m0mmaBuck Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 What components do I absolutely NEED to teach DS? Workbook, Textbook, Teacher's Guide, Home Instructor's Guide???? Which parts are necessary? Also, which edition? US Standard or US Standard w/ CA guidelines (I live in WA if that makes a difference)? Thanks! Michelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbeaser Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 You need the textbook and the workbook. You may need the HIG as well, depending on how comfortable you are will the subject. I personally haven't gotten one yet, but may for 5 or 6. I personally use the US Edition. I have the extra practice, intensive practice and challenging word problem books for all levels, because I'm an overkill kinda girl ;) Alas, the kids don't seem to need them. When little sister comes up through the grades, all she will need is the workbooks, although the textbooks may be a bit ratty by then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Workbook, Textbook, Teacher's Guide, Home Instructor's Guide .. That's what I'd get:-) There are other extras... and some manipulatives... I purchased the cubes that snap together.... I wouldn't do it without the HIG..... Carrie:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pata Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Bare Minimum: Workbook & Textbook What I recommend: Workbook, Textbook & HIG (there's alot of good ideas in there, plus a schedule, mental math worksheets and the answers to the problems). Normally I would also add the Challenging Word Problems, but the books are out of print. I would also suggest a set of base ten blocks and unit cubes, we've found both to be extremely helpful. We currently use the US edition because the CA edition wasn't an option when we started :). I'm not sure which I'd pick now if I had to. Hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Just the text & workbook. That's it. Has worked perfectly for me for 3 dc. We used IP occasionally, but the texts & workbooks were 95% of what we used. I've never even seen any of the other supplements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudreyTN Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Bare Minimum: Workbook & Textbook What I recommend: Workbook, Textbook & HIG (there's alot of good ideas in there, plus a schedule, mental math worksheets and the answers to the problems). :iagree:I just switched to the Standards Ed. EVERYTHING that is in the US Ed is included in Standards, but Standards has added some things. (Negative numbers is one I can think of off hand.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 :iagree:I just switched to the Standards Ed. EVERYTHING that is in the US Ed is included in Standards, but Standards has added some things. (Negative numbers is one I can think of off hand.) They have added back what was in the old 2nd Edition. I can't remember exactly what either (looked into it when the STD edition first came out) but for those interested there's a comparison chart in the Singapore Math website. We will also be going for the STD edition although I did purchase a set of Primary Math 1a (HIG, Textbook and workbook) and also CWP 1 (sigh, I did not find out about them going out of print until it was too late) and Intensive Practice 1. We will be starting that some time after the Holidays after finishing up the last few pages of the STD Kindergarten B book. We will then jump into the STD edition after the 1a book and then continue with that. It is my understanding that the Teacher's Guide is for schools and the Home Instructor's Guide is for homeschoolers. So you do not need the TG. You more than likely don't really need the HIG either but I prefer getting them even though I am a mathy person :D. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted December 29, 2009 Author Share Posted December 29, 2009 So bare minimum is workbook and text but HIG seems recommended by most... OK, that helps me know where to start. Standards ed is US plus more info which seems like a good plan for my mathy kid. I still need to have DS do the placement test and then I'll be ready to take the leap. Thanks again! Seriously, you are all awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Closeacademy Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Textbook and workbook are enough. Now once you get up to level 5 or 6 you may want to get the HIGs to help with fraction and decimal work. I use the US edition and it has worked fine for us. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiobrain Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I hated the HIG. It is NOT my type of thing. Singapore I could teach intuitively w/ TB & WB, but the HIG made me sweat. Did not help, only made me confused. WB & TB are fine, and if you want/need something extra you can supplement with any of the side books (except CWP 4th and below have disappeared... you can still get some 5 & 6). I personally use "key to..." as supplements for a specific subject, and L of F and math lit. But we are all different! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I did need HIG to teach 1A :blush:. I had to go back and buy it after looking at the textbook. I knew what they were doing but had no idea how to present it to dd. I bought IP but it was too much for her. I think we might go through them in the summer for review. Oh, and I'm on my way to shop for some base ten cubes - I think they will help dd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Testimony Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I would say that I did not need the HIGs for 1A-3A. However 3B-6B, I needed the HIG, but only to help my son with solving the problems. Many times just having the answer key for harder problems was not enough. The HIGs would help me to figure out where my son went wrong. I use them once in a while for teaching with my younger son, but hardly ever with my older son. So, I personally feel that the textbook and workbook are the most essential to the program. If you want to add the Home Instructor's Guide (HIG), about 3B level is when I started to get them. Blessing in your homeschooling journey. Sincerely, Karen http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjones Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I used RightStart until 4th grade, so I'm not familiar with the early years of Singapore. But, for 4th grade we use the Text Book, Workbook, and Home Instructor's Guide. I like the HIG for the answer keys, the schedule, and the examples of how to solve the story problems. I don't like how it is written, however. It can be tough to wade through. The HIG also has an appendix with extra practice pages that I assign daily for my boys and have also used with some outside students. The extra pages provide focus on particular skills -- something many moms frequently seem to be looking for. I love those pages. Also, I was not familiar with the 'bar method' of solving those story problems, so I'm glad to have the HIGs. I'm now a huge fan of the Singapore 'bar method.' My friends whose kids are in the 5 and 6 books wish they had the HIGs so they didn't have to solve all those algebra-ish problems themselves. ;) Some of them are very challenging! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 What components do I absolutely NEED to teach DS? Workbook, Textbook, Teacher's Guide, Home Instructor's Guide???? Which parts are necessary? Also, which edition? US Standard or US Standard w/ CA guidelines (I live in WA if that makes a difference)? Thanks! Michelle Michelle, I use the Textbook, which introduces topics and the Singapore approach to them, the Workbook with is the practice of the topics just introduced in the Textbook and the HIG which has a schedule, teacher helps, hands on work, and the answers to all problems, including showing the work to multi-step problems. Between the US and the Standards editions I would personally go with the Standards. That is because the author of the HIG's had a lot of feedback before writing the Standards edition HIG's and made them even better. That said I already owned the US edition and didn't switch. Other than the HIG being better they rearranged some of the content to meet CA standards. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 I would recommend you get the "Standards Edition" with the HIGs (especially since you mentioned in another thread about feeling a slight lack of confidence teaching Singapore, but don't worry you don't need to be a "math whiz" to teach it) and the Textbook and Workbook. I'd also strongly consider the "Intensive Practice" books, since you mentioned your son likes math and is good at it. The IP books are more challenging (in a good "fun" sort of way). You may have to buy a US Edition IP book this time, as the SE IP books have been slow coming out. But no big deal. Ordinarily, to complete the program, people used "Complex Word Problems" aka "CWP" but it went "out-of-print", and a replacement is in the works. So you could think about adding the new world problems book later. Best wishes on your Singapore Math adventure! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Personally We had no need for the HIG before 3rd grade...even then I use it very little so the cost rather annoys me. We need the text and workbook. We also use CWP, purchased before they went out of print. I supplement with drill sheets printed from a website. Brownie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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