Kani Math
Cosmic Abacus
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Abacus counting practice: 1 to 10

The first thing a child does on a soroban: make each number from 1 to 10 with the beads, then add two of them together.

  • 2 rows × 1 digits, addition
  • About 5 min
  • Free, no account

Sample problems

Real problems from this drill, with answers. Nothing to install, no account, no email — work them on paper, on a physical abacus, or in your head.

  1. 1
    9
    + 7
    ?
  2. 2
    9
    + 8
    ?
  3. 3
    3
    + 4
    ?
  4. 4
    3
    + 1
    ?
  5. 5
    1
    + 8
    ?
  6. 6
    5
    + 4
    ?
  7. 7
    7
    + 2
    ?
  8. 8
    8
    + 4
    ?
  9. 9
    9
    + 6
    ?
  10. 10
    8
    + 1
    ?
Full answer key
  1. 9 + 7 = 16
  2. 9 + 8 = 17
  3. 3 + 4 = 7
  4. 3 + 1 = 4
  5. 1 + 8 = 9
  6. 5 + 4 = 9
  7. 7 + 2 = 9
  8. 8 + 4 = 12
  9. 9 + 6 = 15
  10. 8 + 1 = 9

This page is one drill. The app is the whole programme.

Kani Math is a full mental-arithmetic course, not a single exercise. Free to start, no signup, and it runs on the web, Android and iPhone.

  • ✓Nine levels, from the first bead to division
  • ✓Guided lessons that teach the technique, not just drills
  • ✓Flash, listening and abacus drills at a speed you set
  • ✓Versus matches against friends or the computer
  • ✓Say your answers out loud — the app listens and marks them
  • ✓Streaks, coins and badges, with parent and teacher views

Want to stay here? The demo further down runs right on this page.

Launch App →Try the demo ↓

Practise it now

The same drill, live in your browser, with a virtual soroban and instant marking.

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Loads a full interactive drill right here on the page. It never asks who you are.

No signup. Nothing saved unless you ask.

Explore the free virtual abacus →How to use an abacus →Mental Math Drill →

About this drill

Counting on the soroban is not counting out loud. It is learning that one bead above the bar is worth five and each bead below it is worth one, so the number 7 is a single flick of the thumb and index finger — one heaven bead down, two earth beads up — and not seven separate movements. Children who skip this stage end up counting beads one at a time forever, which is exactly the habit the method exists to break.

The problems below are single-digit additions with a total that never passes 9, so no complement rule is needed yet. That is deliberate. At this stage the only skill being trained is reading a bead position as a number instantly, without translating it in your head.

How to practise it

  1. 1Clear the abacus: every earth bead down, every heaven bead up.
  2. 2Set each number 1 to 10 in turn, and say it as you set it — 10 is the first move onto the tens rod.
  3. 3Set 5 using the heaven bead only — never five earth beads.
  4. 4Work the ten problems below, resetting to zero between each one.
Where this sits

Level 1 — Foundation

Bead introduction and counting 1–10 on the soroban.

Teaches: Bead manipulation, place value, counting 1–10

Find your level with the free placement exam →

Questions

What age can start abacus counting?
Most children manage the bead positions from about five, once they can already recognise written digits 1 to 9. Younger is possible with an adult sitting alongside; there is no benefit in rushing it.
Do I need a physical abacus for this?
No. The drill below runs on a virtual soroban in the browser. A wooden abacus is a nice addition later, but the finger technique transfers either way.
Why is 5 one bead and not five beads?
That is the whole design of the soroban. One heaven bead carries the value five, which is what lets a two-digit number be read in a single glance instead of counted.
How long before we move on?
When the child can set any digit 1 to 9 without pausing to think. Typically a few weeks of short daily sessions, not months.
Learn the techniqueSmall friends (5-complements)Walk through it on the beads →