Soroban or Kumon? How the two Japanese ways of learning math differ, and which suits your child
In Hanoi, the two “Japanese math” names parents come across most are Kumon and soroban – and quite a few families are torn between them, especially since both can be found around My Dinh. We teach soroban, so we wrote this article with one principle: describe Kumon accurately, the way Kumon describes itself, and be clear about which children soroban suits – including the cases where Kumon is the better fit.
Kumon is a method of self-study with worksheets in very small steps, a little every day; its goals are calculation skills and the habit of studying independently, getting ahead of the school curriculum. Soroban is a method of learning with the abacus; its goals are mental math with images (anzan), concentration and study habits, in a lesson led by a teacher. If your child likes quiet, working alone and does not mind daily repetition: Kumon suits them very well. If your child needs to learn with their hands, needs the rhythm of a class and someone to lead, or you want them to do mental math with multi-digit numbers: soroban. Many families do both – in the order soroban first (ages 5–8), Kumon later.
Two methods, two Japanese philosophies
Kumon: small steps, self-study every day
Kumon began in 1958 when a teacher, Toru Kumon, wrote worksheets for his own son, each a little harder than the one before. Today Kumon is one of the largest after-school learning networks in the world, with math and English. At the heart of the method: each student is placed at a “comfortable starting point” (usually a little below their current level), then works through worksheets on their own every day – at the center twice a week and at home on the other days, 20–30 minutes each time. The instructor observes, marks and adjusts the pace; the student reads the instructions and works out how to solve the problems by themselves. In math, Kumon goes from counting all the way to calculus, with an emphasis on the speed and accuracy of written calculation.
Soroban: a real abacus, then the abacus in the head
The soroban is the Japanese abacus (one 5-bead and four 1-beads on each rod). It has been taught in Japan since the 17th century and is still part of the grade 3–4 math curriculum in Japan. Children start by moving real beads and learn the two exchange rules (the 5-friend rule – exchanging through 5, and the 10-friend rule – exchanging through 10), then gradually calculate with the image of an abacus in their head (anzan). Lessons are led by a teacher in a fixed rhythm: greeting, timed grid calculation, abacus, mental math, Flash Anzan, tidying up. The goal is not only fast calculation but also concentration, posture and study habits – see why we chose Japanese-style soroban.
Soroban and Kumon compared
| Kumon (Math) | Japanese-style soroban (KSC) | |
|---|---|---|
| Tools | Paper worksheets, pencil | Abacus → the abacus in the head |
| Main goals | Fast, accurate written calculation; independent study habits; getting ahead of the curriculum | Mental math with images; place value; concentration; Japanese-style study habits |
| Way of learning | Self-study with worksheets; the instructor observes and adjusts | Small classes of 3–5 children, led by a teacher in a steady rhythm; hands first, head later |
| Frequency | 2 sessions a week at the center + worksheets at home every day (20–30 minutes) | 1–3 lessons a week (70 minutes) + 10 minutes at home |
| Starting age | From 3 years old (programs for young children) | From 5 years old (Kindergarten class), best at 6–8 |
| Scope | Counting → arithmetic → algebra → calculus (over many years) | Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals; mental math; Japanese-style grading exams (kyu) |
| Visible results | Fast and accurate written math; may work 1–2 grades ahead | Mental calculation with 2–3 digit numbers without paper; sitting and concentrating for longer; greeting and tidying up |
| The parents’ role | Keeping up the daily worksheet habit (the most important and the hardest part) | 10 minutes of practice with the child; reading numbers aloud for the child to calculate mentally |
| Tests and certificates | An internal level system; awards for working ahead of the curriculum | A test in every module; grading exams in the Japanese format |
What do they have in common? Three very Japanese things
- Small steps. Kumon divides knowledge into thousands of worksheets, each a little harder than the last. Soroban is divided into Level 0 → 1A → 1B → 2 and grading exams from 10th kyu up to 1st kyu. Both believe children go furthest when every step is “just right”.
- Daily repetition. No Japanese method believes in “cramming at the weekend”. Kumon means worksheets every day; soroban means 10 minutes every day and timed exercises.
- Comparing with themselves. Both record each child’s times and results, and look at progress compared with yesterday, not with other children.
How are they different? Four deciding points
1. With eyes and pencil – or with hands and images
Kumon is learned through reading and writing: the child looks at the example on the worksheet, understands it, then does the problems. Soroban is learned through the hands: the child moves the beads, the hands remember first, the head understands later, and then the image moves into the head. Children aged 5–7 usually learn more easily with their hands than with their eyes; older children and children who love reading are the opposite. This is the first thing to look at in your own child.
