Frequently Asked Questions

No. JAMS doesn't offer a free month. You can try 2 in-person classes for $50, and that $50 is credited toward registration if you enroll. Or you can begin with a paid first month and continue month-to-month.

There's no long-term contract. Tuition is drafted on the 15th for the following month, and you can stop by letting us know in writing before the 15th. Month-to-month makes it easy to start. Lasting skill still takes steady practice over many months.

Yes. Let us know in writing before the 15th, and no further tuition will be drafted. We do encourage you to talk with your child's teacher first. Many children are just finding their rhythm after the first month.

Children of almost any age can start. Ideally, your child should be able to recognize and write the numbers 0 to 9 without help.

We recommend in-person classes. Online classes are available for families who live 30 miles or more from JAMS. Online students receive their materials by mail for a fee, need a computer with a working camera and microphone, and learn in small groups of 3 to 6 students per teacher.

The one-time $199 registration fee covers your child's abacus, books, bag, and materials.

Please submit one form per child. Families enrolling a second child receive a one-time $50 discount, applied at enrollment.

Kumon and similar programs focus on worksheets, repetition, and memorization, and often cover reading and writing too. Tutoring usually focuses on homework or test prep. JAMS focuses on training the mind through mental math. Students learn visually and hands-on with the abacus, then move to calculating in their heads. Along the way, they build focus, organization, and problem-solving habits.

Read our article on abacus vs. Kumon

Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and at higher levels, fractions, square roots, and cube roots. The number sense students build helps with school math at every stage, from elementary school through algebra and beyond.

Yes. Here's a simple example. Adding and subtracting ten two-digit numbers takes about 30 bead movements. One slip and the answer is wrong. Students learn to stay focused from the first number to the last, and that habit carries into schoolwork.

Not at all. Teachers ask students to do their homework independently so we can see exactly where they need help. Your role is to set aside 10 to 15 minutes a day for practice, provide a quiet place to work, and encourage the effort.

Calculators and AI can give answers. They can't teach a child to focus, persist, and think for themselves. That's what abacus training builds, and it matters more now than ever.

Often, yes. Many children who struggle with math have never seen numbers in a way that makes sense to them. The abacus makes math visual and hands-on, and moving up levels gives kids regular wins to be proud of.

Many JAMS parents tell us it does. Focus, persistence, time management, and organization help in every class, not just math.

Every child is different. Early on, you'll see your child move through the beginning levels and build a daily practice habit. Lasting skill, like reaching Anzan Level 3, takes years of steady practice. That's the point: skills built slowly are the ones that stay.

There is no graduation at JAMS. Like martial arts, there's always a next level. But there is a milestone worth working toward: once a student passes Anzan Level 3, they've built a mental math skill that can stay with them for life.

For upper level families

It happens, and it's usually a plateau, not a dead end. Every student reaches levels that take longer, and that's often when the most important growth is happening. If your child starts resisting practice or feels stuck, talk with their teacher early. We can set a nearer goal, celebrate small wins, and help your child find their rhythm again.

Yes. Students take part in tests and contests through the League for Soroban Education of America, including the All USA Correspondence Abacus Contest each November and Abacus Masters, our biggest event of the year.

See competitions

Yes. Please read our classroom observation guide before your visit.

Classroom observation guide