We don't give up on a child.
the founder
Until 7 + 8feels easy.
Abacus math classes for kids in the United States of America.
Live on the soroban, ten children at most, a certified instructor, and a note to you after most classes.
Near you, wherever you live in the United States of America: every class is live online, in your time zone, and your child joins from home.
Free, about half an hour, live. Nobody asks you to pay or decide anything on the call.
rough work
Tonight's homework
- 7 + 8 =14
- 7 + 8 =16
- 7 + 8 =
- 9 + 6 =?
Counting on fingers under the table. An hour for ten sums. And the quiet decision, somewhere around age seven, that they are just not a numbers person.
None of that is a verdict. It is a method nobody has taught them yet.
Built around US elementary school
- Grades K to 2
- Ages 5 to 7
- Grades 3 to 5
- Ages 8 to 11
- Middle school prep
- Grades 5 to 6
For US families
Facts to 20 by second grade, multiplication facts by third: where abacus helps
The Common Core standards, which many states use or adapt, expect children to know every single-digit sum from memory by the end of Grade 2 and every single-digit product by the end of Grade 3. Those two fluency goals are what the early abacus levels train.
K to 2
Kindergarten to Grade 2
Ages 5 to 7
On the soroban, 8 + 7 is a movement: take a ten, give back three. Children learn the move, then the picture of the move, and the counting on fingers stops.
Sums within 20 known from memory, the Grade 2 fluency goal (Common Core 2.OA.B.2).
Grades 3 to 4
Grade 3 and Grade 4
Ages 8 to 10
Multiplication becomes something a child can see on the rods. After about a year of steady practice most children start working on an imagined abacus, with no beads in front of them.
Single-digit products from memory (3.OA.C.7), and timed fact quizzes that stop being a dread.
Grades 5 to 6
Grade 5 and Grade 6
Ages 10 to 12
Multi-digit arithmetic done mentally and quickly, so fractions, decimals and the ratio work of Grade 6 are not held up by the calculation inside them.
More attention left for problem solving on state tests, and a head start for middle school math contests.
Children who freeze on timed fact tests usually lack a strategy, not ability. The soroban gives them one, and each of the ten levels ends in a short graded test, so the progress is something you can see.
Live classes matched to your child’s weekly schedule, building the mental math and math fact fluency that grade-level math rewards.
Most US families start between kindergarten and Grade 3, before multiplication fluency is assessed. A Grade 4 to 6 starter moves through the first levels faster.
A note from the founder
Some children take to the beads in a week. Some need a month of patient repetition before a number clicks. Both are fine.
What we do not do is give up on a child. Classes stay at ten children at most, so every hand is seen. After most classes you get a note about what went well and what to practise.
We keep going, level by level, until your child solves sums with confidence and math stops being the hard part of the school day.
That is the promise I built Cliffpoint on.
The founder
- Ten children at mostIn every class, so every hand is seen.
- A note after most classesWhat went well and what to practise. You read it in your parent portal.
- Every level testedA timed test closes each one. You see every answer in your parent portal.
We don't give up on a child.
From parents, unedited
I have never seen him so excited about math.
Thank you so much, teacher. It is due to your patience and dedication that my child has shown significant improvement. We truly appreciate your efforts.
My son's math skills improved dramatically after just three months of classes. His concentration has improved in all subjects too.
I was skeptical at first, but the results speak for themselves. My daughter can now calculate faster than I can with a calculator!
We are delighted to share that our daughter has completed her level today with full marks! This achievement wouldn't have been possible without your constant support.
After six months of classes, my daughter's confidence in mathematics has soared. She now enjoys math challenges!
Messages parents sent us. The words are theirs, unedited.
Bring the sum that went wrong
Write a sum from tonight's homework. It is marked the way the soroban teaches it, one rod at a time.
No sum to hand? Try
47 + 38 =85
- set itSet 47 on the soroban.
- five friendTens: 3 won’t fit on the lower beads, so bring down the five-bead and take away 2.
- ten friendOnes: 8 won’t fit, so take away 2 and carry 1 to the tens.
The beads, move by move.
Two fingers, said out loud, until it happens without thinking. That is the first class.
First, a free demo class.
About half an hour, live, on a real soroban, with you beside your child. No card needed.
Then two classes a week.
One hour each, live, and about fifteen minutes of practice a day.
A note after most classes.
So you know what to practise at home.
A timed test closes each level.
Then the certificate, with your child's name on it.
Ten levels. Ten certificates.
Every school year has a prize day. A few children walk up; most clap. Here, no child sits in the audience: every level ends with a timed test, every answer visible to you, and a certificate when it is passed. We keep going until your child earns it.
