Mental arithmetic is a method of quick calculation using a device reminiscent of our abacus, which until recently was actively used by our trade workers. The same knitting needles and bones. The difference is that the knitting needles are arranged vertically, and there are five bones on each knitting needle. These abacus are called soroban. They have big story. In the form in which we use them, they have existed in Japan to this day for many centuries. Soroban account is included in the mandatory school curriculum, and adult Japanese take part in competitions with pleasure. In Japan, counting on soroban is akin to a national sport. The abacus itself is centuries old, but mental arithmetic, as a method of developing intelligence, appeared relatively recently; the first schools appeared in our country in 2013. Counting on a soroban itself is a mechanical skill - the same as playing a musical instrument, solving a Rubik's cube, which with the help of training can be developed to high level.

Why is arithmetic mental?

Because, having mastered counting on the soroban or abacus, we imagine it in our imagination and count by moving the bones in our minds. This is a different process and it is not easy for everyone. The secret to success is one - patience and work. Nothing new. And with persistent practice, the speed of mental arithmetic, using imaginary arithmetic, can be developed to a very high level, since you can move objects in the imagination much faster than in reality. We also read “to ourselves” much faster than out loud.

In order to play soroban, you need to know the rules by which counting is carried out. There are 34 such rules, or formulas. Each of them is analyzed separately and secured using large quantity exercises. As we have already understood, the secret of success is repeated mechanical repetition until the fingers remember the movements and do it themselves. This process involves the motor-muscular memory channel - the most persistent. We all know the principle of a bicycle: once you learn how to ride it, it is very difficult to unlearn it. Our body remembers sensations and movements for a long time. We repeat many actions every day automatically, without thinking. From this we can conclude that in mental arithmetic we do not count, in the concept that is familiar to us. And that's true. Mechanical memory and imaginative thinking take care of us.

Recognizing the position of the bones on the soroban is of great importance for performing mental counting. We all, or rather our brain, perceives the image of any number as a quantity. We know that the symbol 2 is the quantity equal to two and we don’t think about it. With Soroban, especially at first, you have to recognize each number, which really interferes with quick mental calculation. Therefore, much attention is paid to classes with flash cards. What they are and how to deal with them, you will read below, but for now -

Mental account training

So, where to start? To count you need a soroban or abacus. Currently, there is already a fairly large selection - different colors, with varying amounts knitting needles But we will divide the sorobans and abacuses into two large groups - student and teacher. In order to study on your own, you will need a student's license. It is small and lies on the table while counting. The number of digits will only matter when we get into multiplication and division. Three to four digits are enough for addition and subtraction. Therefore, choose the accounts that suit you the most. To engage with an audience you will need a teacher's license. It is larger, stands vertically and its bones are fixed on the knitting needles.

We will also need these cards, on one side of which a number is depicted, and on the other - the position of the bones on the soroban or abacus, which displays this number.

On television, usually on a day off, several channels broadcast programs in which children aged two years and older demonstrate their unique talents, amazing both the audience and the jury, if provided for by the rules of the project, and the entire population of the country. Some draw intricate figures on roller skates, some can name the capital of any state offhand, some recite poems by Pasternak, Tsvetaeva and Voznesensky from memory, others easily wield blacksmith pliers and a hammer. This is amazing.

But some children, slightly closing their eyes and making seemingly chaotic movements with the thumb and forefinger of both hands, demonstrate the ability to quickly count in their heads. Moreover, they do not add, subtract and multiply prime numbers, and three and even four-digit ones. From the outside it seems like magic, and many parents, staring at the TV screen with admiration, wonder: how to teach a child to count quickly?

After such programs, many people go online and are surprised to learn that the wise Japanese and even wiser Chinese have known for a long time, a couple of millennia, how to teach a child to count in his head. To do this, they even created the wonderful Abacus abacus, or Soroban in Japanese, somewhat similar to our Russian wooden abacus, which has long since sunk into oblivion after the invention of calculators, computers and other smart gadgets.

What is good about mental arithmetic?

Using this ancient method, you can teach a child to quickly and confidently operate large numbers in a year or two. However, a fair question arises: will the baby’s brain be too busy with mathematical operations to leave room and time for other things?

If you turn on logic and think a little, then, looking at Asians who have been practicing this teaching practice for more than one century, it becomes clear that there are no side effects she hasn't. Not only that, but children who know how to use an Abacus abacus have:

  • activation of visual and auditory memory.
  • the ability to concentrate at the right moment.
  • strengthening ingenuity and intuition.
  • independence and confidence.
  • the ability to think outside the box.
  • realization of abilities and a successful career.
  • development of creative potential.
  • development of ability to learn foreign languages.

