For this Linear Abacus review, I worked with my 12 year old daughter. I have chosen not to use a curriculum until this year, as our approach to mathematics has been hands on and investigative. N works at a year 5/6 level. She loves puzzles and games and prefers numbers to letters.
As we prefer tackling maths with a hands on and investigative style, the Linear Abacus looked like it would be a good fit for us, and I was not disappointed.
What's Included in the Linear Abacus Games Book Pack?
The Linear Abacus Games Book Pack Includes:
- 100 Bead Linear Abacus
- 30 Bead Linear Abacus
- 6 Sided Dice
- 10 Sided Dice
- Games Book
It is high quality and well packaged, and it comes in a sturdy box. The bead abacus is easy to manipulate and has a key feature of being colour coded in groups of ten, making it a valuable tool in understanding number bonds and relationships.
What Worked Well For Us
The Games Book provides instructions for games designed to help children develop their understanding of mathematical concepts, from basic addition and subtraction through to multiplication, complex fractions and square and triangular numbers.
It is easy to use. Just open the book, read the instructions and play with your children.
The learning can be extended as your child learns how to use the Linear Abacus to visually show their calculations. N found the abacus a great help in working with fractions.
As the mathematics is game based, the concepts are learnt, practiced and consolidated in a stress-free way, where the child is free to investigate and learn while discussing their thinking and verbally sharing their solution.
Maths Through Learning Games
Most of the games can be played very quickly. Because there is no setup needed, other than grabbing the book, Linear Abacus and dice, it was easy to slip into our day.
I chose to introduce N to a specific game and then let her choose whether to continue to play or choose another game. She loved the challenge of the harder games.
The success of the pack, I believe, is the joint game style where you can have yourself and your child working together.
How Did It Work For Different Ages?
The bonus for us was that my 14-year-old, who is not a math lover, also joined in and was able to see complex math in a visual, tactile way, which made sense to her.
This was an unexpected benefit for us, as the Linear Abacus gave her another way to approach complex mathematical concepts.
What Did We Like About The Linear Abacus?
For our family the strengths of the Linear Abacus Games Book Pack included:
- A tactile and investigative approach to mathematics
- Games that can be played quickly and easily
- No complicated set-up
- Visual representation of mathematical concepts
- The ability to work collaboratively with your child.
- Opportunities to discuss mathematical thinking
- Games covering a wide range of mathematical concepts
- Challenges for children who enjoy more complex mathematics
- A helpful visual and tactile approach to fractions and number relationships
Who Is The Linear Abacus Best Suited For?
I highly recommend this for everyone, both children who thrive on being challenged and those who are struggling to understand number relationships.
The visual, tactile, investigative style is perfect for hands-on learning.
Would We Continue Using It?
As this product worked so well for us, not only will we be continuing to use the games, we will also be extending this with the Linear Abacus Induction in Foundational Numeracy.
We have been grateful to Genovieve (CEO) for her support throughout the trial. Her insight and recommendations are amazing.
Homeschool Parent Johanna completed this review of the Linear Abacus Games Book Pack with her 12 and 14 year old children. The review period was conducted between July and August 2026.
