Melinda S in TX Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 We really like Singapore, but are having a hard time. Understanding is great, but retention is not. Since Singapore teaches whole units on one subject, the children are forgetting what they learned before they get back to it again. For instance, in 2B there are sixteen exercises on money. After that there are very few money questions. After the money lessons, you do six lessons on fractions and four on time. Then there is a review with a few money questions. Five lessons on capacity, four on graphs, six on geometry, and then a few money questions on a review. It's almost seventy-five lessons, in the next level (3A), before you get lessons on money again. The rest is just a few review question here and there. Does anyone work at several different areas of the books at once? Would it work to do lessons on money, fractions, time, and capacity, side by side, instead of one after the other? Blessings, Melinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpklehm Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 We continue through the books consecutively (my oldest is finishing 5B and my youngest is finishing 1B), but I have purchased some of the Key To series and use them occasionally as review. They're cheap (very cheap) B&W thin booklets that are perfect for this. You can order them by math subject (i.e., decimals, fractions, percents, etc.). Look them up at Rainbow Resource. HTH, PAM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happygrrl Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 We are doing MUS also. Our current schedule is to do the Singapore for four days, and MUS on day 5. They also do a page of MUS before our Singapore lessson (if they are waiting on me) or during the day if they are... well.. waiting on me! I find the MUS has tons of review and they seem to like doing both programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in MN Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 We totally skipped the money sections, since my son had that down well. But the review sections in the textbook I think are intended for you as the teacher to evaluate what needs to be reviewed in more depth and what does not. I also had extras like MUS & games around for times when my son needed to spend extra time sitting in a math topic and letting it sink in. Every math student will need to sit a while in different spots, and isn't it great as homeschoolers that we can tailor that to our kids and not be forced to move at a certain textbook's pace? Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happygrrl Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 After I last posted I sat down to look at my newly arrived Home Instructor's guide (Singapore Standards). WHOA!!!! I had no idea what I had been missing! The guide not only has the proper method for teaching the lesson, but is full of mental math, games, activities, and more for each lesson. I thought Singapore was fast and clean, but the guides flesh the program out to an amazing degree. Off to look some more.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 What's the difference between the Standards edition and the US edition? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 After I last posted I sat down to look at my newly arrived Home Instructor's guide (Singapore Standards). WHOA!!!! I had no idea what I had been missing! The guide not only has the proper method for teaching the lesson, but is full of mental math, games, activities, and more for each lesson. I thought Singapore was fast and clean, but the guides flesh the program out to an amazing degree. Off to look some more.... I'm pretty impressed with the HIGs for Standards Edition 1A/1B. And told them so. The author mentioned they are a substantial improvement over the older US Edition. I couldn't see teaching SE Primary Math without these. As you say, one would be missing a lot. Which year do you have? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Just to butt in - Would the HIG be on par with the lesson plans in MEP? My DD just loves the 'fluffy' learning that goes along with MEP and i have not been sold on Singapore because of that cut and dry workbook approach. She didn't LOVE Singapore Early Bird the same way she is LOVING MEP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Just to butt in - Would the HIG be on par with the lesson plans in MEP? My DD just loves the 'fluffy' learning that goes along with MEP and i have not been sold on Singapore because of that cut and dry workbook approach. She didn't LOVE Singapore Early Bird the same way she is LOVING MEP. We didn't have the HIG for EB (did it exist?) either. But do for the SE 1A/1B. They are a vital component IMO, and add a huge dimension that parents would not even know they were missing if they didn't have them. Roughly speaking, the HIGs fill the same function of rounding out the Standards Edition the way MEP does with the lesson plans. The style is different, but the HIGs offer many supplementary ideas to help parents make the materials come alive. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Ok thanks... as she goes off to find a sample of the HIG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Testimony Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 (edited) I did not use the HIG from 1A-2B for my younger son. I had a cash register and so we played cash register games for those subjects. We used the clock constantly to learn time, the 5 times table, and fractions. So, I figured out my own manipulatives for that series of books. I got the HIG for 3A and it does help loads. It gives wonderful manipulative suggestions and ideas. I teach it to my son before we even start on the workbook. Then, we do the textbook lesson which the HIG has reinforced. Last, we do the workbook. He finally understands. :thumbup: Blessings to you! Sincerely, Karen http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony Edited May 28, 2009 by Testimony messed up order Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 I simply add in a bit of review on some subjects as we go along. We just finished up 2A, where they introduced addition and subtraction with regrouping, then moved on to multiplication and division. My dd did fine with things as we learned them, but I was concerned that she would forget some of the steps in doing multi-part problems. Each schoolday I put one addition problem and one subtraction problem on her chalkboard and watch her work through it. As long as she moves through them with no problems, I know she still has the concept down, and we move on to the new material. You could do the same with any topic you are worried might be forgotten. There have been several times using Singapore that I worried that I would have to totally reteach a concept by the time we got back to it. I have had to review things, but so far nothing has had to be taught from scratch when we cycled back around to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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