What is the best way to learn how to use an abacus?any book or website to refer to?

An abacus is a calculation tool, often constructed as a wooden frame with beads sliding on wires. It is still widely used by merchants and clerks in the China, Japan, Hong Kong, Africa, and elsewhere. The Web Site below currently explains how to use the Chinese abacus.

I have heard that Singapore Math has an abacus “program” with workbooks and instructions, but I’m not sure you can get it in the US (you may need to order it from overseas). I would start with a google search for “learn abacus” and see what comes up.

Right Start Math also uses an abacus to teach math in the lower grades (through elementary, I believe).

Actually, the easiest way is from a person. Go to a local Chinese restaurant with your abacus. Even if an older person can’t speak English, the person could show you how to do some problems you write down on paper, until you get the idea.

An abacus’s lines represent the basics of mathematics; ones, tens, hundreds, thousands. It is basic addition. For example 123 + 154, reds represent hundreds, blues represent tens and orange represents ones, there are two lots of hundreds so separate two hundreds beads(red) there are 7 tens, so separate seven tens beads(blue), there are 7 ones, so separate 7 ones beads(orange), then count up each unit and you get your answer 277. In each row if you end up with for example 11 tens units you exchange 10 units for 1 of the next highest unit.

www.alabacus.com Elementary math curriculum utilizing an abacus.

http://www.educalc.net/144267.page

You can also check your local library for books on how to use an abacus.

Here is a site where you can learn how to use one:

http://www.tux.org/~bagleyd/AbacusGB.html

and here is an abcus you can practice on:

http://www.tux.org/~bagleyd/java/AbacusApp.html

www.ee.ryerson.ca/~elf/abacus/