How it works for us
Lucie Bartošová
I first encountered the mathematical game Abaku in 2019. We started playing it with just a few children, more out of curiosity, to liven up the lesson. The class really got into it, and the children improved quickly. It was mostly fun. Soon, however, I noticed that certain types of examples became almost automatic for me, and I realized that it could be a good way to support basic mathematical skills in a playful and non-coercive way. And it really works.
Let’s be honest, even at our school, I see that more and more children have problems with the small multiplication table, not to mention addition and subtraction. They don’t enjoy calculating on paper, let alone columns of examples, just to get it done. In the game Abaku, they practice all of this without even noticing. They can calculate for 30 minutes or more.
Currently, we start with Abaku at our school from the first grade. Children quickly transition from the board version of the game to the online application, where they quickly find their way around. Colleagues from the lower grades especially appreciate the ability to reduce the total number of tiles to fit the lesson time, but above all, to limit operations, e.g., only to addition/subtraction or multiplication/division, depending on what they are currently covering and what the children can handle. This way, they can include Abaku in the lesson instead of classic paper exercises.
Children love to compete with each other and play Abaku in their free time. They can join the game from their mobile phone, tablet, or computer whenever they feel like it. To prevent them from being demotivated by frequent losses, especially to older classmates from the upper grades, the entire lower grade plays a "small" school league. Comparing strengths is a driving force for further improvement of skills and refining game strategy.
Children are also curious, they ask questions, and many quickly discover the principle of powers on their own, so by the 4th and 5th grades, they commonly calculate powers and roots.
For children who encounter Abaku for the first time in the upper grades, a bit more motivation is needed. For many, it is challenging to overcome initial failures when getting to know the environment. Many give up without guidance and minimal initial support, especially in math lessons. It’s good to proceed in small steps:
- In the first lesson, they get to know Abaku. It’s good to use the board game at least at the beginning; children are not stressed by time limits, and we have time to demonstrate everything clearly and literally get hands-on.
- Once the children understand the basic principles and rules of the game, they can log into their accounts for the first time. We are a small school, with a maximum of 9 students per class, so it is faster for me to prepare the accounts for them in advance.
- We show how the application works. The children try to play their first game, ideally for 1 player, i.e., alone. The more skilled ones compete to see who can score more points.
- Children quickly want to play against an opponent, whether among themselves or against Robot 1. I show them how to set up the game and let them handle it themselves.
- Playing against a robot, even at the lowest level, is really challenging for beginners. I explain to the children that they are up against a computer that functions more or less like a smarter calculator. It has no problem calculating a large number of examples in a very short time. They are all the more delighted when they manage to beat the robot for the first time. Of course, some children have no problem playing against the robot and quickly move on to higher levels of difficulty.
- Children often raise their hands, asking why something worked differently than they expected. We review the game rules and demonstrate them using their examples. At this point, it’s good to show them, if they haven’t noticed already, that the total number of points they earn for one move also depends on how they arrange the example on the game board. We explain that there are so-called combos, combinations of numbers that contain multiple examples and therefore earn the player more points. With regular play, children start boasting about the combos they’ve created. If they’re interested, we agree to write them down in a shared file.
- To get children used to playing, I give them time to play during lessons, especially at the beginning. Later, it’s more individual – for example, if they finish a task quickly or hand in a test early. They can play on a school tablet or their own phone, but it must be placed freely on the desk (as a precaution 😉).
Once children master Abaku at a reasonable level, i.e., they manage to create examples with at least one two-digit number and don’t make mistakes due to ignorance or lack of familiarity with the rules (e.g., linking examples with tiles placed next to each other, working with zero, etc.), it’s time to keep them engaged in the game until they start achieving good enough results to motivate them to further improvement.
- For 6th and 7th grades, motivation through grades works well. We agree with the children that they will play at least one game every day, with a minimum of 10 rounds, i.e., they calculate at least 10 examples. For 7 such games played in one week, they can earn an "A" with a weight of 0.1 in Edupage (so 10 "A" grades from Abaku equal 1 "A" from a regular test). It doesn’t matter whether they play against a robot or a person, whether they win or lose. Every game that meets the rules above counts. The children must show me on their account that they have really played the games. I randomly check 1 or 2 games to see if they really have 10 rounds. I choose the ones where they scored the fewest points. The weight of 0.1 may seem small, but especially for children who are less skilled in math, and for their parents, these "A" grades are important and give them a sense of success.
- For higher grades, team competitions work well. This year, we announced a competition for the highest number of examples calculated by classes in the upper grades for the first time. I chose numbers of examples partly so that everyone could participate, regardless of their current level or skill in the game. As a first prize, the children chose – a sleepover at school. To make it not so easy, the competition runs from February to the end of May. We evaluate the results every month separately. The classes with the highest increase in examples on individual children’s profiles are rewarded with sweets. The class with the highest number of examples calculated over the entire period then spends one night in June at the school premises with me and a colleague.
- Another well-functioning motivation is also competing with teachers, whether in math lessons or
during extracurricular activities. Thanks to this, an unofficial online afternoon club has
spontaneously emerged at our school, where children across grades play with me and a physics
teacher colleague. We arrange through a closed WhatsApp group when and how many of us will play
(it’s good to have parental consent that they don’t mind). Children participate in the "club"
according to their time availability. We usually play after 6 p.m. so that everyone can join and
it doesn’t disrupt the children’s or teachers’ family routines.
Children enjoy chatting during the game and sharing immediate experiences from the game via conference calls. They often have the sound on loud at home, so everyone needs to maintain a bit of "orderly conduct" 😉.
Since there are more of us playing, we first draw lots to see who will play with whom. We leave this to the children so that they feel important and see that everything is fair.
At the beginning, we usually play one classic game "just for fun" for multiple players, followed by a so-called "quickie." The children themselves came up with the game and its name. Over time, it has settled into a game:- 11x11 board, usually without bonuses, with 50 tiles, 0.5 min per move,
- But BEWARE, only with selected operations, e.g., only powers/roots, or combinations of 2 operations (only addition/subtraction and powers/roots, etc.).
The game becomes more challenging and fun for both the children and us (not everyone always remembers all the restrictions). We play like this up to 4 times a week.
And what motivates us as teachers to dedicate ourselves to the game of Abaku at school? Above all, seeing the students’ successes. It’s nice to see how they improve and enjoy calculating, but even nicer to see how their work is reflected in regular lessons. We simply enjoy Abaku.
None of this would, of course, be possible without the great support, understanding, and tolerance of colleagues across various fields throughout the school.
