How to use a soroban: a step-by-step guide for beginners
Just bought a soroban? Here are the first five lessons.
Lay the soroban flat, clear it, then learn to read one rod: the bead above the bar is worth 5, each bead below is worth 1, and a bead only counts when it touches the bar. From there the order is: set numbers across several rods, add and subtract without carrying, then the 5-complements and 10-complements. Most children can do the first three steps in two to three weeks of ten-minute sessions.
Step 1: hold it and clear it
- Put the soroban flat on the table, the long frame towards the child, the single beads at the top.
- Tilt it slightly towards the child so all beads slide down, then lay it flat.
- Run the index finger along the bar from left to right to push every top bead up, away from the bar.
Now every bead is away from the bar. That is zero on every rod.
Step 2: read one rod
| Beads touching the bar | Value |
|---|---|
| None | 0 |
| One lower bead | 1 |
| Four lower beads | 4 |
| Top bead only | 5 |
| Top bead and three lower beads | 8 |
| Top bead and four lower beads | 9 |
A useful habit from the start: say the number, then set it, then check it by reading it back. Five minutes of "set 7, set 3, set 9" on one rod is a full first lesson for a five-year-old.
Step 3: set a number across rods
Rods work like place value: one rod is ones, the rod to its left is tens, then hundreds. Most sorobans have a dot on every third rod; pick a dotted rod near the middle as the ones rod and keep it the same every time.
To set 3,254: 3 on the thousands rod, 2 on hundreds, 5 on tens, 4 on ones. Read it back from left to right.
Step 4: the finger rule
| Finger | Job |
|---|---|
| Thumb | Pushes lower beads up to the bar |
| Index finger | Pushes lower beads down, and moves the top bead both ways |
This rule matters more than speed. A child who uses one finger for everything will hit a ceiling later. The finger technique page shows it in more detail.
Step 5: add and subtract without carrying
Start with sums where the beads are simply there to move: 2 + 1, 5 + 3, 8 − 6, then two rods (21 + 13). Set the first number, add the second, read the answer.
The first wall comes with sums like 4 + 1 or 3 + 4: there are not enough lower beads. That is where the 5-complements start ("add 5, take away 1"), and after that the 10-complements for carrying ("add 10 on the next rod, take away 3"). Both are explained on friends of 5 and 10.
The first mistakes to watch
| What you see | What is most likely happening |
|---|---|
| The answer is off by exactly 5 | The top bead was forgotten or moved the wrong way |
| The answer is off by 10 | The carry to the next rod was missed |
| Right answer, slow, many finger movements | Counting beads one by one instead of using the complements |
| Answers drift after a few rods | The ones rod changed during the problem |
These patterns are guesses from the answer, not proof of what the fingers did, but they tell you what to practise next. Soroban Kingdom shows the bead move that most likely went wrong in the same way; levels 20–16 are free forever with no sign-up, and higher levels need a plan (free to try for 14 days, no credit card).
A first-month plan
| Week | Ten minutes a day |
|---|---|
| 1 | Clearing, reading and setting 0–9 on one rod |
| 2 | Setting 2- and 3-digit numbers; finger rule |
| 3 | Adding and subtracting without complements, 1 and 2 rods |
| 4 | First 5-complements (+4, +3, −4, −3) |
After that, follow a level ladder and the plan in learning soroban at home.
Frequently asked questions
Which way up does a soroban go?
The single bead on each rod goes at the top, above the bar, and the four beads at the bottom. The long frame faces the child.
How do you reset a soroban to zero?
Tilt it towards you so the lower beads fall down, lay it flat, then slide the index finger along the bar to push the top beads up. No bead should touch the bar.
What size soroban should a beginner buy?
A 23-rod soroban with a dot every three rods. Small 13-rod sorobans are fine for the first weeks but too short for multiplication later.
How long before a child can use a soroban alone?
Usually two to three weeks of ten minutes a day to set numbers and add without carrying, and one to two months more for the 5- and 10-complements.
You learn far faster by moving the beads than by reading. In Soroban Kingdom, levels 20–16 are free forever with no sign-up, on any phone or computer.
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