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Beadbay

Soroban, the Japanese abacus · Free education game

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Beadbay is a free online soroban, the Japanese abacus, that plays in your browser on any phone, tablet or computer with no download and no account: push the beads, learn the method step by step and practise mental arithmetic, in English or Japanese.

About Beadbay

A soroban, the Japanese abacus, to play and learn in your browser, for children and for grown-ups. Push the beads with one finger or several, flick a group across and swipe along the beam to clear, just as on a real one. The lessons know the method: they show the next move as ghost beads and tell a right answer from the right technique, from setting and reading numbers through small friends and big friends (the complements of five and ten) to times, divide and anzan, where the beads fade to an outline and then you picture them. Sum sheets by level bring back the techniques that are still shaky, and the daily ten gives everyone the same ten new sums each day. Flash sums flash numbers one at a time to add in your head, and read-aloud sums are read by a recorded voice in English or Japanese. Play in English or Japanese, with the Japanese terms beside the English ones; two players can race the same sums, print sheets come with an answer key, and the grown-ups' page shows each child's level, shaky techniques and time spent. No accounts, no ads, nothing leaves the device.

Screenshots

Free play: 1,234 set on a wooden soroban of seven rods, the number read out above it
Free play: 1,234 set on a wooden soroban of seven rods, the number read out above it
A lesson: ghost beads show the next move, and the sum and what to do are written above the soroban
A lesson: ghost beads show the next move, and the sum and what to do are written above the soroban
Practice at level 5: a column of numbers to add and take away, worked on the beads
Practice at level 5: a column of numbers to add and take away, worked on the beads
Flash sums: a number flashes in the middle of the screen, to add in your head
Flash sums: a number flashes in the middle of the screen, to add in your head
Anzan: the same kind of column sum with the soroban faded to bead outlines
Anzan: the same kind of column sum with the soroban faded to bead outlines
The nine lessons: from setting numbers through small friends and big friends to times, divide, decimals and anzan
The nine lessons: from setting numbers through small friends and big friends to times, divide, decimals and anzan
The home screen: free play, lessons, practice, the daily ten, flash sums, read-aloud sums, two players and print sheets
The home screen: free play, lessons, practice, the daily ten, flash sums, read-aloud sums, two players and print sheets
The grown-ups' page: each child's level, lessons done, time spent and shaky techniques
The grown-ups' page: each child's level, lessons done, time spent and shaky techniques

Price

Free to play. Optional one-time upgrade: Beadbay Pro, $2.99 (no subscription), or every upgrade in every Yuzool app with Yuzool Plus, $19.99 once. Works on iPhone, Android, Mac and PC in your browser; add it to your Home Screen to open it like an app.

Quick answers

Is there a free online abacus?
Yes: Beadbay's soroban is free to play at every size, from 5 to 27 rods. Drag a bead or a group, flick them across and swipe along the beam to clear, as on a wooden one.
How do children learn the soroban?
Step by step: setting and reading numbers, simple adding and taking away, then small friends (the complements of five) and big friends (the complements of ten). Beadbay shows the next move as ghost beads and checks the method, not just the answer.
What are small friends and big friends on an abacus?
Small friends are the pairs that make five (to add 4, add 5 and take 1); big friends are the pairs that make ten (to add 7, take 3 and carry 1). Beadbay teaches both in their own lessons, then both together.
Can I practise mental arithmetic with it?
Yes: Flash sums show numbers one at a time to add in your head, read-aloud sums are read by a recorded voice in English or Japanese, and anzan lessons fade the soroban to an outline until you picture the beads.
Is it in Japanese?
Yes: the whole app can be switched to Japanese in Settings, and the Japanese terms are shown beside the English ones.
Do I need to sign up or download Beadbay?
No: it opens in the browser on any phone, tablet or computer, with no account.
Does Beadbay upload my data?
No, your progress stays on your device, and it works offline.

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