The first week with a soroban is exciting. By week three, many parents hear “Do I have to?”. A dip in motivation is completely normal: the novelty fades, the exercises get harder and other activities compete for attention.
The aim is not to make every session fun, but to help your child want to come back. This guide turns well-established research on motivation, feedback and habits into practical tools for soroban practice at home.
The three ingredients of motivation
Self-determination theory, one of the most studied models of motivation, holds that people stay engaged when three basic needs are met: autonomy, competence and relatedness (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Each one translates into simple choices at the soroban.
| Need | What it means | At the soroban |
|---|---|---|
| Autonomy | Feeling some control over what you do | Let the child choose the order of exercises, the time slot or the colour of today’s sticker |
| Competence | Feeling that you are getting better | Most problems should be solvable; keep a chart of personal bests |
| Relatedness | Doing it with people who matter | Practise side by side; let the child teach you a rule; share progress with grandparents |
Rewards: when they help and when they backfire
In a classic experiment, preschool children who liked drawing were promised a certificate for drawing. Later, in free time, they drew less than children who had received no reward or an unexpected one (Lepper et al., 1973). The promised reward turned an enjoyable activity into a job.
This does not mean all rewards are bad. What matters is whether the reward controls the child or informs them about their progress.
| Usually helps | Can backfire |
|---|---|
| A sticker on a practice calendar that the child places after each session | “If you do 20 minutes, you get screen time” |
| Surprise celebration of a milestone (“You mastered the friends of 5!”) | Paying money per exercise or per correct answer |
| Showing the progress chart to a grandparent | Taking away a favourite activity when practice is skipped |
| Choosing the next game or worksheet as a treat | Constantly raising the reward to keep the child going |
Praise and feedback that build motivation
Children praised for being “smart” after a success tended to choose easier tasks and gave up sooner after failure, while children praised for their effort kept trying (Mueller & Dweck, 1998). With the soroban, praise the specific strategy: “You used the 5-bead instead of counting — that was quick!”
Feedback is also most useful when it is about the task and the process — what to do next — rather than about the person (Hattie & Timperley, 2007). Compare “Good job” with “Your answer was right; next time try saying the friend of 10 aloud before moving the beads.” The second gives the child something to aim for.
Make practice a habit, not a daily negotiation
Motivation goes up and down; habits carry you through the low days. In a study of adults building new daily habits, behaviours repeated in the same situation became automatic in a median of about 66 days, with large differences between people (Lally et al., 2010). Missing a single day did not ruin the habit.
Short, spaced sessions are also better for learning than occasional long ones (Cepeda et al., 2006). Together, these findings suggest a simple rule: the same short session, at the same moment, almost every day.
- Attach practice to an existing routine: after the afternoon snack, before reading time.
- Keep it short: 10 minutes is enough, as in our 10-minute daily routine.
- Leave the soroban visible on the table, not in a drawer.
- Start with something easy so the first minute is a success.
- Stop while it is still going well; children return more willingly to something that ended on a high.
Make progress visible
Children cannot feel competence if they cannot see it. A few simple tools make progress concrete:
- A practice calendar with one sticker per session — the chain itself becomes motivating.
- A “personal best” chart: number of correct problems in two minutes, compared only with the child’s own previous scores.
- An “I can” list on the wall: “I can show any number to 99”, “I can add with the friends of 5”.
- A short video every month of the child solving a problem; watching the first one later is often a proud moment.
- Learning-path levels on the learning path, which turn the long journey into clear stages.
Why motivation drops — and what to do
Most dips have an identifiable cause:
| What you notice | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Boredom after 2–3 weeks | Novelty is gone, exercises feel repetitive | Vary formats: flash cards, the online soroban, a parent-versus-child challenge |
| Frustration or tears | The step is too big (often the friends of 10) | Go back to a level the child masters, then add one small new element |
| “It’s too easy” | No challenge left | Add a new skill, longer numbers or a personal-best challenge |
| Resistance at practice time | Bad timing: tired, hungry or interrupting play | Move the session to a calmer moment and keep it shorter |
| Comparing with others | Fear of not being good enough | Compare only with the child’s own past results |
If the dip comes with worry rather than boredom — tummy aches, “I’m bad at math” — read our guide on math anxiety in children.
Five games that renew interest
Use them as a warm-up or a reward at the end of a session:
- Mystery number: the parent sets a number with eyes closed; the child reads it.
- Beat the parent: both calculate the same problem; the child on the soroban, the parent on paper.
- Teacher for a day: the child explains a rule to a sibling, a toy or a parent.
- Shop: prices up to 99 on cards; the child adds the basket on the soroban.
- Flash numbers on screen with the training mode, at a speed the child chooses.
Conclusion
Motivation is not something a child simply has or lacks. It grows when practice offers some choice, regular proof of progress and warm company — and it survives the low days when practice is a short daily habit. Skip the promised prizes, praise the method, make progress visible, and adjust the difficulty when interest drops.
For the mistakes that most often discourage children, read common mistakes parents make teaching soroban at home.
Frequently asked questions
How do I motivate my child to practise soroban?
Give some choice, keep exercises at a level where most are solvable, make progress visible with a calendar or chart, practise together, and attach a short session to the same moment every day.
Should I reward my child for practising?
Avoid promised rewards for each session, which can reduce your child’s own interest. Prefer stickers that track progress, surprise celebrations of milestones and choices as treats.
How long should a soroban session last?
For most young children, about 10 minutes a day is enough. Short daily sessions work better than long weekly ones.
My child wants to quit. What should I do?
Look for the cause: boredom, a step that is too hard, bad timing or comparison. Adjust the level, vary the format and shorten sessions before deciding to stop.
How long does it take for practice to become a habit?
It varies a lot. In one study of adults, new daily habits took a median of about 66 days to become automatic. Consistency at the same moment helps most.
Research sources
- Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1).
- Lepper, M. R., Greene, D., & Nisbett, R. E. (1973). Undermining children’s intrinsic interest with extrinsic reward: A test of the “overjustification” hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 28(1).
- Mueller, C. M., & Dweck, C. S. (1998). Praise for intelligence can undermine children’s motivation and performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75(1).
- Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1).
- Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6).
- Cepeda, N. J., et al. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3).