Wahh-I miss all the fun Singapore and Math Mammoth threads lately!

[HappyGrace]

That was so much fun! :) I love elementary math! Liping Ma, Miquon, MEP, bring it on! :lol:

[Jen500]

What would you like to talk about? :001_smile:

[HappyGrace]

Hi! Do I remember that you were using Singapore? What do you love about it? I personally am loving the HIGs. When dd10 was in K, I looked at Sing and RS side by side, and couldn't figure out how to *teach* Singapore so I went with RS for her (back then.) Now with younger ds (my math guy doing Sing), I can't believe how helpful the HIGs are! (And MM is turning out to be a perfect fit now for dd-love it! Singapore would drive her to tears,I think.)

 

So what do you like about Singapore? (or whatever you're using-lol!)

[Jen500]

Yes, we're using Singapore...one thing I really like is that it's not boring for ME. I can do math, but I never learned a lot of the reasons WHY. So I get to learn that now. Dividing by fractions...fun stuff! All I ever learned at school was 'invert and multiply'.

[Poke Salad Annie]

Well, I made several of Papy's mini-computers from the CSMP site last week, and we've started with the lessons from the 3rd grade entry section of the program. So far it's a hit, and we've had great fun playing with the mini-computers. I made them from scrapbook paper matched to the colors of the appropriate C-rods (8,4,2,1), cut into 3" X 3" squares, then glued onto poster board cut into 6" X 6" squares to make each mini-computer.

 

We've worked through the first 3 lessons of the 3rd grade entry section, and already I'm loving this program more and more. I think it is a great add-in to what we already use (MEP and Strayer-Upton). This will be the fun part of math for us.

 

That's my addition to this discussion. If nothing else, it will give you a bump to the top so that others can join in on the subject.

[blessedmom3]

Happygrace,

A few weeks ago you were debating between using Horizons with CLE . Are you still using CLE?

 

I also love the HIG for Singapore but I am still considering CLE for 2nd . I will combine both CLE&Singapore and see how it goes. We also started Beestar which I love. It is very similar to Singapore , it has many word problems (which CLE lacks) and a lot of thinking skills ! Many of the problems for grade 1 seem harder than Singapore 1B which we just finished . I recommend it as a supplement to every homeschool parent . It's free ! I don't understand why it's not more popular.

[HappyGrace]

Jen, I know-me too! I am not "mathy" and always hated it, but I can't believe how much I've learned just in the past month from Liping Ma, Singapore and MM! It is actually fun learning the different strategies. I'm doing great with addition, but still need work on my subtraction. It's really interesting giving myself my own math education! :lol: I think dd is catching some of my enthusiasm, which will do wonders for her.

 

Papy's mini-computers from the CSMP site last week

 

I remember Bill (SpyCar) doing his avatar with these. I didn't know it was something you could *do* for math!!! Off to check it out, thanks :auto:

[kalanamak]

Well, just to chat: what great Singapore thing did your kid just figure out?

 

For us, today, it was the

 

34--->40---->100

 

mental way of figuring out what to add to 34 to get 100. I showed and I showed it and I showed it and today BAM.

[HappyGrace]

Blessedmom-I was contemplating whether to use Horizons OR CLE along with Singapore/MM. I do love Sing/MM, but I was so burned by using RS alone (long story, but dd never learned her math facts, which we are still trying to remediate in 4th grade :glare:) that now I like to have a traditional and spiral math as our spine, and then supplement with something else.

 

I've used CLE1-3 with dd (started her in CLE 1 in 2nd grade after the RS fiasco) and it works well for her. We just started adding in MM for her-perfect mental math supplement.

 

A few wks ago I was considering Horizons as ds7's traditional and spiral program because I thought CLE may be too much to use with Singapore, and Horizons would be quicker to do. But I've decided I like and trust CLE so much that I am sticking with it for him too, rather than the Horizons. I may cross out problems where needed to make it a little shorter.

