You are ready for your first steps on the abacus number line. Use your counting skills to match numbers and beads correctly.
You move beads one by one and say the numbers 1, 2, 3. Which number will you say when you move the next bead up?
5
4
2
6
After 3 the next counting number is 4. Each new bead moved up adds one to the count.
You see 6 beads up on a rod. Which number from 1 to 10 does this show?
7
6
8
5
Six beads mean the number 6 because each bead stands for one. You can check by counting 1 to 6 on the beads.
On your abacus you count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 beads as you move them up. What number have you reached now?
5
10
6
4
Saying five after touching the fifth bead shows that you have reached 5. The count stops at the last bead you moved.
You show the number 8 on a rod. How many beads will stay up if you move 3 beads back down?
5 beads
4 beads
3 beads
6 beads
Eight minus three equals five so five beads stay up. Subtraction tells how many beads are left on the rod.
While practising, you start from 1 and count up to 10 using beads. How many numbers did you say in this count from 1 to 10?
10 numbers
11 numbers
9 numbers
8 numbers
Counting from 1 to 10 includes all ten numbers. You say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
You show the number 7 on the abacus and want to reach 9. How many more beads must you move up on the same rod?
2 more beads
3 more beads
1 more bead
4 more beads
Seven plus two equals nine so you need two more beads. Adding beads increases the number.
You are counting forward from 11 on your abacus. Which number will you say just after 12?
11
20
14
13
After 12 we say 13 when we count upward. The sequence is 11, 12, 13, 14 and so on.
The tens rod has 1 bead up and the ones rod has 1 bead up. Which number between 10 and 20 do the rods show?
21
12
11
10
One ten and one one make eleven. We write this as 11 with 1 in each place.
You see that the ones rod has 2 beads up and the tens rod has 1 bead up. Which number from 10 to 20 is this?
12
2
20
21
One ten is ten and two ones add two more to make twelve. That is why the abacus shows 12.
You count down on the abacus from 5 to 1 by moving beads down. Which number do you say just before you say 1?
2
5
4
3
When counting backward from 5 the order is 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. So just before 1 you say 2.
Starter
You are taking your first steps with the abacus, so keep exploring and counting beads slowly and correctly.
Solid
You are growing strong in basic abacus steps, and with more practise you will move beads with full confidence.
Expert!
You show clear control over early abacus skills, and your neat bead movements make counting look simple.