2. Self-study – or learning in the rhythm of a class
Kumon’s strength is the habit of studying independently: the child sits down, works alone, corrects their own mistakes. The condition is that the child is willing to sit alone with a worksheet, and that parents can keep up the daily habit – this is the most common reason families stop Kumon. Soroban has a teacher leading a 60–70-minute lesson in 7 parts, so children who find it harder to concentrate can still keep up; in return, the self-study at home is lighter (10 minutes).
3. Written calculation – or mental math
Kumon trains very fast and accurate written calculation on paper, gradually moving up to algebra. Soroban trains mental math: after Level 1, many children can add and subtract 2-digit numbers with their eyes closed and no paper, and this kind of mental math continues on to multiplication and division. If your family’s goal is “getting ahead of the curriculum”, Kumon is headed in that direction. If the goal is “mental math, place value and concentration”, soroban is headed in that direction.
4. Worksheets – or study habits
A Japanese-style soroban lesson includes a greeting at the start, sitting with the right posture, clearing the abacus to 0 and tidying up at the end – things many Japanese families send their children to soroban for first, and for fast calculation second. Kumon has its own habit – the habit of doing worksheets every day – but it happens mainly at home and depends on the parents.
Choosing for your child: 5 questions
- Does your child learn with their hands or their eyes?
Loves building, touching, doing: soroban. Loves books, coloring, writing, sitting still: Kumon.
- How old is your child?
3–4 years old: Kumon has programs for young children; soroban is not suitable yet (fingers are not nimble enough). 5–8 years old: soroban is in the “golden age” for the image of numbers. 9 and over: either works, depending on your goals.
- Can you keep up a daily habit?
Be honest with yourself. Kumon needs a parent sitting beside the child (or reminding them) 20–30 minutes every day, for years. Soroban needs 10 minutes and one trip to class.
- What does your family want after 1 year?
“My child does written math fast and is ahead of the class” → Kumon. “My child can do mental math, can sit and concentrate, has study habits” → soroban. “Both” → soroban first, Kumon later (see below).
- Has your child tried them?
Both offer trial lessons. Watch your child after the trial: what do they tell you, do they want to go back? That is the truest answer.
Should children learn both soroban and Kumon?
They can, and quite a few Japanese families do. The sensible order is soroban first, Kumon later: soroban at ages 5–8 builds the image of numbers, place value and concentration; Kumon from ages 8–9 makes use of the ability to sit and study independently that the child already has, to get ahead of the curriculum. Doing both at the same time at ages 6–7 is usually too much – each method needs “every day”, and a grade 1 child only has one evening.
What not to do: learn soroban at a place that teaches it worksheet-style (only doing problems, no teacher correcting the hands, no mental math) – then the child loses the best of both. The article Is learning soroban good for children? has 6 questions to help you recognize a soroban class that teaches it properly.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, soroban or Kumon?
Neither is better for every child. Kumon suits children who like studying independently with worksheets and families who can keep up a daily habit; the goals are fast written calculation and getting ahead of the curriculum. Soroban suits children who learn with their hands and need the rhythm of a class and someone to lead; the goals are mental math with images, concentration and study habits.
Does Kumon use an abacus?
No. Kumon is learned with paper worksheets and does not use an abacus. Soroban is learned with an abacus and then moves on to the abacus in the head.
My child is doing Kumon – should they also learn soroban?
If your child is still 5–8 and your family wants them to be able to do mental math, you could try soroban – but look at your child’s total time across the week. Both methods need “every day”; if your child seems overloaded, choose one and do it well.
After learning soroban, is Kumon still needed?
It depends on your goals. Soroban does not aim to get ahead of the curriculum or teach algebra; if your family wants that at ages 9–10, Kumon or advanced math is a sensible next step, and the foundation of concentration from soroban helps a great deal.
Both are in My Dinh – which trial lesson should we try first?
Let your child try both if you have time, and watch your child after each trial. If you can only choose one: a 5–8-year-old who is active and learns with their hands → try soroban first; a child who likes sitting quietly with books and notebooks, with parents ready to keep up a daily habit → try Kumon first.
Try a free soroban lesson
Classes of 3–5 children at Vinhomes Gardenia (Hanoi), 70 minutes each, taught exactly as in Japan. Phone · Zalo 096.802.8484.
Written by the teaching team of Kodomo Soroban Center, following the method and textbooks of Kodomo School (Japan, teaching soroban since 1976). The center is licensed by the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, and our project is a 2026 EDU-Port Nippon supported project of Japan’s Ministry of Education (MEXT).
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