Level 5 Singapore math - would you still get Workbook & Textbook?

[4KookieKids]

I noticed in the 4th level of Singapore that there are an abundance of exercises available in the textbook. Honestly, we never did any of them, DS just did the workbook, and I was left wondering why we even bought the textbook. I'm considering using the 5th level to transition him from "workbook math" (even though he'll still have his BA workbooks) to "textbook math", so that he can start learning how to put his own work on his own paper, since he'll have to do that with AoPS anyway (I think? I've not actually seen one of their books in person, yet), but he can make this transition with a familiar textbook so it may be easier. It seems to me like it might be a good fit anyway, since he doesn't need all the practice in the textbook and the workbook, and I get to buy one less book, but I'm not sure if maybe that's asking too much of him - especially since I end up scribing things that are heavy on writing for him anyway, still. On the one hand I feel like doing it on your own paper isn't actually much more writing than doing it in a workbook. On the other hand, having a workbook keeps everything nice and contained for just a little while longer. FWIW, he has the 5A workbook already, so we're really only talking about 5B - 6B. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

[Crimson Wife]

We used textbook + IP & CWP 1 semester behind with Singapore Primary Math. I would skip the SM workbook before I skipped the textbook since the teaching is all in the textbook.

 

My "mathy" kid did the BA books that were out in addition to the above.

[4KookieKids]

We used textbook + IP & CWP 1 semester behind with Singapore Primary Math. I would skip the SM workbook before I skipped the textbook since the teaching is all in the textbook.

 

My "mathy" kid did the BA books that were out in addition to the above.

 

Interesting! I never considered forgoing the WB in place of the IP or CWP. Thanks!

[zaichiki]

We used textbook + IP & CWP 1 semester behind with Singapore Primary Math. I would skip the SM workbook before I skipped the textbook since the teaching is all in the textbook.

 

My "mathy" kid did the BA books that were out in addition to the above.

 

Same here. No workbook. 

Singapore Primary Math textbook for the specific teaching method and Intensive Practice for the practice

Challenging Word Problems for the bar diagram approach and more word problem practice

and Beast Academy books

[4KookieKids]

Same here. No workbook. 

Singapore Primary Math textbook for the specific teaching method and Intensive Practice for the practice

Challenging Word Problems for the bar diagram approach and more word problem practice

and Beast Academy books

 

Can you tell me how the IP is very different from the other stuff? We tried CWP way back (2nd level while he was in the 3rd level of TB/WB), and he could understand and do the problems just fine, but struggled with trying to write out his response in sentences (as was suggested to us prior - "word problems should have word solutions").

[Ausmumof3]

I have just used the textbook one term when we were shorter on funds. At that stage though it proved hard on my reluctant writer to write out every problem.

 

I basically do the textbook as a demo with them mainly doing some and then have them do the workbook. We haven't used the other books as its already cost around $150 every six months Per kid to get them here. I have used one extra practice book where we really needed it.

[Guest]

We used the textbook and selected IP problems.  The IP problems may need done on paper or whiteboard, depending on how much thought is needed. We skipped everything that is an exercise.

 

The IP has a few more challenging problems than CWP. We only did the ones that werent obvious...basically if they can do it orally or with a rapid sketch its too easy.

[EKS]

If you're going to do one (textbook or workbook), you should do the textbook.  It has slightly more challenging problems.  We did the textbook and the old edition of the CWP book.  The new edition doesn't thrill me.

[4KookieKids]

Hmm. Thank you for all your thoughts! It's causing me to reconsider what I'll do with the rest of my children. I already own the textbooks for lower levels, and my 6 yo is halfway through 2B. I see a lot of value in having the workbook for the lowest levels, but I wonder if I could switch her to just Textbook and IP once she finishes 2B. Hmmm.... so many good thoughts! I had always thought the IP was for kids who needed MORE practice than the workbook and textbook could provide, and so had steered clear of it!

Edited October 5, 2017 by 4kookiekids

[Black-eyed Suzan]

Can you tell me how the IP is very different from the other stuff? We tried CWP way back (2nd level while he was in the 3rd level of TB/WB), and he could understand and do the problems just fine, but struggled with trying to write out his response in sentences (as was suggested to us prior - "word problems should have word solutions").

Can he tell you the solution in words? If so, I would allow that or scribe for him. That way he can continue progressing in math understanding while his writing ability catches up.

Edited October 5, 2017 by Black-eyed Suzan

[Crimson Wife]

  I had always thought the IP was for kids who needed MORE practice than the workbook and textbook could provide, and so had steered clear of it!

 

No, that is is Extra Practice book. The INTENSIVE Practice book contains problems that are harder than the TB & WB. Some of the upper levels (4-6) contain SAT type problems (at least the old SAT that we all took in high school)

[forty-two]

Hmm. Thank you for all your thoughts! It's causing me to reconsider what I'll do with the rest of my children. I already own the textbooks for lower levels, and my 6 yo is halfway through 2B. I see a lot of value in having the workbook for the lowest levels, but I wonder if I could switch her to just Textbook and IP once she finishes 2B. Hmmm.... so many good thoughts! I had always thought the IP was for kids who needed MORE practice than the workbook and textbook could provide, and so had steered clear of it!