Level 1, Foundation
The bead values, the fingering, and the three formulas everything afterwards is built on. By the end of it single-digit work is happening in the head, not on the desk. Every child begins here, including the ones who already like math.
Levels 1 and 2: about the first 7 months.
Cliffpoint Abacus Academy
Certificate of Achievement
This is proudly presented to
Your child’s name
Level 1, Foundation
The bead values, the fingering, and the three formulas everything afterwards is built on.
It stays in this browser.
What time are classes for families in the US?
We fit the class around your child, not the other way round. On the free demo call we go through your child's weekly availability, school hours, and activities, then match them to the batch that suits best in your US time zone. Once enrolled, the slot stays consistent week to week so it settles cleanly into the family routine.
What are the fees for abacus classes in the US?
Tuition is quoted and billed in US dollars on a clear monthly schedule, so there are no currency conversion charges on your card. Abacus programs and math learning centers in the US typically charge anywhere from 180 to 400 dollars a month, often for just one or two sessions a week; we run 2 live classes a week (8 a month) and send our current USD fee in writing with your demo time, so nobody asks you to pay or decide on the call. The physical toolkit (the abacus and workbooks) is a separate one-off purchase shipped to your US address.
Will this help with math facts and fact fluency at school?
Yes, that is exactly the skill abacus training builds. Addition and subtraction facts, multiplication tables, and mental calculation speed are the core outcomes, and they carry directly into timed fact-fluency checks and grade-level math. It works alongside any curriculum your school uses because it strengthens the arithmetic underneath, not one specific textbook.
How is this different from a math learning center?
Learning centers typically drill worksheets tied to the school curriculum. Abacus training instead builds a mental calculation tool: children learn to visualize a soroban and compute in their heads with speed and accuracy. It is a live class with no more than 10 students, not a drop-in worksheet session, and your child attends from home.
At what age can kids do mental math?
Most children can add small numbers in their head by about age 5 or 6, usually by counting on. Our classes start at age 6, and the mental abacus, where a child calculates on a soroban they picture rather than one on the table, usually arrives after about a year of regular practice. Children who start later get there in less time.
Notes for parents
Cities, articles and more for families in the United States of America
Before the demo
What US parents usually want to know first
- Will it clash with how my child's school teaches math?
- No. Schools teach strategies like making ten, number lines and, later, the standard algorithm. The soroban makes those same ideas physical, so a child sees why making ten works. Most children end up using the abacus picture to check their written work rather than to replace it.
- Time zones from Eastern to Pacific
- Batches run in US time zones. On the demo call we look at school hours and activities and suggest a batch, and once your child is enrolled the slot stays the same every week, so it does not compete with sports or music.
- What a month looks like
- Two live one-hour classes a week, about fifteen minutes of practice at home on the other days, a short graded test at the end of each level, and the abacus and workbook shipped to your door. The fee is quoted in US dollars, in writing, before you decide anything.
Read what an abacus is, follow the free step-by-step lessons, try the free virtual abacus, read how our mental math classes work, or see the ten-level program.
Online, so location is not a barrier
Abacus classes near you
From a Bay Area apartment to a New Jersey suburb, “abacus classes near me” ends at the same live online class. No drive across town between practice and dinner.
- New York
- San Jose
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Houston
- Austin
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Charlotte
- Edison
- Fremont
- Irvine
- Miami
Plus the Bay Area, New Jersey, Texas, Southern California, the DC, Maryland and Virginia area, New England, and every state in between.
Classes run live over video. With a stable internet connection and a quiet corner, your child can join from any zip code.
For parents
Latest articles
Articles for parents across the United States of America. Practical, research-backed writing on how the abacus works, why it builds mental math, and how to choose the right class for your child.
Math Fact Fluency: Why It Matters More Than You Think (and How to Build It)
Why fluent math facts free your child's brain for real problem solving, why timed drills alone backfire, and what actually builds automatic recall.
Kumon Alternatives: Where Abacus Fits, and Which Child Each Suits
Kumon and abacus both build strong arithmetic, in very different ways. A fair, side-by-side look at how each works and which kind of child each one suits.
Is Your Child Scared of Maths? What Helps, and What Makes It Worse
Maths anxiety is real and common, and it can change. How to spot it, why worry makes sums harder, and what helps a child find their confidence again.
We confirm a time within a day.
Your child's first class is free
- You bookYour child's age and how to reach you. Two short steps.
- We confirm a timeWithin a day, with the fee for your country in writing.
- The free demoAbout half an hour, live, on a real soroban, with you beside your child.
- A seat, if you want itOffered by invitation after the class and held for 14 days.
Book a free demo class
A live 30-minute lesson with the instructor who would teach your child. You watch the whole class.
500+ students over 7+ years · certified instructor · live, never recorded
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