Singapore Math for 2nd Grader

[tarana]

I have twin girls who will be going into 2nd Grade. The school (Arizona) uses Harcourt & Excel Math http://www.excelmath.com/about.html (not sure if Excel will be used anymore due to the budget cuts at public schools)

 

I read a lot of good things about Singapore Math on this forum. I would like them to get started on doing some Math during the Summer so they understand the concepts better at School.

 

1. Is Singapore Math different from Harcourt or Excel?

2. Would just the Primary Math workbooks suffice? Should I get the Primary Math Text, Supplementary Math Test books etc

Presume I should get the Primary Mathematics US Ed vesion.

3. Are these books available at local stores?

Edited May 30, 2009 by tarana

[amsunshine]

If you were looking for just a supplement over the summer to prepare your dc for the coming public school year, you might try Barnes and Noble and look for the practice workbooks they carry. There are lots to choose from. I've never seen Singapore in a retail store.

 

Singapore has a whole approach to math that might not be intuitive to some, and concepts build upon one another in each level. Jumping in with just a workbook for level 2 might not be a good idea.

 

However, if you just want to get some preliminary practice on concepts prior to the school year, and you have your heart set on Singapore, I recommend getting the California Standards Edition of the Extra Practice book. These books have short notes at the beginning of each section that (very briefly) explain what the concepts are prior to the problems. The answers are in the back, as well.

[LibrarianMom]

My dd is also entering 2nd grade. I purchased Singapore 1 earlier this year for review and extra practice because I really like its approach to math. We haven't been consistent at all but we're gradually working through 1A. She frequently resists doing it 1) because she claims not to like math and 2) sometimes it is different from what she learned at school. If you decide to go with Singapore, you do need the primary textbook and workbook as the textbook explains and the workbook provides practice. You will need to order them though. I don't know how Singapore compares with Harcourt or Excel. You might consider RightStart games instead because they don't seem so workbookish.

[tarana]

If you were looking for just a supplement over the summer to prepare your dc for the coming public school year, you might try Barnes and Noble .

 

I intend to teach them the concepts ahead of the school so at school it is more of a review. At school they hardly have time to complete 50% of the work. The teacher puts up a slide at the end of class & the students just copy the correct answers.

 

With this clarification will the CA version of Practise book still workout for us?

 

Other than Singapore Math, is there an alternate?

[ElizabethB]

I would start with 1B and move through it quickly, then do 2A.

[MBM]

I'm not familiar with Harcourt or Excel, but we began using Singapore with our youngest son around second grade. No regrets here. He's in sixth grade now and is working on Singapore's NEM books and his school's Glencoe Math which we also like.

 

We used both the workbook and the textbook, U.S. version. My son did about one lesson per day during summers and then two on weekends.

 

I've also never seen them in stores. We bought ours online.

 

Good luck. IMO, I don't think you'd go wrong supplementing math. It can really help to cement fundamental concepts.

[Spy Car]

If you haven't made your purchase yet, I'd suggest getting the Standards Edition Textbook, Workbook and Home Instructors Guide from the level you deem appropriate after looking at samples.

 

The HiGs will be important because they will help you (as a parent) understand the method better and give good suggestions for rounding out the lessons (and making your math time more "fun"). You can "do" the problem-solving without the HiGs, but you won't know what you are missing (a lot) if you don't have them.

 

The Standard Edition HIGs are from what I understand a major upgrade from the US Edition, and SE tracks the PS sequence better (at least here in CA).

 

I hope I'm not too late.

 

Bill

Edited June 1, 2009 by Spy Car

[tarana]

Thanks Spy Car. I have not ordered the materials yet. Plan to get them soon. I was still researching & trying to understand what books I should get.

 

I am new at this & very confused, how to go about it.

 

Meantime I got them a Multiplication Poster & a few Rock N Learn Videos on Money & Time.

Edited May 31, 2009 by tarana

[PenKase]

Tarana,

 

A few words of advice......coming from a mother who heavily supplements math with her dc. I too have a strong desire to keep my dc prepared, if not slightly above grade level, in school. Math has sometimes been the thorn at my side that never stops poking me. If you read some of the posts here, you will see we are not alone on this. It seems math is the one subject that people just seem to have the most angst about.

 

Sadly, I'm about to become a RightStart dropout and replace it with Singapore. Although I absolutely love this program, it is just too teacher intensive and doesn't allow my dd9 to progress as fast as she wants to. We began with RSB at the beginning of second grade and are only in the first few lessons of RSC. Dd nearly balked at me when I asked her to fill in the addition table!! The RS Games Kit is invaluable though and I hightly recommend it to anyone who wants to inject some variety to their math lessons.

