The Slavonic Abacus is a brilliant teaching aid for pupils who are struggling to master basic mathematical skills. What makes it so special is the unusual colouring of the beads which allow the visualisation of numbers as patterns. This makes the abacus ideal for those pupils (such as dyslexics) who may have strong spatial skills. The abacus will be of interest to teachers who are following the Wave 3 maths intervention programme.
Below, you will find links to an introduction to the Slavonic Abacus, teaching notes, suggestions and lesson ideas. These may be downloaded and printed for future reference.
You will also find a link to a 'Virtual Abacus'. Clicking on this will download an interactive computer program which will run in your web browser - try it on an interactive whiteboard!
We are also offering a real Slavonic Abacus which is supplied with a CDROM holding the program and teaching notes described above.
The following teaching notes and suggestions were prepared by Tandi Clausen-May, author of 'Teaching Maths to Pupils with Different Learning Styles' (London, Paul Chapman Publishing)
A Virtual Abacus
Using the Slavonic Abacus in the Classroom or download the file as a Word document
A lesson using the Slavonic Abacus or download the file as a Word document
Work sheets to use alongside the Slavonic Abacus
VIDEO - here is a short video demonstrating the use of the abacus for subitizing (judging number by appearance, rather than counting).
Xavier Educational Software
