Reviews of Discovering Mathematics from Singapore Math

[Blossom'sGirl]

Just curious what those who may be using it think. DS will be finishing up this year with 6B and I am trying to decide in what direction to go. I know I want to hold off on Algebra to at least 8th or 9th grade and just lay a firmer foundation. I own a couple of pre-algebra books but I like the variety that DM offers. My main hesitation is that I want to do a strictly algebra course when the time comes so that means we would only do the 1st 2 levels of DM if I wait till 9th grade for Algebra.

 

Anyway, I would really appreciate some reviews.

[Matryoshka]

Just curious what those who may be using it think. DS will be finishing up this year with 6B and I am trying to decide in what direction to go. I know I want to hold off on Algebra to at least 8th or 9th grade and just lay a firmer foundation. I own a couple of pre-algebra books but I like the variety that DM offers. My main hesitation is that I want to do a strictly algebra course when the time comes so that means we would only do the 1st 2 levels of DM if I wait till 9th grade for Algebra.

 

 

I own DM, but we won't get to it till after 6b, either late this year or next year. I do like the looks of it, but can't give a "done that" review yet.

 

But I'm curious why you'd want to do 2 levels of it before Algebra? From what I understand the first level has pre-Algebra and already starts getting into Algebra proper, and if you finish the 2nd level I think it covers most of Algebra I (as well as some more Geometry).

 

I'm planning to do just level 1a/b in 7th and as a pre-Algebra review and preview of early Algebra, with some Geometry mixed in for good measure, and then move into Algebra proper using a US program (I'm thinking Foersters for one twin and LOF for the other) in 8th.

[Blossom'sGirl]

But I'm curious why you'd want to do 2 levels of it before Algebra? From what I understand the first level has pre-Algebra and already starts getting into Algebra proper, and if you finish the 2nd level I think it covers most of Algebra I (as well as some more Geometry).

 

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I guess I am not totally set on what I want to do but I am leaning towards aligning with the school in case I need to enroll him. It is a very small school which typically starts Algebra in ninth grade. In any case I am interested in having him take the NYS regents and I believe they now do a more focused math each year with some integration. I have linked to the NYS testing site so maybe someone can tell me what Integrated Algebra really is. The new series is Integrated Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II (1st test this year), and Trigonometry(1st tests this year).

 

I am looking at the 7th and 8th grade as a time to really ramp up on writing skills and just deepen his foundation of math. Many people go right from 6B to algebra so I am assuming that much of pre-algebra has been covered already. But I would like to really make sure he is comfortable with every thing first. I figured his algebra exposure in DM would help.

 

http://www.nysedregents.org/

[Matryoshka]

I am looking at the 7th and 8th grade as a time to really ramp up on writing skills and just deepen his foundation of math. Many people go right from 6B to algebra so I am assuming that much of pre-algebra has been covered already. But I would like to really make sure he is comfortable with every thing first. I figured his algebra exposure in DM would help.

 

 

That's exactly why I want them to to DM 1 before heading into algebra - I think around here it's more common to do Algebra in 8th, so I'm thinking I want to make sure they have it under their belt before high school. (If you do DM 2 in 8th, you're effectively doing Algebra in 8th anyway, I think, just with a different text). I guess that's not a bad idea - I know there's someone else here that has their kids do Algebra I two years in a row with different texts.