Lesson 12: Abacus test for kids: numbers 0 to 999
Level 1, Bead Village. 10 tasks and 3 flashes. Get 10 right for the Bead House sticker.
What your child does, card by card
Bead Village test. Show what you know! PlayType opens the lesson: “Test time. No hints. Show what you know.”
The test: 10 tasks with no ring and no help, one try each: your child must make 4, make 7, read 9, clear 8, make 15, read 62, make 80, read 307, make 450 and make 999. A count shows which task this is.
In your head: the beads flash 8, 35 and 120, one at a time, for 1.8 seconds each and hide; your child picks the number from 8, 35, 53 and 120, then sees the beads again.
You passed! Bead Village is done. Next: easy sums!
What this lesson trains
About five minutes and 13 answers. Altogether the child makes 17 bead moves (8 with the top bead, 9 with bottom beads). 1 of them is a clear. Numbers reach 999, so all three rods work. Then 3 quick looks in your head.
Fingers and hands
Below the abacus the drawn hands show zero and 4, 7, 8, 9, 15, 62 and 80 here, finger for bead: the left hand counts the tens, the right hand the ones.
Two hands hold up to 99, so past 99 they fold and fade with a note (“Our hands stop at 99. The beads go on.”) while the beads carry on.
What PlayBuddy and PlayType say
PlayType: “Test time. No hints. Show what you know.”
PlayBuddy: “Click Let's Begin, or press Enter!”
PlayBuddy: “Here comes the last one.”
PlayBuddy: “Watch closely. The beads will hide!”
The test and its sticker
13 answers, one try each, with no green ring and no help. 10 or more right give the Bead House sticker; fewer, and PlayBuddy says “Not yet. One more try and you've got this!” and Play again glows. Nothing earned before is taken away.