Frequently ASKED QUESTIONS

Our school accepts 5-year-old (Pre-K) and up.  Adult students are also welcome.  Prerequisite to join the program is to be able to recognize numbers 0-100, and to write 0-10. 

Parent involvement is essential to ensuring your child gets the most out of this program. Areas of parent involvement include:

• Providing technical assistance during the lesson
• Printing workbook assignments
• Guiding students during independent work
• Managing communications with the instructor
• Ensuring students bring necessary tools and a learning mindset to each lesson

• Great learning attitude
• Abacus (purchasable on Amazon.com, or through us)
• Laptop (highly recommended) or Tablet PC with a camera
• 2 short pencils and a red marker
• Workbook
• Paper abacus for mental math practice

While homework is optional, it is essential to progress abacus skills. After each lesson, students are given workbook assignments that can be completed in no more than 20 minutes per day. Students are encouraged to set aside time to practice every day. 

Our group lessons typically consist of three parts.

Beginner lessons include:

• Abacus practice with new techniques introduced
• Abacus image practice with flash cards
• Dictation 

Intermediate/Advanced lessons include:

• Anzan (mental math) practice
• Abacus practice
• Dictation or Flash Anzan

 We use Japan’s Abacus Federation (日本計算技能連盟) levels, study materials, and exams. We administer exams every other month throughout the year, once the student is ready for the next level.  

Abacus level milestones include: 

• 10Kyu:  Addition/subtraction [1 digit, 7 numbers]. 
• 5Kyu: Multiplication [3 digits x 3 digits], division [4 digits ÷ 2 digits], and addition/subtraction [2-4 digits]. 
• 1Kyu: Multiplication [5 digits x 4 digits], division [8 digits ÷ 4 digits], and addition/subtraction [4-6 digits].
• Dan: Multiplication with decimal numbers, division with decimal numbers, addition/subtraction with negatives.

It can vary depending on the student’s age, acumen and commitment level. On average, pre-K students take 8-12 months to complete basic addition/subtraction skills of Abacus level 10 Kyu , while Grade 1 students take 3-4 months. 

Yes. Anzan and Abacus levels do differ from each other. When students have completed abacus basics (10Kyu), they will start practicing Anzan (mental math). 

The milestones of Anzan levels are as follows:

• 10 Kyu: Addition only [1 digit, 3 numbers].
• 5 Kyu: Multiplication [2 digits x 1 digits], division [3 digits ÷ 1 digit], and addition/subtraction [2 digits, 5 numbers].
•  1 Kyu: Multiplication [3 digits x 2 digits], division [5 digits ÷ 2 digits], and addition/subtraction [3 digits, 5 numbers].
• Dan:  Multiplication and division with decimal numbers, and addition/subtraction with negatives. 

Dictation requires students perform mathematical operations of addition/subtraction when equations are spoken orally. Dictation can be performed with or without an abacus.  Please refer this video for dictation samples [Click HERE]. Flash Anzan is only addition process of the written numbers (1-3 digits), that are displayed on the computer screen [Click HERE]. The speed of the display can be as fast as 15 three-digit-numbers in 3 seconds. Students develop concentration skills through both practices. In our school, we designate practice time of either Dictation or Flash Anzan in almost every week. 

Detailed information on program costs is available following completion of your free trial lesson. Costs include:

• One-time registration fee per family 
• Monthly tuition.  A missed lesson can be made-up provided when an advance written notice is given 
• Abacus Federation exams and workbooks

The lesson is taught in the student's preferred language, either English or Japanese.  Dictation in the group lesson is conducted mostly in English. 

日本語でクラスをご希望の方は、お知らせください。

Try abacus math for free. Visit our "contact page" and request your 30-minute trial lesson. Following the trial, information about associated costs and lesson scheduling will be shared. Once enrollment process is completed, the student can join one of our group lessons.