 

Singapore seems to be the go to curriculum for many homeschooler and afterschoolers alike. I also agree that it fits nicely as a supplement to whatever your dc will be doing in school. I would also consider the Math Mammoth Blue Series worksheets sets if you would like to solidify specific subject areas ie. multiplication, etc. You can download the ebooks from the website very inexpensively. I plan to use them myself for my dd9 to round out 3rd grade and begin Singapore Math in the summer.

 

HTH!!!

[Spy Car]

Thanks Spy Car. I have not ordered the materials yet. Plan to get them soon. I was still researching & trying to understand what books I should get.

 

I am new at this & very confused, how to go about it.

 

Meantime I got them a Multiplication Poster & a few Rock N Learn Videos on Money & Time.

 

It is confusing. With different versions. Various supplements. Believe me I feel your pain.

 

Most people get the Textbooks and the Workbooks. That is basic. I will STRONGLY recommend getting the HiGs. Teachers in Singapore get a lot of training. And there is a "model method" behind this program that's good for you to at least partially understand. The HiGs help there. Plus they have ideas (not in the student books) for making the program complete.

 

And they tell you (explicitly) some of what the Singapore Education Ministry assumes it's teachers know, but that you could not know on your own. So IMO these HiGs are "essential".

 

There is a series called Intensive Practice. These, roughly speaking, are harder versions of the Workbooks. The ones for SE are not yet released so people who want to use these have been getting the US Edition IPs.

 

There are Extra Practice books for those who need...extra practice. I haven't seen these. I think they are more remedial, while the IP books are intended for the advanced kids.

 

Lastly there is a series called Challenging Word Problems. For some people these are their favorite part of the Singapore materials. They are challenging. Many (most?) people use them a year behind the level their child is in with the Primary Math books. So it the child is in Level 4 of PM they use CWPs 3. But this series is soon to go out of print. Many people (me included) have gone ahead and purchased the whole series. In our case we are not ready for these, but those I trust most tell me I "need" them. So....

 

There are I'm sure a few do-dads I forgot about. But that's the basics.

 

I also just got their "Singapore Math Model" book. Too soon to give a review as reading time has been scarce, but a skim, and read though of initial chapters makes the reasoning behind Singapore quite clear.

 

This might be more interesting to a math educator or someone who's gotten the math-bug (such as myself) than the average user. But if you are of that curious, "I really want to understand the pedogological principles behind the program" type people, this book was just released. And is, so far, quite clear.

 

Best of luck!

 

Bill

[BabyBre]

You might consider RightStart games instead because they don't seem so workbookish.

 

 

If you're just looking to practice or supplement over the summer and not implement a full-on curriculum, I second the RightStart Math Games. If your dd resists and claims to hate math, the games may be perfect. She'll be practicing fundamentals and may not even realize it! The price tag may be discouraging (looked used), but you get tons of different games in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, money, and telling time, so you can use it for several years with several children and then likely sell it.

 

www.alabacus.com

[cimhog]

Overall, SingaporeMath is excellent. As of which book to use, it really depends each individual child. We used Textbook (3rd Edition and US edition) to go through the concept, workbook to polish the skills. The most helpful books are the intensive practice and challenge word problem.

Edited June 1, 2009 by cimhog

[Hazelt"nut"]

I am very! close to ordering Singapore for my dd7 who will be going into 2nd grade (homeschooL). She is sharp and catches on easily but I am switching from Saxon and think that starting with the 1b level might ease her into Singapore more easily. My biggest question....US edition or Standard Edition. What in the world? I don't know which to order. I feel like I do when I go to buy shaving creme/gel at the market, or hotdogs etc. so many options staring me in face and that makes it harder for me. Any suggestions for a singapore wanna be?

Thanks

Sheryl

[Storm Bay]

We love Singapore Math here. I highly recommend the Home Instructors Guides. You might try just the workbooks in the early levels, which is what I did, but there is great teaching in the textbook, and we homeschool full time so I use more than one math program which is not what you plan to do. I use the textbooks as we move along.

 

Some like the extras, such as Challenging Word Problems and Intensive Practice. We've never done the latter and didn't add CWP until last year; now it's going to go out of print.

 

We bought and sold a RightStart unused. There are many great things about it, but heuristically I am a bigger fan of Singapore Math than I am of RightStart. There is no such thing as a perfect math program, of course, and no such thing as a math program that is going to be the best for every student. However, Primary Mathematics, aka Singapore Math, is one of the best we've tried. It helps students learn to think mathematically. The word problems are some of the best I've seen.

