Singapore Math for 8th Grader?

[Guest Lorrie]

My son has been doing Singapore Math grades 5-7 and we have loved it. Now he's ready to start the progression of Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, etc. Singapore Math does not follow this American progression, but rather integrates algebra and geometry and eventually trig. over the years. I hate to leave Singapore but am concerned that I might "mess him up" for placement if he should go back to the public school down the road. Any experience with this situation and/or advice? Thanks.

[Brenda in MA]

We used Singapore Primary Math, and we have now switched to the series by Brown and Jurgensen. Here is a link to the Algebra 1 book:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Algebra-Structure-Method-Book-1/dp/0395977223/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272711529&sr=8-1

 

This series is the most Singapore-like that I've found in American upper maths books.

 

HTH,

Brenda

[KAR120C]

My son has been doing Singapore Math grades 5-7 and we have loved it. Now he's ready to start the progression of Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, etc. Singapore Math does not follow this American progression, but rather integrates algebra and geometry and eventually trig. over the years. I hate to leave Singapore but am concerned that I might "mess him up" for placement if he should go back to the public school down the road. Any experience with this situation and/or advice? Thanks.

NEM 1 and 2 are pretty much Algebra 1 and Geometry, so I had DS go through all the Algebra chapters of both and called it Algebra 1, and then we went back through doing all the Geometry chapters and called it Geometry. (There are some Statistics chapters too, that you could fit in wherever you thought appropriate.) If you were going back to PS after that, I would add in a few chapters of NEM 3 to finish up Geometry and to introduce the Quadratic Formula and completing the square (usually Algebra 1), but that could easily be thrown in over a summer. NEM 3 is pretty much "Algebra 2". It's not exact, but it's close. There are some topics in New Additional Maths (it's a supplement meant to be done alongside NEM 3 or 4) that would make it match up better with a US sequence. NEM 4 is primarily review, although there is a chapter or two that might be added to NEM 3 if he were going back to school after that...

 

Basically the only really difficult point would be going back to school in between NEM 1 and 2. You'd be half done with Algebra 1 and half done with Geometry. After those two books, the match is much neater.

 

I really like NEM... It's not for everyone, but if your only concern is the sequence, it's not really a big deal to rearrange the first two books to match better.

[Lori D.]

You can continue with Singapore, which has 4 different versions for high school math. Check out the Singapore webpage which lists the U.S. equivalent for each of the 4, and also compares the 4 different Singapore programs: Singapore Math FAQ: Secondary Math

 

NEM (New Elementary Mathematics series) = most challenging

NEM 1 – pre-algebra, some algebra 1 and geometry

NEM 2 – more algebra 1 and geometry, some trigonometry and statistics

NEM 3 – more algebra 1, geometry, trigonometry, and statistics, some algebra 2

NEM 4 – loci, vectors, transformations, probability, and review

 

NSM (New Syllabus Mathematics series) = slightly easier than NEM

NSM 1 - pre-algebra, some algebra 1, geometry, and statistics

NSM 2 - more algebra 1, geometry, and statistics, sets, some probability

NSM 3 - more algebra 1, and geometry, some algebra 2 and trigonometry, matrices

NSM 4 – more probability and statistics, vectors, and review

 

DM (Discovering Mathematics series) = slightly easier than NEM

DM 1 - pre-algebra, some algebra 1, geometry, and statistics

DM 2 - more algebra 1, geometry, and statistics, sets, some probability

DM 3 - more algebra 1, statistics, and geometry, some algebra 2 and trigonometry

DM 4 – more probability and statistics, vectors, matrices, and review

 

NMC (New Mathematics Counts = easiest of the 4 versions

(no list of U.S. equivalents)

[LaJuana]

...for 7th grade in the Singapore series? I have a student finishing up the sixth grade level of the primary math series, but I'm not sure what to do next.

[Lori D.]

...for 7th grade in the Singapore series? I have a student finishing up the sixth grade level of the primary math series, but I'm not sure what to do next.

