Singapore Dimensions Math vs. New Elementary Math vs AOPS approach

[TheAttachedMama]

Hi,

 

The subject pretty much sums up my question:   Can anyone compare the three math programs listed above?

 

Is there anyone using Singapore math for the logic and middle-grade years?   If so, could you please give me a review?   I am curious why so few people stick with Singapore after Primary Math.  

 

Singapore Math's website is notoriously hard to understand (as always).....but if I understand correctly, it looks like they are phasing out New Elementary Math.   Is that correct?   But Dimensions will still be around?   If that is the case, I guess I can cross NEM off my list of options to research.   :)  The samples of Dimension look good...although they only let you see a few pages.  SO----I am wondering why I don't hear of more people using Dimensions.   

 

My original plan was to move to AOPS Precalc after Singapore 5B.   However, for some reason, I have a bad feeling about the transition.   We tried Beast academy and it didn't work out as well as Singapore math.   The problems in BA were so challenging that my kids needed me there the entire time.  So it felt very teacher intensive.   With Singapore, I can teach a short lesson, work a few examples from the textbook , and then send them on their way with the workbook.   It is a nice balance of teacher-taught-time and independent work.   Plus, my kids have done really well with Singapore.  They are not especially gifted in math.  However, they test well in math.... and perhaps more importantly at this age, they enjoy math.   I worry that AOPS will frustrate them.   (I've heard the Prealgebra book is very difficult.)   

Edited August 23, 2016 by TheAttachedMama

[Dinsfamily]

My ds went from SM 6B to AOPS Prealgebra with very few problems. We did take about 1.5 years off just to give him time to mature into the workload. He was a young 9 when he finished SM and didn't have any trouble with the math in AOPS Pre-A but it was taking too long to finish the first few chapters. We did fun math for a few semesters and then tried AOPS again at the beginning of 6th grade (11yo). He did it independently and loved it! Now he's upset with the review at the beginning of AOPS Algebra...he wants to get to the meat. He's still happy to be using AOPS, just needs me to know he is booooored with review.

 

I like the way the AOPS books are written to the student so he doesn't need me to teach him the material. I did sometimes help him with some of the challenging problems he couldn't figure out but that's about it.

 

I like everything that I've seen of the follow-on SM programs but wasn't sure I wanted an integrated math. With Dimensions Math that only goes to level 8, I wasn't sure what to do after that. Ds12 is a perfect candidate for AOPS so it was an easy choice. However, DS10 is in SM 5A and is not a good candidate for AOPS Pre-A. He would get very frustrated with the method. If SM had a complete secondary math, I might use it with him. Instead, I'm thinking MM7 for pre-a and Foerster's for algebra. He can handle rigor, just not the discovery and leaps that AOPS requires. I'm hoping to add some AOPS stuff in for enrichment since we own the books. We'll see.

[Dinsfamily]

Man...now you have me poking around the SM site and it says that NEM 1 & 2 are basically prealgebra and algebra. I may consider that for DS10 and then go straight into geometry. So many options.

[SevenDaisies]

I don't believe that NEM is being phased out. They did discontinue NEM 3 & 4, but believe they plan to keep 1 and 2 because they are referenced in another book they sell. They have discontinued the Teacher's Manuals for NEM 1 and 2, but both can still be purchased at Rainbow Resource and Christian Book. The Teacher's Manual contains answers to the class activities and challengers. It also has a suggested lesson plan, but does not include teaching strategies.

 

I think the reason most people don't use them is because there isn't a lot of help for the teacher and the sequence does not line up with the traditional US sequence. Also, 6th grade has a lot of review and many people don't want the review so they skip ahead to pre-algebra.

 

[Crimson Wife]

My oldest used DM 7 through most of 8A. The issue we ran into is that she seemed like she was doing fine as we went along but when we hit the algebra topics in 8A it turned out that she hadn't actually mastered the concepts in the 7th grade books. She could follow along the textbook examples well enough to get through the problem sets. But because there were no closed-book tests, I hadn't realized that she failed to actually understand the concepts.

 

DM is harder than Singapore Primary Math because students in Singapore take a test at the end of 6th grade and are tracked into different secondary schools based on the results. DM is used for the highest level "Express" track of students aiming to attend university. So it's designed to be an "honors" course whereas Primary Math is designed for all students.

 

We ended up having to start Algebra 1 all over again using Lial's Basic Algebra. She was young enough that making this switch didn't put her behind. Unfortunately, the experience left her feeling like she was "stupid" in math when really it was my fault for choosing a program that was not a good "fit" for her.

 

MM 7 wasn't out at the time she did DM but MiF did have their middle school books available. That's what I really should've tried.

[Crimson Wife]

DS is more "mathy" than his sister so he started AoPS Pre-A after finishing Singapore 6. He liked the part he did ok but didn't love it like he loved BA. He is now doing Elements of Mathematics and LOVES it. I've bought through course 4 (there are 13 currently available and ultimately there will be 18). We'll reevaluate EMF vs. AoPS when he finishes up his current subscription. I imagine at some point he'll do more AoPS, but not necessarily the Pre-A book.

[TheAttachedMama]

Thanks everyone!

 

A related question....

I remember reading somewhere (a long, long time ago before I could even imagine homeschooling a child this age), that Singapore 6A and 6B were more in-depth reviews of the material covered in 5A and 5B.   However, I cannot find that information online.   Am I dreaming this?  

 

My oldest will most likely finish Singapore 5B at the end of 5th grade.   Should I plan on doing Singapore 6A and 6B?  Or should we jump right into an actual pre-algebra course?   

 

Let's say I go the AOPS route, wouldn't I need to start their pre-algebra course in at least 6th grade to make it to Calculus before they graduate?    (I've even heard that the AOPS books can take longer than a school year to complete.)   

Edited August 23, 2016 by TheAttachedMama

[SoCal_Bear]

Hmmm... continuing with SM would mean doing an integrated math path through higher math. That's why I took that off the table for us. I'm a bit behind you as we are just starting on SM5A. What has worked for us with BA was using it a level behind SM. That way, the challenge was depth and completely separate from learning a new concept, YKWIM?

 

Have you considering not doing AOPs pre-algebra and doing Arbor Algebra JA, CC, RD series instead as a discovery-based approach that isn't nearly as difficult to transition into doing? Or maybe Jacobs Algebra? 

Edited August 24, 2016 by calbear

[Roadrunner]

My understanding is once you finish DM 8, you are done with Algebra 1 and cups more into geometry followed by algebra 2. Or you could get CC Integrated 2 textbook.

 

AoPS is much, much harder than BA in my opinion. We have worked through all of BA and AoPS introductory series.

[Crimson Wife]

My understanding is once you finish DM 8, you are done with Algebra 1 and cups more into geometry followed by algebra 2. 

 

FWIW, my oldest passed the geometry portion of the CA High School Proficiency Exam with nothing more than DM 8A. DM doesn't cover traditional 2-column proofs but frankly, I've never seen the point of spending time on those. All I care about is my DD doing well enough on the geometry portion of standardized tests like the SAT/ACT. She will probably need some test prep to review but so do most students since they take admissions tests in 11th or 12th but geometry in 8th or 9th.