 

It can be confusing, of course, and I have spent an inordinate amount of time dwelling on this myself. However, SM was a great choice for us, and my dc do not all learn the same way.

[Spy Car]

I am very! close to ordering Singapore for my dd7 who will be going into 2nd grade (homeschooL). She is sharp and catches on easily but I am switching from Saxon and think that starting with the 1b level might ease her into Singapore more easily. My biggest question....US edition or Standard Edition. What in the world? I don't know which to order. I feel like I do when I go to buy shaving creme/gel at the market, or hotdogs etc. so many options staring me in face and that makes it harder for me. Any suggestions for a singapore wanna be?

Thanks

Sheryl

 

Since you are starting at 1b, I would recommend the Standards Edition. The only down-side to SE (at this point) is that being a new version some of the HiGs for the upper levels are not out yet, nor are the Intensive Practice Books (we just got the US Edition IPs for level 1).

 

I have not seen the HiGs for the US Edition, but the ones for SE are pretty good. Are are from all reports a substantial upgrade from the US ed.

 

I believe if you are going to use Singapore to teach children "conceptual math" that its important for the parent/teacher to understand the concepts him or her self. And there are good suggestions for rounding out the program so its not just workbooks.

 

Other-wise the SE just presents things in a slightly different order (sequence) and the SE added back in materials from an older version of Primary Math (3rd ed) to meet CA standards. So the SE gives you more, rather than less. But the HiGs are the "selling point" for me.

 

Bill

[Spy Car]

If you're just looking to practice or supplement over the summer and not implement a full-on curriculum, I second the RightStart Math Games.

 

I'd third recommending the Right Start games, but add a "caveat". These are a wonderful way to cement low-level math fact retention skills. And are a great alternative to "drill". But they do virtually nothing to teach deeper math concepts.

 

The games are great for what they do. But they don't do what using Singapore math materials will do. But together you add strength to strength.

 

Bill

[tarana]

Thanks for all the great inputs! I chose Singapore Math since it is more workbook oriented.

Games, well they are good, excepting my girls invent their own & start some pretend play which will not be Math related at all. Same thing happens with Flash cards. Maybe in a year or two they may change.

 

Now some more questions about Singapore Math:

 

1. Since I have twins, should I buy 2 sets of workbooks or is 1 set enough?

2. Do the kids write directly in the workbook or do they just read the problems & work it out in a notebook?

3. Since I am using Sinagapore Math as a supplement, do I really need the Intensive Practise workbooks?

[Spy Car]

Thanks for all the great inputs! I chose Singapore Math since it is more workbook oriented.

Games, well they are good, excepting my girls invent their own & start some pretend play which will not be Math related at all. Same thing happens with Flash cards. Maybe in a year or two they may change.

 

Now some more questions about Singapore Math:

 

1. Since I have twins, should I buy 2 sets of workbooks or is 1 set enough?

2. Do the kids write directly in the workbook or do they just read the problems & work it out in a notebook?

3. Since I am using Sinagapore Math as a supplement, do I really need the Intensive Practise workbooks?

 

1. I'd get each child their own workbook

2. Yes they write in the workbooks. It's an important part of the process.

3. No, the IP could be done without. If you feel like they are blowing through things too quickly, or need more challenging work, you could add the IP.

 

Keep the math games in your bonnet. If some math programs are not "conceptual" enough and too oriented to memorizing "math facts", Singapore is somewhat on the other end, and the games are a great way to avoid flash-card drills.

 

Food for thought.

 

Bill

[ElizabethB]

My daughter's favorite part is the IP books! In fact, for level 1A, we used just the IP book. They have challenging problems that are puzzle type math problems. Some people do the IP books 1/2 or 1 full year behind the regular books for review and if the challenging problems are too hard for them at the level they are working at.

 

My daughter is good at puzzles, but wasn't that good at regular math. After doing Singapore for a while, she's getting better at math and thinking more mathematically.

[cimhog]

IP is our favorite as well!

[Storm Bay]

Thanks for all the great inputs! I chose Singapore Math since it is more workbook oriented.

Games, well they are good, excepting my girls invent their own & start some pretend play which will not be Math related at all.

 

 

Mine do this regularly. With the Cuisennaire & MUS blocks, though, they were still learning spatial relationships. Math can be done in many ways. I just read a book called The Number Devil. It made higher math fun and cool. I personally hate the whole devil part of it (it was stronger than I expected) but that may not be an issue for you. It's a kids' book, and I will let my 11 yo read it, despite my dislike for number heaven/hell part, etc.

