills in Asian countries such as Japan, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and India.

Initially, students learn to manipulate the beads of the abacus to perform math calculations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division). Students also learn to visualize the abacus, and are able to perform math calculations mentally, Anzan, without the physical presence of an abacus.

We also have a program for children aged 3 – 4 years old.

Benefits

Testimonials

“My daughter is now able to do calculations with ease in her head. She was using her fingers and toes for simple math before. Her confidence has increased dramatically since starting abacus math.”

Parent of 2nd Grader

“My son loves to do his abacus homework. He is doing math calculations very fast. He says he can move the abacus beads in his head. It’s really amazing!”

Parent of 2nd Grader

“The teachers are all amazing! I am really impressed with how hands-on they are with the children, and how involved and supportive the teachers are with each individual student.”

Parent of 1st Grader

“She used to struggle to complete her math assignments with her fingers, or paper and pencil. Now she does all her math assignments in her head without any instrumental help.”

Parent of 2nd Grader

“I am confident that her abacus math program along with the work we do on math facts in class will help her progress.”

Elementary School teacher in LWSD

“I have done lots of hard math before, but this class makes me stretch my brain in a very different way. It’s really cool!”

6th Grader

“I have never seen my daughter so excited about math. She does her homework right away and has taken her abacus to school to show her friends and teachers.”

Parent of 5th Grader

“My son loves do his abacus homework. He is doing math questions very fast. He says he can move the beads in his head, it’s really amazing.”

Parent of 2nd Grader

“I am confident that her abacus math program along with the work we do on math facts in class will help her progress.”

Elementary School teacher in LWSD

“I wish this class was 5 hours a day and regular school was 1 hour!”

4th Grader

“Her first results for state testing came back and she increased her math from a 47 to a 71!! I am positive the abacus class helped with this improvement.”

Parent of 6th Grader

“I really love to go to my abacus class. My homework is fun. ”

1st Grader

“Thank-you for offering such a valuable program for our children”

Parent of a 1st Grader

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is appropriate for this program?

The core Abacus West program is designed for children between 5 to 12 years of age. AW Discover Math is designed for children who are 3 & 4 years of age.

What does the program cost ?

The cost of the program is $300 per Level. Most new students will be required to purchase a Starter Kit for $50, which includes an abacus, a set of flash cards and a case.

What kind of abacus is used in the program ?

The abacus used by Abacus West is the Japanese abacus or Soroban. It has 15 rods, each with 5 beads. There are 4 beads below the beam, and 1 bead above the beam.

Will the Abacus West program help my child with math and other subjects taught in school ?

Yes. The Abacus West program uses visual, auditory and tactile techniques to teach mental math which contributes to whole brain development and result in improved memory, focus and visualization skills. These are skills that are useful across all academic subjects.

I would like to enroll my son (2nd grade, age 8) and daughter (4th grade, age 10) in abacus math classes. What “Level” should I select for each of them in the Online Registration Tool ?

All students start the program in Level 1 regardless of their age, grade level or academic ability. In Level 1 we introduce the foundational concepts and exercises of abacus math which are required for the upper levels.

Is there any academic research which supports abacus math programs ?

Yes. Please visit https://abacuswest.com/theabacus.php?id=2#AcademicResearch to learn more.

How is this program different from other after-school math programs ?

Abacus West is focused on teaching abacus math, which leads to strong mental math skills. Once a child completes the curriculum, the mental math skills are generally there for life. The program is designed to be fun & interactive, so kids spend the in-class time learning from the instructor, and learning through certain exercises & games.

Can my child join classes mid-semester?

No. Abacus West classes are offered on a semester basis. We do not accept registrations after the semester has begun since the curriculum builds on itself. If you have missed the registration period we recommend that you register for the next semester.

I recently moved to Washington State and I would like to continue abacus math classes that my daughter had started in another State/Country. Can you assess her so we can register her in your program at the correct level?

Yes, we have many students in our program who have transferred in from other abacus math programs. Please contact us and we will set up a time to assess your child to ensure she starts in the appropriate level with us. The assessment fee is $75.

Enrolling now for our NEW Winter Semester 2023 ONLINE Classes!
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