 

The *extra* practice book is the same level as the workbook and is for kids who need more practice than tb/wb.  But the *intensive* practice book is more *difficult* practice of what has been learned - it goes deeper and wider than the tb/wb.  We run IP a semester behind the tb/wb, and generally the tb/wb is clear sailing for my girls, because of all the work they've put in with IP.  My oldest and I struggled together through two step problems in IP 2B - there was weeping and gnashing of teeth ;) - but she's not met a word problem in the tb or wb she's had any trouble with.  I would definitely drop the wb before I dropped IP.  My girls do have to work hard on IP - they aren't ones to sail through it - but I think it's worthwhile enough that we continue it even though it takes up a fair chunk of time.

 

That said, with my oldest I *did* start out using just the tb and IP, until we hit a wall in adding/subtracting with regrouping in 2A.  I then added in the wb, and the change was good for dd - I think I probably should have been using the wb with her all along (while she grasped the concepts fast, she needed more procedural practice; she's 2E and it took me a while to realize her resistance to procedural practice wasn't just that she was conceptually bored, but also that the procedural practice was actually *hard* for her), and I've started with tb/wb/IP with my other kids.  A practical thing about doing just the tb and IP is that the IP book isn't divided into exercises like the wb, but is just divided into chapters.  So it works best ime to teach the whole tb chapter to your dc (and that works best if they generally don't need more practice on each section than the tb provides to learn the next section), and then assign the whole IP chapter for practice.

 

[zaichiki]

Can you tell me how the IP is very different from the other stuff? We tried CWP way back (2nd level while he was in the 3rd level of TB/WB), and he could understand and do the problems just fine, but struggled with trying to write out his response in sentences (as was suggested to us prior - "word problems should have word solutions").

 

The workbook has a lot of easy, repetitive problems and strikes me as very drill-like. I used it with my older two kids until I realized it was just busy work once we had done the practice problems in the textbook.

 

The intensive practice has some easier problems, too, in the beginning of each section, but they quickly become more complicated and not as obvious as the "drill" problems. The intensive practice also has some word problems, many of which we have found are more challenging than those in the CWP books. Finally, the Intensive Practice books have the "Take the Challenge" questions for each section, which we have found are the problems that really work problem solving skills. Some of these, I've found, need the two of us to work together (me asking him questions that act as "hints" for him to solve the problem).

 

If I had to choose only two books to use from the Singapore Primary Math series, it would be the textbook and the IP.  The textbook teaches the specific method of solving the problems (yes, they can be solved other ways, but I have found the textbook teaches the kids to think about the math in a certain way that is later built upon... this is the "why" behind the "how"). I often add base-10 blocks in the earlier books, though my "math thinker" was already thinking the way the base-10 blocks are set up and quickly abandoned them.

 

I have never required "word" solutions to word problems, though I do require my kids to show their work (whether with bar diagrams or number sentences, on a white board or in the book itself). If a written explanation is necessary, I accept a spoken explanation.

[zaichiki]

ed more practice on each section than the tb provides to learn the next section), and then assign the whole IP chapter for practice.

 

 

When using the IP and not the workbook, I often work with kiddo in the textbook for a few pages and then assign only those pages from the IP chapter that correspond with the textbook section already practiced. As the PP noted, the IP problems are not divided and labeled into exercises like the workbook is, so I have to look at the problems to decide which to align.

Edited October 5, 2017 by zaichiki

[forty-two]

I have never required "word" solutions to word problems, though I do require my kids to show their work (whether with bar diagrams or number sentences, on a white board or in the book itself). If a written explanation is necessary, I accept a spoken explanation.

 

In terms of the work I require for word problems, I started by requiring equations (a huge deal), and then added on an answer in a complete sentence (not that much of a deal).  When my dd was a reluctant writer, I would have accepted an oral sentence, but somehow or other, it was the first writing that she started being happy to do.  (I have been trying to add on bar diagrams, but the reluctance is high.  I think I've required enough she can do them, and I'm leaving it at that.)

 

One problem we've had with IP with my reluctant writer is that the type in IP is smaller than in the wb, with more problems per page and less white space.  In retrospect, a lot of our IP problems were to do with the format, not the math.  She improved tremendously when I got her a graph paper notebook and if she didn't think she had enough room, she could do the problems in there.  Still, she suffers from too many problems on a page, especially when they are somewhat computation-heavy or otherwise somewhat more difficult.   I haven't really come up with a solution to that, other than having her do just a few of the problems on each page per day, instead of a few full pages per day.  That helps a bit.

 

[bensonduck]

I, too, wish the publisher would reformat the IP so it looks more like the friendly format of the other Singapore books.

 

We used TB, WB, IP and CWP. Around 5a, I started saving some IP and workbook exercises for review as we moved forward (my kid did not seem to need all the exercises to master the concepts at the time). As a matter of fact, my kid currently in algebra 1 did a review page from 5b today. We seemed to have both somehow forgotten those cups/pints/gallons conversions. :)