 

I add in either Sing or MM to the CLE because I feel the CLE is strong in many areas, but can (and has, in dd's case) lead to formulaic thinking, so I like to have more mental math with it. I am excited about the Singapore/CLE mix; I think for ds it is what I am looking for. (we also do some other stuff-Miquon, MEP, etc-but it's just on the side for fun because he can't get enough math!) I hope that combo will work well for you too!

 

I think a df told me about Beestar a few yrs back, but I had never heard about it so I didn't trust it enough to look into it. I'm interested in it now that you have been able to compare it favorably to Singapore. And you can't beat free! :)

 

I also wanted to add, Blessedmom, that the Sing lessons are not super long, even with the HIG (at least for us so far) so it may work well to combine with CLE. And what I love about doing CLE too is that it will be good to have it so you can keep moving forward incrementally in that program when they hit those inevitable "walls" in Singapore that they need to *park* for awhile before they can get it (that happened to us in RS too, but I didn't know to come at it from different angles, it just stopped us cold in math for months. If we had had CLE, we could have at least been moving forward in *something* while we tried to work on the concept that had us stumped in RS!)

Edited February 28, 2010 by HappyGrace

[HappyGrace]

kalanamak-That's a good one!!! And once they get it, they OWN it, I've noticed! I'm so happy for you-love those moments!

 

Over there, ds is whipping through Adding numbers to 40 in Sing 1b-so just for fun I threw in some of the upcoming Adding numbers to 100 (I had read ahead) orally in the car and he nailed it! I think once you get the concepts, they are easy to apply to the next thing.

 

Of course, he naturally comes up with strategies himself. With dd I have to show her the strategies several times before she gets it. But at least MM and Sing (and reading Liping Ma) are teaching *me* how to TEACH the math, which has been a HUGE epiphany for me in the last couple months!

[Poke Salad Annie]

 

I remember Bill (SpyCar) doing his avatar with these. I didn't know it was something you could *do* for math!!! Off to check it out, thanks :auto:

 

Watch the films over on that site which demonstrate Frederique Papy working with 1st grade children using the mini-computer and arrows. I found them fascinating, and they were very inspiring to me to give this program a try.

[SonshineLearner]

I got the new Liping Ma book! Yay!! I'm soooo excited... but nice enough that before I finished it, I lent it to a friend.... (with a kinda selfish reason, I suppose.... she's doing Math with my daughter next year.)

I also like the yellow book with purple print for the title...Hmmm what's the name?? I think it's by a Chinese Man.. :-) I really like reading all the discussion about theory when it comes to math. I also tried to make it through the book that Singapore sells.

 

:-)

[HappyGrace]

What is the one by the Chinese man? :bigear:

 

I too am, sadly, stuck on the Singapore one with the bright green cover. My eyes glaze over every time I try to get into it, for some reason!

[blessedmom3]

I also like the short Singapore lessons but it would not be enough for my "visual print" left brainer . I think adding CLE would be a good benefit , in addition to beestar . Please go sign up for it , I don't think you'll regret :)

I wish they had K level .

 

Is RS - Rightstart or Rod&Staff?

 

I am using some Rightstart methods +their abacus but I prefer Singapore. Plus the worksheets are more engaging than Righstart.

If you buy the abacus(at cbd.com) it comes with a booklet that explains the the math Rightstart's way.

[Poke Salad Annie]

What is the one by the Chinese man? :bigear:

 

I too am, sadly, stuck on the Singapore one with the bright green cover. My eyes glaze over every time I try to get into it, for some reason!

 

I think you might be referring to Dr. Wu at Berkley. Google his name and elementary math and something should pop up for you.

[DarlaS]

Well, just to chat: what great Singapore thing did your kid just figure out?

 

For us, today, it was the

 

34--->40---->100

 

mental way of figuring out what to add to 34 to get 100. I showed and I showed it and I showed it and today BAM.

 

In one of the upper levels, you add to the ones column to make ten ones, and add to the tens column to make 9 tens to get to 100. So to make 100 from 43, you'd add 7 ones and 5 tens--57! It's even faster. Fun stuff!

 

The same concept applies to 1,000's and so on.

369

+631

1000

 

Does anyone have a link to that mini-computer site? I had it once...

