NumihanaRead a soroban.
Read the active beads, counting five for an upper bead and one for each lower bead. A real soroban has one upper bead worth five and four lower beads worth one on each rod; only beads towards the bar count.
Recommended order: set numbers, read numbers, direct addition, direct subtraction, complements to five, complements to ten, then carrying. Removing a complement to ten can also require the complement-to-five technique.
When this helps
Optional enrichment for understanding place value and addition/subtraction. This is not a statutory teaching method.
A common slip
Only count beads touching the centre bar. The tens rod is ten times the ones rod, and an inactive upper bead contributes zero.
Worked example
Represent 54
Each upper bead is worth five; each lower bead is worth one. Active beads touch the centre bar. Read tens on the left and ones on the right.
Bead value: 54
What is the tens digit?
Each ten belongs on the left rod.
5What is the ones digit?
Use five plus up to four ones on the right rod.
4What is the final answer?
Recombine your working and check it against the original question.
54
Your learning workspace
Loading your learning profile…
Teaching context
This lesson practises mathematical representations and calculations. The displayed practice uses selected England Year 2 skills; the strategy can also help learners in other years.
Curriculum alignment describes the mathematical skill. It does not mean this is the only required teaching method.
Department for Education: mathematics programmes of study ↗Original method lesson v1.
Choose another method →