A “step by step” learning path
Every child who is new to soroban starts at Level 0, whatever their age, because finger technique, posture and the mental image of the beads need to be built from the ground up. The content stays the same; the pace is adjusted to the child’s age.
The levels
Each module has 16 sessions. Every session has two parts: grid calculation (building basic calculation skills) and soroban with mental calculation (building the ability to picture numbers as images).
Foundations · Getting to know the soroban
- A Japanese-style attitude to learning, the parts of the soroban, finger technique
- Direct addition and subtraction of 1- to 3-digit numbers (no carrying)
- Mental calculation from session 4, Flash Anzan from session 6
- Grid calculation with 25 and 36 squares (addition and subtraction within 10)
Goal: add and subtract 1- to 3-digit numbers on the soroban, and calculate 2-digit numbers mentally with eyes closed. Greet, tidy up and sit with good posture without being reminded.
The 5-complement and 10-complement rules (addition)
- Calculations using the 5-bead (the 5-complement rule)
- Addition with carrying (the 10-complement rule), including chains of carries such as 99 + 1
- “Friends of 5” and “friends of 10”, learned through games
- Grid calculation with 100 squares – addition
Goal: add 2- and 3-digit numbers with carrying. Rule-based mental calculation with a series of four 1-digit numbers.
The 10-complement rule (subtraction), combined rules, mitorizan
- Subtraction with borrowing, combined rules
- Mitorizan (adding and subtracting a column of numbers), up to five 3-digit numbers
- Flash Anzan with 2-digit numbers
- Grid calculation with 100 squares – subtraction
Goal: do any addition or subtraction on the soroban. Mentally calculate a series of five 1-digit numbers and a series of three 2-digit numbers.
Multiplication · Division · Kyu grade exams
- 2A: times tables 2–9, recited rhythmically the Japanese way and worked on the soroban; 2-digit × 1-digit and 3-digit × 1-digit multiplication using the Japanese method; mental multiplication
- 2B: division by 1-digit numbers (“times tables in reverse”); 2-digit × 2-digit multiplication; practice for kyu grade exams
Goal: multiply and divide on the soroban, and be ready for graded exams in the Japanese kyu format, at roughly 10th to 7th kyu.
After Level 2, children continue toward 6th kyu and above (3-digit mitorizan, 5-digit products, division by 2-digit numbers) and mental calculation exams.
A 3-year path in the in-school club
The Vietnamese school year runs from September to the end of May. Each year has one module before Lunar New Year and one after it – about 28 to 32 sessions in all, with two report sessions for parents.
At 1 session a week, the whole path takes about three school years. At the center, your child can attend 1, 2 or 3 sessions a week.
| Year | Before Lunar New Year (September – January) | After Lunar New Year (February – May) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Level 0 | Level 1A |
| Year 2 | Level 1B | Level 2A |
| Year 3 | Level 2B · kyu grade exams | Continuing toward 6th kyu and mental calculation |
Three checks in every module
Every child’s progress is visible. The passing standard is the same at every level: at least 80% correct within the time limit (for example, 16 out of 20 problems in 6 minutes).
- Session 1
Diagnostic check
Shows where your child is starting from.
- Session 8
Mid-term check
A timed test, a check of manners (greeting, tidying up, posture) and a short mental calculation test.
- Session 15
Practice exam
Getting used to the test under real exam conditions.
- Session 16
Final assessment · report session for parents
Children demonstrate Flash Anzan, parents are invited to try a round, and certificates are presented.
When a child has not yet reached the standard, the instructor sits with them during class, gives them extra practice sheets and checks again in the next lesson. Difficulties are spotted within a few weeks, not at the end of the year.
Certificates on completion
The Level 0 certificate is issued by KSC. Level 1 and Level 2 certificates are issued together with the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Regional Education, a Japanese soroban organization. Results of the kyu-format exam (held by KSC in class, following Japanese exam standards) are recorded on the Level 2 certificate.
9 stages of mental calculation
Your child’s mental calculation stage is recorded on their progress sheet and announced at the report session for parents.
| Stages 1–2 | 1-digit numbers, series of 2 and then 3 numbers (Level 0) |
|---|---|
| Stage 3 | 1-digit numbers, series of 4–5 numbers; Flash Anzan with 1-digit numbers (Level 0) |
| Stage 4 | 2-digit numbers, series of 2–3 numbers, direct addition and subtraction (Level 0) |
| Stage 5 | 1-digit numbers, series of 3–4 numbers, using the 5-complement and 10-complement rules (Level 1A) |
| Stages 6–7 | 2-digit numbers with carrying; Flash Anzan with 2-digit numbers; series of five 1-digit numbers using all the rules (Level 1B) |
| Stages 8–9 | Times tables, 2-digit × 1-digit multiplication; quotients; exam-style problem sets (Level 2) |
The Vui học Soroban textbook and home practice
Vui học Soroban is our textbook, written in Vietnamese by the KSC team: pages for new concepts, timed practice pages, self-check boxes, puzzles in every review lesson, chapter tests, a certificate page and a star sheet. Each book opens with the class rules and a “My promise” page.
Each lesson ends with a one-page practice sheet (5–10 minutes, ideally 3 times a week). The sheet covers only what has already been taught, so children can do it on their own; parents just sign it. Children who bring the sheet back to class get a star sticker.
Vui học Soroban 0
Level 0 – foundations
Vui học Soroban 1A
Level 1A – addition
Vui học Soroban 1B
Level 1B – subtraction, mitorizan
Level 2
Multiplication, division and kyu grade exams