 

It will not line up 369 right. Ugh!

 

ETA - slight hijack! Did I hear correctly that they are bringing back the CWP books? :bigear:

Edited March 1, 2010 by darlasowders

[courtney.byrum]

In one of the upper levels, you add to the ones column to make ten ones, and add to the tens column to make 9 tens to get to 100. So to make 100 from 43, you'd add 7 ones and 5 tens--57! It's even faster. Fun stuff!

 

The same concept applies to 1,000's and so on.

369

+631

1000

 

Does anyone have a link to that mini-computer site? I had it once...

 

It will not line up 369 right. Ugh!

 

ETA - slight hijack! Did I hear correctly that they are bringing back the CWP books? :bigear:

 

That's 2b! My son was just working on that last week :) I think it's part of the 1st lesson in 2b even. 9 tens and 10 ones make 100 :) It makes it SO easy!!

[SonshineLearner]

I think you might be referring to Dr. Wu at Berkley. Google his name and elementary math and something should pop up for you.

 

Yup... that's it... and I read it and went through the problems with my girls... (17,14,and 11) just for fun:-) Well... it was fun for some of us...

 

:-)

[Spy Car]

 

I remember Bill (SpyCar) doing his avatar with these. I didn't know it was something you could *do* for math!!! Off to check it out, thanks :auto:

 

The CSMP stuff is pretty fun for a change of pace. I don't mention it much because...because...I don't want people to think I'm completely nuts :lol:

 

Bill (who's doing a few things on the "down-low" :tongue_smilie:)

[Spy Car]

Watch the films over on that site which demonstrate Frederique Papy working with 1st grade children using the mini-computer and arrows. I found them fascinating, and they were very inspiring to me to give this program a try.

 

:iagree:

 

The films are a nice introduction to the CSMP materials and how to teach with them.

 

The alternative is to read the teacher's materials, which for 1st grade runs over 700 pages :lol:

 

No kidding!

 

Bill

[Poke Salad Annie]

:iagree:

 

The films are a nice introduction to the CSMP materials and how to teach with them.

 

The alternative is to read the teacher's materials, which for 1st grade runs over 700 pages :lol:

 

No kidding!

 

Bill

 

Well, I don't think I could go for all 700 pages either! :lol:

 

I am using what is called the "Primary Entry Supplement" for kids in third grade. The booklet for that is only about 90 or so pages. I printed off the schedule and then the extra lessons as they appear, and so far I'm not having to heft a huge pile of papers---but it could change soon! :tongue_smilie:

 

I wish that I would have given this program a try a few years ago when I first visited the site, but the arrows just really threw me for a loop! I've worked through my shortcomings, and now we're on a roll. I don't see it with the same confusion I did before; it is starting to make sense to me now. I think it's worth printing the introductory lessons of the strings and arrows and mini-computers. Think of the mini-computer as a kind of abacus.

 

I am checking out a book called Logic in Elementary Mathematics by Robert Exner. If my research is correct, he was one of the contributors to the CSMP program, or had a part in applying some of it to the IMACS program. I wish I could find the link to the text I read about this, but I can't remember where I found it. Frederique Papy also wrote a couple of books about mathematics teaching. In my google searching, I noticed that they were once sold by the Cuisenaire company. Interesting connection....

[Dana]

 

I am checking out a book called Logic in Elementary Mathematics by Robert Exner. If my research is correct, he was one of the contributors to the CSMP program, or had a part in applying some of it to the IMACS program. I wish I could find the link to the text I read about this, but I can't remember where I found it. Frederique Papy also wrote a couple of books about mathematics teaching. In my google searching, I noticed that they were once sold by the Cuisenaire company. Interesting connection....

 

Exner is listed as the Senior Author of the Elements of Mathematics series (which is now published by IMACS). He is listed as being at Syracuse University at the time.

 

I've worked my way through Chapter 1 of Book 0 and am working on Chapter 2 now (in all the spare time I have - ha!) But if anyone else ever grabs the EM books and wants to get a group going to compare answers, write tests, etc, I'm sure interested!