Is there REALLY enough review in Singapore?

[monalisa]

I'm still evaluating potential math programs for 2nd grade, having used BJU 1 this year (and having mixed feelings about it).

 

I just today got a copy of the student workbooks & textbooks of Singapore 1a and 1b standards edition that someone loaned me. I just looked through these page by page today. I am totally floored on how little review there is, and virtually no drill at all. I am also amazed at how much less these cover than BJU 1 over the course of the year. I realize they are working on mental math in depth, but I was really surprised at the content of the Grade 1 books, after hearing/reading so many rave reviews on this curriculum.

 

Do users of this really feel like there is enough review? Or do you need to add in the extra practice books? I was surprised that it was so far into the 1A book before there was ANY review at all. I am just looking for what is really so wonderful about this? I was seriously thinking about ordering 1B to do over the summer, but now don't see what this has covered that my dd hasn't covered in BJU 1. Is it really the mental math & number bonds thing that makes it so great? Does it really ramp up in Grade 2 and above? Is it that I don't have the HIG's that add a lot to the curriculum? It just doesn't impress me like I thought it would after reading everything on this board & others I'm on. I guess I'm looking for someone to sell me on Singapore. :) What's so great about it?

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I think Singapore is great. They should be used with the Extra Practice or Intensive Practice Singapore books as well. I also recommend using the SM Challenging Word Problems which is coming out again this year. Plus the Home Instructor Guides are essential IMO and also contain many extra activities that could be done as well. All of these combined with the SM books make a great program IMHO:D

[abbeyej]

First, Drill is *not* covered in Singapore. Students are expected to do that separately. (Some kids might not need it, but I think the vast majority -- even the mathy ones -- do.)

 

Second, yes, I think the additional books like Intensive Practice and Challenging Word Problems (now out-of-print, though I believe there are alternatives) are *extremely* helpful. And they do take the program *much* deeper than the textbooks and workbooks alone.

 

That said, I don't necessarily think the very early levels are all that different than some other good, solid beginning arithmetic programs. I haven't used BJU, so I can't comment on it. I do think that what Singapore does well early on is number bonds, "making ten", place value, mental math...

 

If you're going to make the switch, I would recommend considering the Singapore "supplements" (Intensive Practice, especially) and additional drill to be part of your core mathematics program.

[SonshineLearner]

the extra book to go with the textbook and HIG (the workbooks?) are essential. There are so many supplemental books that you can do, too. I am having my daughter do the books we're on... and some practice from the extras .... from the year before. I think you could start that as soon as you hit 2A and 2B. This is what I'm basically doing for my son, too. I'm not really that consistent with my son yet. he's doing 2A... and then some extra work in 1A and 1B and some of the supplementals, too. We also work on the Japanese Abacus, a bit.

Of course, it's not every day... and we don't do it all when we do math. Oh.. and the number bonds... very important for me! :-)

[EKS]

We use the CWP books (now out of print) for review. I use them a level behind. You could also use the Extra Practice books for review. The Standards edition has more systematic review than the US edition.

[chiguirre]

I used BJU 1 with ds for a couple of months and I'm currently using SM 1B with dd. SM moves far more quickly than BJU in introducing addition and subtraction with carrying/regrouping through 100. I used the older edition BJU, but it went nowhere near this level until about half way through 2nd grade and then it did it using column addition/subtraction instead of encouraging mental math. OTOH, BJU spends more time on telling time, fractions, money, shapes, etc. than SM. It just depends on what you want in a math program and what works best for your child. SM isn't for everyone, it's got a very different approach than almost all American math programs and it follows a different sequence. If you're happy with BJU and your child enjoys it, stick with it. There's no urgent reason to change to SM, especially if it doesn't click with you.

[Crimson Wife]

Did you get the U.S. edition or the Standards edition? The latter has more review built in and covers additional topics than the former.

 

I've heard several people say that 1A & 1B are the weakest of the Singapore levels. I haven't used them myself as I prefer Right Start B as a foundational math course. But by 3A, Singapore is definitely ahead of the typical 3rd grade curriculum.

[EKS]

Did you get the U.S. edition or the Standards edition? The latter has more review built in and covers additional topics than the former.

 

I've heard several people say that 1A & 1B are the weakest of the Singapore levels. I haven't used them myself as I prefer Right Start B as a foundational math course. But by 3A, Singapore is definitely ahead of the typical 3rd grade curriculum.

 

:iagree:

 

With everything!

[blessedmom3]

That's why I am using Horizons with it . Next year I am planning to use CLE with Singapore.

[amsunshine]

For Singapore -- drills and extra teaching are covered in the HIG. Some people use just the text/workbook, but I personally feel the program is not complete without the HIG. Also, Singapore provides supplemental materials for extra practice (EP, IP, CWP and test books) if needed. Singapore PM really should not be critiqued on the basis of its textbooks and workbooks alone because these make up only part of the curriculum -- all of the components should be taken into consideration.

 

In level 2 and above, review sections are stepped up considerably. I don't think I would characterize level 1 as weak, however. IMO, the amount of review in level 1 was quite appropriate, particularly if one uses the available supplemental materials.

[Jyniffrec]

When you guys use the intensive practice books, do you use them alongside what is being worked on in the textbooks and workbooks or do you go back and review with them?

