Education

Education

Functions of Soroban Techniques

         The Soroban functions as an external cognitive scaffold that supports numerical representation through sensorimotor encoding. Its rectangular frame consists of an upper and a lower section separated by a horizontal reckoning bar, which serves as a spatial reference axis. Unit markers (dots) on the reckoning bar allow for precise place-value mapping, enabling the brain to anchor numerical magnitude to spatial location.

         Beads mounted on vertical rods act as discrete manipulatives, providing tactile and proprioceptive feedback. A bead contributes to numerical value only when it contacts the reckoning bar, reinforcing rule-based activation and promoting error monitoring within cortical control systems.

         Each rod in the lower section contains four beads, each representing a unit value of one, while the upper section contains a single bead representing a magnitude of five. This configuration aligns with the brain’s hierarchical magnitude representation system, where numerical quantity is processed through symbolic and non-symbolic pathways.

         When all five beads on a rod contact the reckoning bar, the represented value reaches nine. Replication of this configuration across adjacent rods engages positional number encoding and activates parietal lobe regions responsible for place-value comprehension. Progressive configurations represent higher numerical magnitudes such as 99, 999, and beyond, reinforcing logarithmic scaling and spatial-numerical association.

         Basic numerical series, such as the 4-series and 9-series, can be generated through direct bead manipulation without formal training. These intuitive operations rely on procedural memory and automatic sensorimotor integration, allowing early engagement of subcortical processing pathways and reducing cognitive load on executive systems.

         Advanced numerical transitions, such as calculations involving values from 4 to 9 and from 9 to 19, require structured rule-based processing. Learners acquire specific addition and subtraction algorithms involving ±1 to ±4 and ±1 to ±9 operations. These operations engage the prefrontal cortex for rule retrieval and the intraparietal sulcus for numerical manipulation.

         Additional formula sets involving ±6 to ±9 further increase cognitive complexity, requiring enhanced working memory capacity, inhibitory control, and rapid decision-making.

         A total of 34 fundamental Soroban formulas must be encoded into long-term memory through repetitive practice. With continued training, these formulas transition from conscious processing to automatic retrieval, supported by hippocampal consolidation and cortico-striatal learning pathways.

         During active calculation, these formulas are retrieved within milliseconds, placing high demands on neural efficiency, synaptic plasticity, and processing speed.

         In multiplication tasks, Soroban formulas are integrated with multiplication tables (1–9), requiring parallel processing across multiple neural systems. Each digit in a multidigit operation is processed sequentially and spatially, engaging:
• The parietal cortex for numerical magnitude and spatial alignment
• The prefrontal cortex for rule application and sequencing
• The motor cortex for bead manipulation
• The cerebellum for timing and coordination
This distributed neural activation supports accuracy and speed across vertical and horizontal computational operations.

         Soroban-based calculations impose significant demands on cognitive speed and precision. For example, completing 30 multiplication problems involving four-digit by three-digit numbers within 180 seconds requires sustained activation of working memory, rapid formula retrieval, and continuous executive monitoring.

         This level of performance reflects heightened neural efficiency, fast synaptic transmission, and optimized inter-regional communication across cortical and subcortical networks. The task demonstrates intense mental engagement, accelerated information processing, and high attentional control facilitated by Soroban training.

         From a neuroscience perspective, Soroban techniques function as a powerful cognitive training system that enhances numerical cognition through multisensory integration, procedural automation, and distributed neural activation. The practice strengthens working memory, processing speed, executive function, and neural connectivity, making Soroban an effective tool for cognitive enhancement across educational and developmental contexts.

Scientific approach on Soroban Education

         Soroban-based mental calculation is a structured cognitive training system that integrates numerical computation with multisensory and motor engagement. This method requires learners to internalize calculation rules and perform rapid mental operations using both physical and imaginary representations of the Soroban. The present framework examines the role of Soroban training in stimulating multiple intelligences and enhancing integrated brain functioning.

         Soroban training simultaneously activates multiple forms of intelligence, including visual–spatial, kinesthetic, auditory, gestalt, and emotional intelligences. The coordinated use of hand movements, visual bead positioning, auditory number input, and emotional regulation under time constraints enhances multisensory integration.

         Furthermore, when learners engage in teaching Soroban techniques to peers, they develop interpersonal intelligence through communication and social interaction. In parallel, intrapersonal intelligence is strengthened through self-discipline, concentration, self-evaluation, and goal-oriented practice.

         A distinctive feature of Soroban training is its capacity to promote interaction among major brain systems, including the cerebral cortex, limbic system, and reptilian brain. Time-bound problem solving increases emotional arousal, activating the limbic system, which in turn enhances attentional focus and accelerates coordination between cortical and subcortical regions. This integrated brain activation contributes to rapid and accurate computational performance.

         During Soroban practice, proper sitting posture and hand positioning support neurological efficiency. The alignment between the cerebellum and cortical regions facilitates improved motor coordination, balance, and sustained attention. This sensorimotor stability enhances overall cognitive performance during prolonged calculation tasks.

         Visual processing during Soroban practice involves bilateral hemispheric engagement. Analytical number processing is predominantly associated with the left hemisphere, while spatial visualization of bead movements recruits right-hemispheric functions. This bilateral activation strengthens interhemispheric communication within the cerebral cortex, supporting efficient numerical reasoning and spatial awareness.

         Manipulation of Soroban beads through fingertip movements provides continuous kinesthetic and tactile feedback. This sensory input facilitates rapid neural communication associated with subcortical processing, often attributed to the reptilian brain. Concurrently, formula selection and numerical reasoning are processed in cortical regions, particularly within the left hemisphere, with response times occurring within nanosecond-level intervals.

         When calculations are performed under strict time limits, such as completing 30 problems within 60 seconds, the limbic system becomes highly active. This emotional engagement enhances motivation, focus, and processing speed, enabling faster coordination between the reptilian brain and cerebral cortex to achieve accurate results.

         In auditory-based Soroban tasks, such as number dictation, learners convert spoken numbers into mental numerical representations. This process engages auditory and imaginative regions of the frontal lobe, which interact with long-term memory to recall visual images of bead configurations. The coordinated activation of cortical and subcortical systems allows for near-instantaneous computation.

         During mental Soroban calculations, learners operate on an internalized visual image of the abacus. Each imagined bead movement is monitored through visual working memory, engaging frontal and parietal cortical regions. Rapid cross-communication among the cerebral cortex, limbic system, and reptilian brain enables precise formula selection and accurate mental manipulation of numbers.

         Soroban calculation requires extensive neural communication across multiple brain regions. Each calculation activates numerous synaptic pathways, facilitating efficient information transfer within and between the cerebral cortex, limbic brain, and reptilian brain. This continuous synaptic activation supports accurate visualization, rapid formula recall, and high-speed computation.

         Soroban techniques represent a powerful cognitive training method that promotes whole-brain engagement through multisensory, emotional, and motor integration. The evidence suggests that Soroban-based practice enhances cognitive speed, accuracy, and neural connectivity, supporting its application as an effective educational and neurocognitive development tool for individuals across all age groups and learning contexts.