How to Use a Simple Abacus

Slide all the beads on the abacus to one side of the frame. Whether it's a standing, lying or hanging abacus, you'll need to start in this position.

Practice addition on the abacus by first counting out a number of beds on one column. Then, on the same column, count out another amount of beads and then find the total number of beads that you've selected. For instance, if you first slide over three beads and then slide over two more, you'll have added three and two to make five beads on one side of a column. The abacus is not ideal for adding decimals or fractions. But you can break larger figures down into tens, hundreds or thousands and use the beads on the abacus to add those.

Learn subtraction on the abacus by starting again with all the beads one one side. Take away a bead or several beads and then count how many are left on the original side. If you started with 10 beads, for example, and you chose to take three beads away, you'll have subtracted three from 10 which leaves seven beads.

Slide over the beads on an abacus to keep track of events in your life. You might use an abacus to count down the days until a special event, keep track of the number of assets you own, or to count how many clients you've seen in a day.