 

Priscilla, do you know when the Challenging Word Problems book is coming out?

[melissa123]

We use the Intensive Practice workbooks alongside the textbook/workbook. At the end of the level, we do the CWP. We're using the Standards Edition, and even with the added review, I still think the IP workbooks are essential. (If you're using the Standards Edition, the topics are not in the same order as the IP, but that hasn't been a problem for us.)

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

When you guys use the intensive practice books, do you use them alongside what is being worked on in the textbooks and workbooks or do you go back and review with them?

 

Priscilla, do you know when the Challenging Word Problems book is coming out?

 

According to their website April 2010:D Now I believe this will be very similar to the old editions, but I would ask them first.

 

 

http://www.singaporemath.com/What_s_New_s/8.htm

 

I try to use IP book after I have done the workbook and textbook. The IP book may not always exactly correlate to the Standards Edition, but I haved not found it to be a problem. I believe the Extra Practice book does correlate to the standards edition.

[Dmmetler]

I did two teacher training classes on SM, and one thing that was stressed is that it is expected that the teacher will add review and drill as needed-that the books give an outline of the topics, and enough written matter for assessment purposes, but are not intended to be complete. It is assumed that the teacher knows what their child needs better than the textbook company does. That is why there are the multiple levels of supplemental books-because some children need all the problems in EP, while others breeze through the textbook and need the higher order thinking of IP or CWP. They're separate books because the program was written assuming that a teacher would have students who needed all sorts of levels in one room at the same time, and that EVERY child would need extra practice on some topics and enrichment on others.

 

I find it kind of refreshing, but I can see why it might be a bit daunting for parents who aren't confident about teaching math and just want a book that is complete in and of itself.

[johnandtinagilbert]

My experience was to use Singapore w. drilling and my dc test several years above grade level every time. We rarely used the supplements. The one are we had to have boot camp in...fractions. Now we have MUS and LoF for that and we're good.

 

If there's an area where more practice is needed, I would write the same problems on a separate sheet of paper. Worked every time.

[AngieW in Texas]

My oldest needed to do all the reviews in the workbooks and the textbooks. She did very well with Singapore and is advanced in math.

 

There was too much review for my middle dd, so she only did the reviews in the workbooks. She did very well with Singapore and is advanced in math.

 

There wasn't enough review for my youngest and the reviews were spread out too far. I added in Daily Math Practice from Evan-Moor and that helped for a while, but it also didn't review frequently enough. I've had to completely change my math setup for her.

[monalisa]

Thank you for the insights from your Singapore experiences. They are very helpful. The friend who loaned me the 1A & 1B standards edition does not use the HIG or any other supplements, so I was stumped on how this could be enough. I will look at the HIG & EP book at the upcoming convention I'm going to in Cincinnati.

[Kennic]

There is more review in 2A up than 1A and 1B. 2A up for standards edition has review every unit in both workbook and textbook.

 

The math fact practice is something you are supposed to add in. There are suggestions in the Home Instructor's Guides. Some kids might like the games, some might like the drill sheets, some might like something else. My child hated both drill sheets, games were tolerable but I did not like them. So you can do what fits your child (and you).

[SonshineLearner]

I did two teacher training classes on SM, and one thing that was stressed is that it is expected that the teacher will add review and drill as needed-that the books give an outline of the topics, and enough written matter for assessment purposes, but are not intended to be complete.

 

 

Where did you do your Teacher training on SM??

:bigear:

[The Governess]

IMO, simply using the textbook and workbook isn't enough. You need the HIG so that you can introduce the new concept and go through the activities using manipulatives. In the back of the HIG are "mental math" sheets that can be used for drill. They have about 20 different sheets and each has 20 drill problems at various sets of difficulty. They also have templates for flash cards, etc. The HIG is only $10 per level and is *SO* worth it.

 

I use the Intensive Practice books as well, about 2/3 of the problems are review and the final 1/3 are "thinking" problems - puzzle solving, word problems, etc. that help them take their new skills to the next level. If you have a child that enjoys and "gets" math, I would try these books; if you have a child that struggles with math the extra practice books might be a better fit. But I would definitely use one or the other if you want to use Singapore as a stand-alone, complete program.

[Dmmetler]

My local community college has the SM teacher classes under their "continuing education for teachers" options. They're online, and were national, given where everyone was from. They were only about $70 each. Even though they're set up for classroom teachers, there's a lot of good information in them. (and for me, it kills two birds with one stone. I really would rather not let my teaching license expire, even though I don't expect to need it again).

[Chez J]

I've tried it twice. But, the format just does not seem to lend itself to natural review. The lessons take as long as a Horizons, then I still have to add review. And, I feel like dropping any lessons to have review days really has put us behind my target of finishing before summer. So, I am back to Horizons specifically for the built-in review. I can drop whole lessons from Horizons and not miss anything, whereas I don't feel I can do that with Singapore.

 

(I dropped R&S grammar for the same reason.)

 

Lesley

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

My local community college has the SM teacher classes under their "continuing education for teachers" options. They're online, and were national, given where everyone was from. They were only about $70 each. Even though they're set up for classroom teachers, there's a lot of good information in them. (and for me, it kills two birds with one stone. I really would rather not let my teaching license expire, even though I don't expect to need it again).

 

Do you have a link for the online ones?