Pros/Cons of Singapore Science

[asher]

I'm considering using this for next year. Could those of you who have used it, please give me the pros/cons? TIA. :)

[Closeacademy]

This is for My Pals are Here Science

 

Pros:

 

Inexpensive

Easy to use

Lots of pictures

Simple experiments

Exposure to a foriegn culture

Critical thinking skills (excellent on this):thumbup:

Exposure to the use of math in science

Not a lot of hands-on experiments

 

Cons:

 

3a/b is really simple and took us 6 weeks

Pencil phobia

Math :eek:

Exposure to a plants that you are not familiar with

Have to go through the material to coordinate it

Not a lot of hands-on experiments

 

We really like this science curriculum. I think that the workbook, activity book and the Higher Order Thinking Skills books are excellent and really teach the brain to think through hypothetical scientific situations.

 

This is the first science that we really liked using. We tried Sonlight (ran through the books and experiments in a matter of weeks), Apologia Astronomy (too dull), and just using living books.

 

I use the text, workbook, activity guides and the Higher Order Thinking Skills books. I do not buy the teacher's guides and we have a great time with it.:)

[asher]

Thanks, Christy. I appreciate your feedback, especially since it seems I've been interested in the curr. you've already tried. :) It's good to know the teacher's guide is not necessarily necessary. :)

[Linda...inOwasso]

I've used the 3a & 3b textbook and workbooks this year with my dd's (7 & 4) and we've loved it. I didn't want an intensive science program due to their young ages and we also do a year-round nature study. I ordered the Activity Guides but felt they were just more of the same (already covered in the workbook) so we didn't use them.

 

I've heard others say they thought Singapore Science was "light" on substance, but since Singapore consistently ranks in the top 3 internationally in the field of science I'll take my chances. :)

[asher]

Thanks, Linda, that was really helpful. I would be using it for a 7yo & 4 yo next year, too. Were you able to use it easily w. both?

[asher]

Also, what is the difference between MPH & iScience? And, I'm hearing that I should keep the science level consistent w. the math level. Is this true?

[Myrtle]

Thanks, Linda, that was really helpful. I would be using it for a 7yo & 4 yo next year, too. Were you able to use it easily w. both?

 

It's my understanding that the official Singapore Science program doesn't begin until 3rd grade, which is the year in which the child turns nine.

 

I have some of the texts for first grade and I ended up not using them because they were too babyish and not enough science. I think that part of that might be because of the ESL situation of the students using them, but I'm not sure. Since science isn't required until the third grade I've wondered if the 1st and 2nd grade i-science weren't token gestures because Sing Science really does seem solid in the 3rd grade.

 

At any rate, I used My Pals are Here with my older son and he just recently finished sixth grade. I have a seven year old second grader and a six year old first grader that I will keep together in this series. (MPH, not i-science but only because I already had the MPH texts for my older son, not because there is anything wrong with i-science)

 

So far I have been sporadically reading through the text with them and having them do copy work, from the outline given in the test booklet (it summarizes main points) in order to familiarize them with new vocabulary words and to help them since their reading level doesn't match what is required by the text.

 

Also they've been checking out books from the library on science topics of interest that they've been coming across in the text.

 

I will start the program in earnest (experiments and tests) in January which would correspond to the beginning of the third grade in Singapore. I'll try to include my daughter at this level even though technically she will be a year too young, and hopefully her reading skills and maturity will be enough to do this successfully. She's doing very well with the concepts, but she will need to improve her reading skills if there is any hope of her reading or taking tests independently of me.

[asher]

Thanks, Myrtle. :)

[Linda...inOwasso]

Tina, it was super easy to use this science with both girls. My older daughter wrote her answers in the workbook and my younger daughter did more "creative" things. For instance, when discussing characteristics of living/non-living things my 4 yo made a small *notebook." She clipped out pictures from magazines of living or non-living things and glued them to the appropriate page in her notebook. She also drew pictures of different things and had a lot of fun! I *think* that was the first lesson of the year and she will still say "No, it's not living because it doesn't respond to its environment!" :)

 

Anyway, I honestly can't remember right now why I selected MPH over I-Science. I think it might have been the recommendations of users on this board. I never heard of keeping the maths & science at the same level, but I just thought of who could answer any question you might have regarding such things --- go to the Singapore math website forums and WOW... will you find a wealth of information on all things Singapore. I can't believe I forgot to mention it in my previous post. But, the moderator's name is Jenny and she responds to ANY question you have regarding Singapore (math, science, et...) quickly!

 

Best of luck!!!

[asher]

Thanks, Linda, you've been so helpful :)

[Arch at Home]

We have been using MPH 3 with my 3rd grader. Though she could have easily handled the information in the textbook at an earlier age, she could not of handled the workbook and activity book at an earlier age. I really liked the exposure to flora and fauna of SE Asia and it was an opportunity to introduce dd to conducting searches on the web. I did purchase the teacher's guide for the activity book because that is where the answers are. The answers come with the workbook so I ended up returning the teacher's guide. I was easily able to spread it over 42 weeks by doing science for 10 - 20 minutes 3 days a week. I really liked the workbook/textbook/activity book format.

 

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