Candace Attwood

Many different places use some form of the abacus, including: Russia Egypt Rome Germany China Japan Greece United States Different kinds of abaci include Suan Pan (China) Soroban (Japan) Schoty (Russia) Nepohualtzitzin (Aztec civilisation) Among others

The word ‘abacus’ is said to have originated from either the Hebrew or Latin languages: ‘abaq’ is Hebrew for ‘dust’ (as calculations were performed in the dirt or with stones) ‘abax’ is Latin for ‘table’ (derived from the Greek) In the Asian countries, ‘soroban’ and ‘suan pan’ both mean ‘calculating board’.

*Watch Candace demonstrate using her homemade soroban

Easier for kids to learn more about: Place value Multiplication Division Addition Subtraction Different Cultures

Abacus is a means to represent numbers in a different manner. Kids can manipulate objects to make learning some concepts easier. Kids can learn how to do mental math easier (learn how to utilise ‘imaginary abacus’).

Awesome video showing a math class in Japan, and use of their ‘imaginary abacus’:

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