At first glance, the list has absolutely nothing to do with numbers and mathematical operations. But this is where the uniqueness of the method lies. Regular practice with Abacus abacus allows you to establish accelerated connections between the right and left hemispheres of the brain, one of which is responsible for logic, and the second for imagination. It is on the development of imagination that the emphasis is placed. And when a child is able to logically explain what he came up with, these are no longer empty fantasies - this is an invention, an innovation. Plus excellent memory, intuition and concentration. To put it mildly, it won't hurt. And to be honest, it will help you for the rest of your life.

What is an Abacus abacus?

The device, if this term is applicable here, is quite simple. A wooden frame divided by a crossbar into two unequal parts. At the top there is a row of single bones, indicating fives. At the bottom of each column there are four bones - ones. The columns, from right to left, represent sequentially units, tens, hundreds, thousands, and so on. Manipulating bones, among other things, also develops fine motor skills in children, helping positive influence to speech centers.

This simple configuration is memorized without difficulty, and after just a few lessons the child successfully begins to comprehend the basics of mathematics and can begin calculations.

How the training works

Contrary to the opinion of some experts who claim that the abacus or Abacus ruler is only available at the ages of 5 to 11 years, you can learn to count mentally even in old age. Specified age restrictions are optimal and it is during this period that they bring more benefit not only in the study of mathematics. It is also not prohibited to start learning earlier, and mastering Abacus is not at all difficult for an adult. Another thing is that the mentality and character have already been formed and a 40-year-old person will not learn anything else except how to quickly add and subtract.

With children it's a different story. In the first lessons, they learn to count directly on the abacus itself, moving the knuckles with their fingers, which in itself is very useful. As already noted, fine motor skills develop, which are useful not only for joints, but also for the speech centers of the brain. The brain is stimulated, plus it is forced to solve simple examples, which also develops attention and memory. Classes are usually held in game form, in order not only to interest the child, but also to show him that mathematics does not have to be boring at all.

At the second stage, when the child already copes well enough with the tasks of calculating how much it will be to add 234 to 543 or subtract 237 from 421 using abacus, they begin to focus on imagination. The child must mentally imagine the Abacus abacus and mentally move the dominoes. Children are already accustomed to doing this with their fingers and in most cases continue to move them in the air. Under no circumstances should you force them to stop doing this, much less put their hands in their pockets or behind their backs. No harm in these strange to a stranger There are no movements, the child is just more used to it.

Typically, three mathematical operations are mastered: addition, subtraction and multiplication.

The question may arise: how can you then teach the multiplication tables at school and doesn’t this teacher requirement become useless? Absolutely not. Abacus abacus teaches you how to operate with multi-digit numbers, and how much is five five or seven nine you just need to remember. As they say, one not only does not interfere with the other, but complements it.


If you sent your child to a children's center to learn counting using an Abacus ruler, be prepared to be a little surprised. Unlike sports sections and circles of all kinds for daily activities are not needed here. Two hours once a week is enough to successfully comprehend this science. But the main thing is to complete the homework that the teacher will give. You don’t need a lot of time for them either – 15-20 minutes, but they must be done. Constant practice, even such a short one, will allow you not only to maintain the skills acquired in the classroom, but also to strengthen them. And a dosed and well-balanced load on the brain has never harmed anyone.

IN good centers, where experienced and qualified teachers work, the mental arithmetic training program is adjusted depending on the individual qualities of the child.

A little from practice

One small example for clarity.

So, the Abacus abacus consists of:

  • wooden or plastic frame.
  • dividing bar.
  • lower ossicles meaning units.
  • the top seeds, meaning fives.

That's it, there's nothing else in them.

Now let’s imagine how a number, for example 375, will look on them.

  • on the column with units, lower the top bone to the dividing crossbar.
  • on the column with tens we do the same, but we raise two bones from below.
  • in the hundreds column we raise three bones.

Everything is simple and clear, isn’t it? There's nothing to add.

With addition and subtraction it is a little more difficult and it is better to first see how an experienced accountant does it, who can also explain everything clearly. Visualization at the first stage of training is simply necessary.

Attentive and interested readers have probably long ago decided that teaching a child mathematics using an Abacus abacus is useful, no matter how you look at it. And don’t let him become an outstanding scientist who will playfully operate with multi-digit numbers and sprinkle in multi-level formulas. Training will also be useful in other areas of activity, because attentiveness, good memory, self-confidence, and the ability to solve any problems in a creative way are the keys to a successful career and a happy life.

What is mental arithmetic and why every person needs it.