 

 

Well, older DS is our "math-minded" one, and finished Singapore 6A/B in grade 6. So we started NEM 1 in grade 7, but it was a pretty big jump from the Primary series to the NEM series at that age for DS, so, alas, I bailed halfway through the year, and we finished by doing a "skim review" of a Saxon Algebra 1/2 that I borrowed. After that, our math sequence looked like this:

 

8th gr = Jacobs Algebra 1

9th gr = Jacobs Geometry

10th gr = Abeka Consumer Math (to push the Algebra 2 closer to standardized testing)

11th gr = Foerster Algebra 2/Trigonometry (this year)

12th gr = he will not need math (not going into a math/science field)

 

I DO wish I had either known about the slightly easier Singapore secondary math series of NSM or DM -- OR -- had waited to start DS on NEM in 8th grade (though, I don't know WHAT we'd have used for math in grade 7 if we had held off on NEM till 8th...) I think he would have been fine with either of those options. But, it's all turned out well. He enjoyed the Jacobs Algebra and Geometry.

 

 

Here are a few past threads with lots more ideas of options after Singapore Primary. BEST of luck in finding what works for your family! Warmly, Lori D.

 

If you used Singapore Primary in elementary grades

 

Is anyone using the Singapore beyond the primary series?

 

After Singapore primary math, then what?

[LaJuana]

...all the Intensive Practice and Challenging Word Problems books along with 6A and 6B? My student is also a 6th grader, and he has completed all of 5B, 6A, and 6B this year, including all the Intensive Practice and Challenging Word Problems books. The reason I ask is I'm wondering if NEM 1 would still be too hard for him next year in 7th grade, given his mastery of those tough, tough Intensive Practice and CWP books. I don't think he's quite ready for Foerster's Algebra I, which is what I used with all my children for Algebra. I'd rather wait a year until he's in 8th grade to begin that. I could use BJU Pre-algebra, which I think is an excellent textbook, but I really want to keep him thinking mathematically in that wonderful Singapore math way.

 

Any further thoughts or advice? Anyone else?

[TeaTotaler]

What we did after SM PM 1-6 including CWP and IP is use Dolciani's Pre-Algebra course over several months and then we moved to Foerster's Algebra. Most of Dolciani was review but it helped ds get used to the language of Math and I wasn't in a hurry to get to Algebra - ds is 12. I did not feel confident in my Math abilities to pursue NEM. I own NEM (2 copies actually :tongue_smilie:) and may keep one to use in the future for certain topics.

 

Here's a link to my post asking for help with math progression:

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136627

 

HTH

 

 

...all the Intensive Practice and Challenging Word Problems books along with 6A and 6B? My student is also a 6th grader, and he has completed all of 5B, 6A, and 6B this year, including all the Intensive Practice and Challenging Word Problems books. The reason I ask is I'm wondering if NEM 1 would still be too hard for him next year in 7th grade, given his mastery of those tough, tough Intensive Practice and CWP books. I don't think he's quite ready for Foerster's Algebra I, which is what I used with all my children for Algebra. I'd rather wait a year until he's in 8th grade to begin that. I could use BJU Pre-algebra, which I think is an excellent textbook, but I really want to keep him thinking mathematically in that wonderful Singapore math way.

 

Any further thoughts or advice? Anyone else?

[Lori D.]

...all the Intensive Practice and Challenging Word Problems books along with 6A and 6B?

 

 

No, those were not available (or at least I didn't know about them) at the time DS was doing Singapore Primary. We just did the original thin teacher book and student workbooks with no problems.

 

 

I'm wondering if NEM 1 would still be too hard for him next year in 7th grade, given his mastery of those tough, tough Intensive Practice and CWP books. I don't think he's quite ready for Foerster's Algebra I, which is what I used with all my children for Algebra. I'd rather wait a year until he's in 8th grade to begin that. I could use BJU Pre-algebra, which I think is an excellent textbook, but I really want to keep him thinking mathematically in that wonderful Singapore math way.

 

Don't know if those Singapore supplements would have helped us or not... DS was able to DO NEM1 in 7th grade, but it was a lot slower going and he needed more help from me, and without much guidance from the TM, we sometimes had to work for 45 minutes to figure out *how* to solve a problem! I finally realized I was not going to be able to help him enough, so that's when we shifted from NEM1, halfway through 7th grade.

 

Sounds like if you wanted to hold off, you have options... What about Life of Fred (Pre-Algebra or Algebra)? That is very mathematical thinking, but in yet another way from Singapore... BEST of luck deciding! Warmest regards, Lori D.