The Soroban: Construction and Use of the Japanese Abacus

The Soroban: Construction and Use of the Japanese Abacus introduces and explains the basics of building and using a soroban for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems. The text includes detailed building plans and step-by-step instructions - with numerous examples - for performing calculations. Use of the soroban for routine mathematical calculations enhances student understandings of place-value, the concept of borrowing in subtraction problems, and that of carrying in addition problems. Soroban use also strengthens fluency with multiplication and division tables and with mental calculations. Building and learning to use the soroban is an engaging hands-on project, well suited for mathematics classrooms from grades 4 to 7.