Mental arithmetic is a program for the comprehensive development of children's intelligence and thinking, based on the formation of the skill of rapid mental calculation

During classes, children learn to count quickly using a special counting board (abacus, soroban). Teachers explain how to correctly move knuckles on knitting needles so that kids can almost instantly get an answer to a question. complex example. Gradually, the attachment to the abacus weakens and the children imagine the actions they performed with the abacus in their minds.

The program is designed for 2-2.5 years. First, the children master addition and subtraction, then multiplication and division. A skill is acquired and developed through repeated repetition of the same actions. The method is suitable for almost all children, the teaching principle is from simple to complex.

Classes take place once or twice a week and last one to two hours.

The ancient abacus abacus, which children use to count, has been known for more than 2.5 thousand years.

In Japan, abacus counting is included in the official school curriculum.

For more than 50 years, mental arithmetic has been part of the public education system in Japan. It is interesting that after finishing school people continue to improve their mental arithmetic skills. In the Land of the Rising Sun, mental arithmetic is considered something like a sport. There are even competitions held on it. In Russia, international tournaments in Mental Arithmetic are now also held annually.

Mental arithmetic develops mechanical and photographic memory

When children count, they use both sides of their brain at once. Mental arithmetic develops photographic and mechanical memory, imagination, observation, and improves concentration.

The general level of intelligence increases. This means that it is easier for children to absorb large amounts of information in a short time. Successes are immediately visible foreign languages. Now you don’t have to spend the whole day memorizing poetry and prose.

For slower students, reaction speed increases. They begin not only to count at lightning speed, but to think faster and make decisions not related to arithmetic.

There are also unexpected results. One day a boy came to the center and played tennis. The mother said that her son has problems with coordination of movements. Unexpectedly, they were solved precisely through intensive mental arithmetic courses.

Mental arithmetic is more difficult for adults; the optimal age for starting classes is 5-14 years

You can develop your brain using mental arithmetic at any age, but the best results can be achieved before the age of 12–14. The children's brain is very plastic and mobile. IN at a young age it is where the most actively formed neural connections, so our program is easier for children under 14 years old.

The older a person is, the more difficult it is for him to abstract from his experience and knowledge and simply trust the abacus. I mastered this technique at the age of 45 and constantly doubted whether I was doing it right or whether there was a mistake. This greatly interferes with learning.

But the more difficult it is for a person to master this account, the more useful it is. It’s as if a person overcomes himself, and every time he does it better and better. The classes are not in vain; the brain of an adult is also actively developing.

Just don’t expect the same results from an adult as from a child. We can learn the technique, but we won’t be able to count as quickly as a second grader does. As experience shows, the optimal age at which it is better to start classes is 6 and 7 years.

The best results are achieved by those who regularly exercise at home.

A prerequisite for classes is daily training on the abacus. Just 10-15 minutes. Children need to practice the formula that the teacher gave them in class and bring their actions to automaticity. Only in this case will the child learn to count quickly. The organizational role of parents is important here, as they need to monitor regular training.

Children do not get tired in class due to constant change of activities

The main activity in mental arithmetic is counting on the abacus. Children count in different ways: by ear, in workbooks, at the school board on a demonstration abacus, using the electronic simulator “Jolly Soroban”, on a mental map (this graphic image abacus, with the help of which children imagine moving the bones on an abacus).

Nations that use hieroglyphs have a different type of thinking. Does it affect their lives? It's hard to say. Such people are visual by nature, they perceive figuratively the world around us. And this system of perception does not bypass even the exact sciences. It will be interesting for everyone to know how the Japanese multiply. Firstly, you don’t have to frantically search for a calculator, and secondly, this is a very exciting activity.

Let's draw

It's amazing, but Japanese children can multiply even without knowing about the multiplication table. How do the Japanese multiply? They do it very simply, so simply that they use only basic drawing and counting skills. It’s easier to show with an example how this happens.

Let's say you need to multiply 123 by 321. First you need to draw one, two and three parallel lines that will be placed diagonally from the upper left corner to the lower right. On the created groups of parallels, draw three, two and one line, respectively. They will also be placed diagonally from the bottom left to the top right.

As a result, we get a so-called rhombus (as in the figure above). If anyone hasn't figured it out yet, the number of lines in a group depends on the numbers that need to be multiplied.

We count

So how do the Japanese multiply numbers? The next stage is counting the intersection points. First, we separate with a semicircle the intersection of three lines with one and count the number of points. We write the resulting number under the diamond. Then, in exactly the same way, we separate the areas where two lines intersect with three and one. We also count the points of contact and write them down, then we count the points that remain in the center. You should get a result similar to the figure below.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that if the central number is two-digit, then the first digit must be added to the number that was obtained when counting the points of contact in the area to the left of the center. Thus multiplying 123 by 321, we get 39,483.

