Singapore math

[Anonymous]

Does anyone use Singapore math program as supplement or full curriculum for their child? If so, how do you like it and which version do you use?

[Anonymous]

Our private school uses Primary Mathematics. My kids came from FCPS AAP. It took them about a month to get used to the Singapore way of doing things (really strict about showing your work, the bar models), but once they did they seemed to learn faster and deeper than with FCPS's advanced math curriculum. This is no knock on the excellent FCPS teachers they had before - just the curriculum is superior.

[Anonymous]

We have been looking for a school which uses Primary Math. That is a very solid curriculum.

Do you mind naming the local DMV schools that use it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our private school uses Primary Mathematics. My kids came from FCPS AAP. It took them about a month to get used to the Singapore way of doing things (really strict about showing your work, the bar models), but once they did they seemed to learn faster and deeper than with FCPS's advanced math curriculum. This is no knock on the excellent FCPS teachers they had before - just the curriculum is superior.

What grade did they start using Singapore? Interesting that the school uses Primary and not Dimensions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have been looking for a school which uses Primary Math. That is a very solid curriculum.

Do you mind naming the local DMV schools that use it?

I just double checked and it's actually Math in Focus (which is based on Primary Math). That said, we like it.

[Anonymous]

Our school uses Singapore Math and everyone seems to love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone use Singapore math program as supplement or full curriculum for their child? If so, how do you like it and which version do you use?

I used Singapore math U.S. edition as a curriculum/supplement from k-6 or so. I only used intensive practice and challenging word problems. I didn’t like the primary mathematics series because it had some busywork and I just wanted the problems. My kids were being taught math in the Singapore style at school, but they were not using the text book. We worked about one grade level ahead at home.

I really liked both intensive practice and challenging word problems. The extra practice book is not as necessary, since it contains easier problems that are in the textbook. If I had to choose one of the two, I would choose intensive practice since it contained a variety of problems, including some word problems, whereas cwp was 100% word problems.

I did not use the books as intended- you are supposed to teach from the textbook and then supplement as needed with IP and CWP. I would make my own lessons, and then assign selected problems from IP and CWP, and work through the harder problems with my kids until they could do them on their own.

I used Beast academy as well for grades 3-5 (it was only 3-5 back then), and the Singapore problems are more straightforward and what kids would probably expect to see on a school math test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have been looking for a school which uses Primary Math. That is a very solid curriculum.

Do you mind naming the local DMV schools that use it?

I just double checked and it's actually Math in Focus (which is based on Primary Math). That said, we like it.

Thanks! "Math in Focus" seems popular with many local DMV private schools. We are looking for something much closer to Primary Math, but thanks for checking.

[Anonymous]

I thought Singapore Math was only recommended if the teacher is trained and if you are using the physical manipulatives. I'm not sure I would do SM at home, given what I have heard, but maybe I am misinformed...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought Singapore Math was only recommended if the teacher is trained and if you are using the physical manipulatives. I'm not sure I would do SM at home, given what I have heard, but maybe I am misinformed...

That is not what I have heard.

Many homeschoolers use various forms of Singapore math and usually with great success.

(The other math popular with homeschool families is Saxon Math in the home school edition.)

[Anonymous]

Singapore Math (Primary in particular) is very popular with homeschoolers. Saxon, yes, but also Right Start Mathematics, Art of Problem Solving, Math Mammoth, and Math with Confidence.

All of these options will be as good — or MUCH better — than what is offered in public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Singapore Math (Primary in particular) is very popular with homeschoolers. Saxon, yes, but also Right Start Mathematics, Art of Problem Solving, Math Mammoth, and Math with Confidence.

All of these options will be as good — or MUCH better — than what is offered in public schools.

I’m not a homeschooler, but I’m very familiar with those curricula with the exception of math with confidence. They are very different from each other, and art of problem solving is not a k-5 program as the others are. I’m assuming math with confidence is for elementary students.

Saxon is similar to how we learned math in the 80’s. Lots and lots of problems requiring a lot of writing, repetitive and builds on itself (spiral not mastery), few manipulatives. Right start is much more conceptual, has an entire kit of manipulatives, spiral as well. Math mammoth is very inexpensive, mastery not spiral, so there is less review, has crammed pages that look very busy, incremental. Singapore math is very conceptual, uses bar diagrams extensively, mastery not spiral, easier to accelerate.

Math in focus is based on Singapore math primary, and both my kids used it in elementary school. It’s an Americanized version and I didn’t like it as much as the original because it seemed “lighter”.

Another popular one among homeschoolers is math-u-see, which has few word problems and is heavy on manipulatives.

Art of problem solving covers pre-algebra and beyond, and is very very very conceptual and likes to draw from competition math for questions. I’m using the geometry book now for my kid, and whew, it’s heavy.

Some are easier to teach than others. Math u see, math mammoth and Saxon are more open and go, and Singapore and right start requires you to prepare for each lesson.

I’m going to make a plug for my favorite pre-k through 3rd grade curriculum, which is miquon math. It is very different than any other curriculum and is centered around cuisenaire rods and allows kids to discover math concepts through exploration. It’s very conceptual and fluid and a little weird, so it doesn’t appeal to people who want more straight forward math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Singapore Math (Primary in particular) is very popular with homeschoolers. Saxon, yes, but also Right Start Mathematics, Art of Problem Solving, Math Mammoth, and Math with Confidence.

All of these options will be as good — or MUCH better — than what is offered in public schools.

I’m not a homeschooler, but I’m very familiar with those curricula with the exception of math with confidence. They are very different from each other, and art of problem solving is not a k-5 program as the others are. I’m assuming math with confidence is for elementary students.

Saxon is similar to how we learned math in the 80’s. Lots and lots of problems requiring a lot of writing, repetitive and builds on itself (spiral not mastery), few manipulatives. Right start is much more conceptual, has an entire kit of manipulatives, spiral as well. Math mammoth is very inexpensive, mastery not spiral, so there is less review, has crammed pages that look very busy, incremental. Singapore math is very conceptual, uses bar diagrams extensively, mastery not spiral, easier to accelerate.

Math in focus is based on Singapore math primary, and both my kids used it in elementary school. It’s an Americanized version and I didn’t like it as much as the original because it seemed “lighter”.

Another popular one among homeschoolers is math-u-see, which has few word problems and is heavy on manipulatives.

Art of problem solving covers pre-algebra and beyond, and is very very very conceptual and likes to draw from competition math for questions. I’m using the geometry book now for my kid, and whew, it’s heavy.

Some are easier to teach than others. Math u see, math mammoth and Saxon are more open and go, and Singapore and right start requires you to prepare for each lesson.

I’m going to make a plug for my favorite pre-k through 3rd grade curriculum, which is miquon math. It is very different than any other curriculum and is centered around cuisenaire rods and allows kids to discover math concepts through exploration. It’s very conceptual and fluid and a little weird, so it doesn’t appeal to people who want more straight forward math.

Beast Academy is Art of Problem Solving’s elementary program.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think a Beast Academy is a full math program. It’s more for going into concepts in a deeper or different way. It won’t teach a full year of math concepts and provide the amount of practice needed for “school math.” They also recommend starting a year behind wherever you are in school (eg if starting in 3rd grade start with level 2), so it won’t necessarily help accelerate into an higher math track either.

[Anonymous]

Saxon is mastery via a spiral method. The repetition means students know the material very well. It works for a broad range of students.

There is an old 1990s "60 Minutes" episode on Saxon Math available on YouTube. Worth watching even though the video is a bit grainy.