[lgm]

An approach that worked for us was to do the first Primary Math book for the level over the summer, then the second during the first semester, then select problems from IP or CWP as time permitted over the second semester. Most of what our district was going to teach was covered in the book we did over the summer, so math at school was review and fluency building. Occasionally an alternate approach to a particular problem was learned, which gave good food for thought.

 

My district does cover probability very early, so I had to do my own unit on that one. Basically it's the take a colored marble out of a bag type of problems in primary, but they should be aware.

 

Be sure and use the placement tests to pick the level.

[tarana]

An approach that worked for us was to do the first Primary Math book for the level over the summer, then the second during the first semester, then select problems from IP or CWP as time permitted over the second semester. Most of what our district was going to teach was covered in the book we did over the summer, so math at school was review and fluency building. Occasionally an alternate approach to a particular problem was learned, which gave good food for thought.

 

My district does cover probability very early, so I had to do my own unit on that one. Basically it's the take a colored marble out of a bag type of problems in primary, but they should be aware.

 

Be sure and use the placement tests to pick the level.

 

1. I read that Singapore Math follows a good logical order in building up the skill levels.

Did you teach your child in the order the school taught or as per the book?

2. My kids are weak in certian area (money & time) & they want to get started in that right away. I may first start there as soon as I get my workbooks. Not sure if that is a good approach.

3. I also read that HIGs are not very useful. The impression I got was it just sets up the daily schedule. Did you use it?

[Storm Bay]

1. I read that Singapore Math follows a good logical order in building up the skill levels.

Did you teach your child in the order the school taught or as per the book?

2. My kids are weak in certian area (money & time) & they want to get started in that right away. I may first start there as soon as I get my workbooks. Not sure if that is a good approach.

3. I also read that HIGs are not very useful. The impression I got was it just sets up the daily schedule. Did you use it?

 

 

Many have said that, but, in fact, the HiG's are very good for letting you see how to teach the Singapore way. In particular, the new HiG's for the Standard Edition are apparently updated and quite good. I haven't used them much, but wish I had; I got quite the eye opener when I bought a book, which is now out of print, that taught the model method, etc. My 11 yo would have got more out of SM if we'd used that from the start.

[Spy Car]

1. I read that Singapore Math follows a good logical order in building up the skill levels.

Did you teach your child in the order the school taught or as per the book?

2. My kids are weak in certian area (money & time) & they want to get started in that right away. I may first start there as soon as I get my workbooks. Not sure if that is a good approach.

3. I also read that HIGs are not very useful. The impression I got was it just sets up the daily schedule. Did you use it?

 

I only have the HIGs for Standards Edition 1A/1B. But I'd say they are extremely useful (perhaps even "essential"). It is not correct that they set up a "daily schedule". They don't. What they do is help explain "how" to teach, "why" you are teaching something. And they provide "Teaching Activities" and "Reinforcement" suggestions that rounds out the Singapore Math program, and extends it from being "workbook" oriented, into a full math curriculum.

 

I know I spent a lot of man-hours trying to dream up activities to enrich my son's math experience. Many of what I thought were pretty good (original) ideas I find in the HIG. In addition to good ideas I'd stolen from elsewhere.

 

Now I enjoyed the clock-cycles I've put into thinking about how to teach math to my child. But life can be "busy". And I won't always have the time. So finding pretty descent ideas, tips, activities, teaching suggestions, even "answers" in the HIG is a boon.

 

I wouldn't dream of teaching Singapore Math without these.

 

As to "time". Thus far I've been unimpressed with the materials in EB and peeking ahead 1B. So I've been using the Right Start materials for time. No program is "perfect" in every measure.

 

Bill

[Caroline]

So I just had my rising 3rd grader try 2B. I was happy to see him complete it in ten minutes, only missing one. So now he is working through the 3B test, and I think it will stump him.

 

My oldest finished Algebra I and geometry this year. (We are in GA and do integrated math. My kids are loving it and doing great. I know other people have had different experiences.) So I had him do the NEM 1 test. He is working right now. I have a feeling he will blow it away. Can anyone give me an approximate place to try next? NEM 4 had some vector notation that I don't think he has seen. I know it doesn't follow traditional American math, but can anyone guess approximately Algebra II? Thanks.

[Storm Bay]

As to "time". Thus far I've been unimpressed with the materials in EB and peeking ahead 1B. So I've been using the Right Start materials for time. No program is "perfect" in every measure.

