Learn Abacus Online, Live with a Sensei
Children anywhere in the world learn the Japanese Soroban abacus and anzan (mental abacus calculation) with a live teacher on Zoom, then practise between classes in our online student portal.
In short
How learning abacus online works
Book a free trial class
A live hour on Zoom. Your child tries the abacus, and we tell you where they would start.
Join live classes
Semi-private classes of up to 4 students, each on their own computer, private 1:1 classes, or self-paced learning, with a sensei trained in the Japanese method, scheduled in your family's time zone.
Practise between classes
Homework units for every lesson in the student portal — reading, listening and flash anzan — on a laptop, tablet or phone.
Pass Quiz Weeks and grades
Progress is checked at Quiz Weeks, and every finished grade earns a certificate.
Move the abacus to the mind
With practice the physical abacus comes away and children calculate on a mental picture of it: anzan.
What children practise online
Reading
Numbers shown on screen, worked on the abacus and then in the head.
Listening
Numbers read aloud, in English, Spanish, French, German or Chinese voices, at the speed the child picks.
Flash anzan
Numbers flashed one at a time, added up on the mental abacus.
Multiplication and division
Added in the later grades, on the same abacus.
Battle Arena
Live math battles against other students, and weekly tournaments.
Rewards that keep them going
Coins toward real toys, badges, leaderboards and a pet that hatches as they progress.
Why abacus works so well online
The Soroban is visual and hands-on, and a camera shows the sensei exactly what a child's fingers are doing. Mistakes are caught as they happen, the same as in a classroom.
Classes come to your home, wherever home is, so there is no commute and nothing to fit around opening hours. Between classes, the student portal turns daily practice into something children ask for.
Learning abacus online: questions parents ask
Can a child really learn abacus online?
Yes. Classes are live on Zoom, so the sensei sees each child's abacus and answers in real time, and the student portal gives practice for every lesson between classes.
Is it a recorded course?
No. Every class is live with a sensei. Videos and book instructions in the portal reinforce each lesson at home.
What does my child need?
A laptop, tablet or phone with Zoom and an internet connection, and a Soroban abacus for the bead work.
Where do students join from?
Anywhere. Classes are online and scheduled in your family's own time zone, and families join us from around the world.
What ages can learn abacus online?
Ages 5–14 are ideal, and we teach younger and older children too. Younger children start with our pre-Soroban levels.
How long does it take?
From 10 Kyu (the first grade) to 1 Kyu takes about 3.7 years at one lesson a week. Some students move faster and finish sooner.
How do I start?
Book a free trial class: one live hour on Zoom, with no payment or paperwork.
How many students are in a class?
Classes are semi-private: at most 4 students, each on their own computer at home, so every child gets individual attention. Private 1:1 classes and a self-paced option are also available.
See it for yourself
See it for yourself: the trial class is free, live on Zoom, and takes an hour.
Book a free trial class