What does the research say about Soroban and Anzan?
In research, Soroban and Anzan are studied as "abacus-based mental calculation." There are serious trials, several years long and with control groups. Here's what they found, with a link to each study.
The short answer
Well supported
Faster, more accurate arithmetic
This is the most solid result: children who practice for years calculate better than children given the same extra hours of regular math.
Promising
Visuospatial working memory
The ability to hold and move images in your mind. One five-year trial found an improvement; a three-year trial didn't. In adults, a small trial saw gains in attention and planning.
The studies, one by one
In a randomized trial, chance decides who gets the training: it's the best way to know the difference came from the abacus and not something else, like motivation or family.
2016
India (Vadodara)
Randomized trial
Three years of Soroban versus the same extra hours of regular math
About 190 children ages 5 to 7, randomly assigned to two groups · 3 years, about 3 extra hours a week
Found
Better calculation, arithmetic and understanding of place value, with large differences.
The first year used the physical Soroban; after that, the imagined abacus (Anzan).
With years of practice, the Soroban teaches arithmetic better than more classes of the same.
Barner et al. (2016). Learning mathematics in a visuospatial format: A randomized, controlled trial of mental abacus instruction. Child Development, 87(4), 1146–1158. Read the study ↗
2019
China
Randomized trial
Five years of abacus mental math in elementary school
144 children randomly assigned on starting school; 112 completed the final tests · 5 years, 2 hours a week
Found
Better mental calculation and arithmetic.
Better visuospatial working memory, with changes in activity in frontal and parietal areas of the brain.
Long practice may strengthen visuospatial memory, but it doesn't make anyone "smarter" in general.
Wang et al. (2019). Training on abacus-based mental calculation enhances visuospatial working memory in children. Journal of Neuroscience, 39(33), 6439–6448. Read the study ↗
2018
United States
Randomized trial
A single year, in a US school
163 children in 1st and 2nd grade, in 24 randomly assigned classrooms · 1 school year, 3 lessons a week
Found
2nd graders learned the technique better than 1st graders and showed hints of a better grasp of place value.
Results come with persistence: one year, without solid foundations, isn't enough.
Barner et al. (2018). A one-year classroom-randomized trial of mental abacus instruction for first- and second-grade students. Journal of Numerical Cognition, 3(3), 540–558. Read the study ↗
2024
Japan
Randomized trial
Adults ages 42 to 79 using an abacus mental-math app
20 healthy adults, randomly assigned to two groups of 10 · 6 months, about 25 minutes a day at home
Found
Improvements on two specific tests: one of attention (following an order) and one of planning.
Encouraging for adults, but it's a small study, with a different app, and the overall score didn't change.
Takaoka et al. (2024). Effects of the abacus-based mental calculation training application "SoroTouch" on cognitive functions: A randomized controlled trial. PLOS ONE, 19(3), e0299201. Read the study ↗
2020
Behavioral and brain-imaging studies
Research review
What happens in the brain of an Anzan expert
Anzan experts, and children and adults in training
Found
When calculating, experts rely mostly on visuospatial and frontoparietal networks: they "see" the beads instead of reciting numbers.
Long training is associated with changes in how those areas work and in their structure.
Anzan is a visual way of calculating, and the brain adapts to it.
Wang (2020). A review of the effects of abacus training on cognitive functions and neural systems in humans. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 14, 913. Read the study ↗
2021
8 studies selected out of 29
Research review
Systematic review: does it help at different ages?
6 with children, 1 with young adults and 1 with older adults
Found
Benefits in arithmetic, working memory and visuospatial skills across ages.
There's reason for optimism, but the research is still young.
Lima-Silva et al. (2021). Cognitive training using the abacus: A literature review study on the benefits for different age groups. Dementia & Neuropsychologia, 15(2), 256–266. Read the study ↗
What isn't proven yet
That it raises general intelligence or IQ.
That it develops creativity or the "whole brain."
That it improves grades in other subjects or long-term outcomes.
That a few months are enough: the measured benefits came after years of practice.
Some older studies compared children who were already taking abacus classes with children who weren't. Those differences may come from motivation or support at home, not just the abacus, so we give more weight to randomized trials here.
How we apply it at Yo Sí Cuento
一
Persistence over intensity
The results came with years of practice. That's why we suggest short sessions most days and a kyu path designed to last years, not a course of a few weeks.
二
Beads in hand first
In the India trial, the first year used the physical Soroban and the imagined abacus came later. Here, too, children start by moving the beads, and Anzan is trained as a path of its own.
三
No promises the science doesn't back
We promise what has been measured: calculating quickly and confidently. The rest may come, but we don't guarantee it.
None of these studies tested Yo Sí Cuento: they tested the method. This summary is for information only and is not a substitute for advice from a doctor or an education specialist. Reviewed October 2026.
継続は力なり
Persistence is power. It's also what the research says.