This method can be used to multiply both two-digit and three digit numbers. One problem is that if you have to count numbers like 999, 888, 777, etc., you will need to draw a lot of lines.

If your child cannot master the solution mathematical problems and remember the necessary formulas, and preparing homework turns into a nightmare, the Japanese Soroban counting method can be a salvation. This method It amazingly helps develop children's thinking.

The unique method of mental arithmetic allows even those children who have no ability in arithmetic to learn to easily solve problems after a short period of time, enjoying the process.

Features of mental counting

The Japanese method of quick counting is a unique system for developing children and transforming children's thinking. This method allows you to simultaneously use both hemispheres of the brain, which provides even bright humanities students with the opportunity to quickly learn to solve various examples.

Learning to count using the Japanese method is based on the use of special abacus called soroban - this non-traditional device is not often found in our country. This is a kind of calculator that demonstrates only an unambiguous numerical representation system, which guarantees the clarity and understandability of the system.

In Soroban it is always used odd number spokes arranged vertically, with each of them assigned the designation of one number. Any knitting needle has five bones, where the four lower ones are reserved for ones, and the upper one is reserved for “five”.

The child is fascinated by this Japanese method of mental calculation and the abacus itself, which allows him to quickly master the process, and the main advantage of the method can be called the incredibly rapid development of thinking.

Basic principles of the method


The Japanese mental arithmetic system is designed not only to teach students operational mental arithmetic, but also to general development their intellectual skills. It is a known fact that the hemispheres human brain work unevenly, and a child 5-8 years old uses mainly the right side, which is responsible for creativity and emotional images.

When learning to count occurs, the load on the left side increases, rationality and logic develop, which systematically reduces creativity. The Japanese method of mental arithmetic allows you to balance the functioning of the brain, ensuring full development.

With the help of abacus work, children develop intellectually, begin to think faster and easily achieve success in any learning. Similar results are ensured by the main principles of the Soroban technique:

  • Manual motor skills through training. The brain controls human actions, but there is also a reverse process, so working with special abacus using the fingers of both hands allows you to improve children's thinking.
  • Systematic work. None of us are born the best, and to achieve the top in any endeavor, you need to train regularly. The Japanese counting method also works on this principle.
  • Visualization. Having visual materials expressed in soroban counting dice, it is much easier for a child to understand numbers and understand the meaning of calculations.

What is needed to learn mental arithmetic?

Soroban will provide assistance in teaching a child to count only if the training began in a timely manner, at the age of about 4-8 years. Parents must be patient and move gradually, because this procedure requires a certain amount of time. Also important conditions success will be:

  • Teaching a child using the “from simple to complex” method. At the first stage, you need to master counting to ten, and then counting back.
  • A child needs to be taught to count from the age of two, but learning numbers and figures can begin around the age of four, when the baby is able to consciously count the objects in his field of vision.
  • Exercises should be carried out in a relaxed atmosphere, but not in the form of lectures. Children learn best through play, which connects emotional perception and increases learning efficiency.
  • The difficulty of tasks should be gradually increased. Also teach your child the differences between the signs “greater than,” “less than,” and “equal to.”

If you have this initial training, you can freely send your child to the Soroban school for studying Japanese mental arithmetic, where professional teachers will study the child’s personal characteristics and take into account his abilities and skills.

To master the Soroban technique, you can contact an online school Japanese language Daria Moinich. To know additional information possible at .

The advantages of mental arithmetic from Japan

Children quickly develop their skills in using soroban, which has an incredibly beneficial effect on the development of thinking. Kids learning to count on Soroban can carry out heavy calculations in their heads in the blink of an eye, while true professionals of the technique are able to perform them even without Soroban. Just a couple of seconds will be enough to add 3-digit numbers, and then, when the skills are perfected, the child will be able to operate with 5-digit numbers.

This technique guarantees the child success not only in arithmetic, but also in other areas of acquiring knowledge. According to teachers and psychologists, Japanese abacus Increase children's focus and concentration, improve memory, resourcefulness and imagination, as well as improve creative skills. Children begin to grasp information on the fly and quickly analyze it.

Some parents believe that their child may become confused when combining traditional and Japanese arithmetic, which will lead to a drop in school performance. Nevertheless, practical experience demonstrates that after just a few months, a child practicing soroban begins to show talent in exact sciences and is ahead of his peers in development.

All the mentioned advantages of mental arithmetic are only the basis of the key advantage - mental arithmetic allows you to reveal and nourish the child’s intellect, as well as educate the child’s personality, instilling in the child confidence, independence, and the ability to achieve success in any situation.

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