 

Bill

 

 

The best time teaching we've used is the one in MUS where they use 12 of the 5 blocks to make a circle. They learn to count minutes before they ever learn hours. For some reason, this is what made face clocks tick for my younger two (pun was originally unintentional, but once I saw it, I chose to let it stay. I'm entitled to a bad pun now and then;))

[Spy Car]

The best time teaching we've used is the one in MUS where they use 12 of the 5 blocks to make a circle. They learn to count minutes before they ever learn hours. For some reason, this is what made face clocks tick for my younger two (pun was originally unintentional, but once I saw it, I chose to let it stay. I'm entitled to a bad pun now and then;))

 

Thanks Karin. I'll gladly expropriate that idea. I'll have to convert it to C. Rods, but that wont be hard :001_smile:

 

Bill

[Storm Bay]

Thanks Karin. I'll gladly expropriate that idea. I'll have to convert it to C. Rods, but that wont be hard :001_smile:

 

Bill

 

 

Absolutely. Glad to help.

[Spy Car]

Absolutely. Glad to help.

 

I just laid out a "clock".

 

In the process I discovered we have only (10) five unit rods, so this will have to be a "teaching opportunity" and 3+2 is the same as 5 :D

 

Or should it be 4 and 1?

 

Both?

 

Bill

[Storm Bay]

I just laid out a "clock".

 

In the process I discovered we have only (10) five unit rods, so this will have to be a "teaching opportunity" and 3+2 is the same as 5 :D

 

Or should it be 4 and 1?

 

Both?

 

Bill

:lol::lol: Good thing you don't have rods for fractions...

[Spy Car]

:lol::lol: Good thing you don't have rods for fractions...

 

What do you mean?

 

We've been using the rods for fractions already. And recently Mrs Spy Car found some "Cuisenaire" fraction circles at a thrift store. What luck is that! :D

 

Bill

[Storm Bay]

What do you mean?

 

We've been using the rods for fractions already. And recently Mrs Spy Car found some "Cuisenaire" fraction circles at a thrift store. What luck is that! :D

 

Bill

 

 

:001_smile: Okay, but you know what I meant...2 1/2 and 2 1/2 = 5, as does ...it could go on all day with building this clock.

[Spy Car]

:001_smile: Okay, but you know what I meant...2 1/2 and 2 1/2 = 5, as does ...it could go on all day with building this clock.

 

I actually didn't know what you meant.

 

But I'm told that I'm sometimes obtuse ;) :D

 

Bill

[lgm]

1. I read that Singapore Math follows a good logical order in building up the skill levels.

Did you teach your child in the order the school taught or as per the book?

2. My kids are weak in certian area (money & time) & they want to get started in that right away. I may first start there as soon as I get my workbooks. Not sure if that is a good approach.

3. I also read that HIGs are not very useful. The impression I got was it just sets up the daily schedule. Did you use it?

 

1. Per the book after the first year. First year was skipping around to fill gaps. I'm summer/afterschooling because IMHO the district omits too much.

2. It's fine to skip around topics in a level, but don't skip the earlier level in a strand unless mastery is confirmed. I skipped around when I first started afterschooling my oldest as he had gaps from the school not bothering to teach certain units in the grade level. For ex. with geometry, I started with the unit the kid needed to start with in an earlier book than he tested into and just did the geo unit, then moved up to next level and so forth until he was ready to start the level for the next school year. Kind of a gap filling approach.

 

Money goes fast with a play store. When they are good at mental transactions of 3 items under $1, price things higher and write receipts.

Time was different for each of my kids. One compared an analog to a digital and got it. The other had to know how the clock worked to figure it out...used a cheap $3 battery operated clock about the size of a dinner plate that was easy for him to set and see the gears work and figure out the relationship of the hands.

 

3. did not use HIGs; I have a good background in math so the only thing I needed was a little bit of bar model explanation for the ratio setup in the level 5 PM book: http://www.mathplayground.com/thinkingblocks.html was helpful to me

[Storm Bay]

I actually didn't know what you meant.

 

But I'm told that I'm sometimes obtuse ;) :D

 

Bill

 

 

Well, you're in good company; sometimes my dh doesn't know what I mean either, and he's a good guy.

[Spy Car]

Well, you're in good company; sometimes my dh doesn't know what I mean either, and he's a good guy.

 

Is she saying her husband is a "good guy" and I'm a "good guy too"?

 

Or am I being obtuse? :D

 

Bill

[Storm Bay]

Is she saying her husband is a "good guy" and I'm a "good guy too"?

 

Or am I being obtuse? :D

 

Bill

:lol::lol::lol: I'm saying just what I wrote, that you're in good company. No need for any deep analysis.