New Elementary Math from Singapore?

[Tohru]

I'm trying to figure out the sequencing for High School math with my ds. This is recommended by Latin Centered Curriculum, but I haven't heard of any one actually using this route.

 

Is it comprehensive? Would the series be enough to score well on the ACT or college entrance exams? Or would one have to use the College Mathematics in the series as well?

 

TIA!

[elizabeth]

We have used Singapore all the way through. Dd scored 1% lower than the qualifying score on PSAT for National Merit Scholarship in Iowa . She has finished NEM2. She has taken CLEP exams for college credit and also performed well above where she had to be to obtain the credits. NEM is absolutely fine . If you have not used Singapore all the way through it is likely to be a real challenge for a student new to Singapore math and of course that depends on what program they have used previously. There is quite a jump conceptually from level 6 to NEM 1. I would have your student take the placement test and see how things look.

[DebbS]

My daughter has been using Singapore Math since level 5B. She just started NEM 1 at the end of this school year. I have the levels up through NEM 3B because I plan on switching my son over to NEM this year after a more regular Algebra course. It'll mean we have to go catch up on the geometry in NEM 2 before we start level 3. I really like Singapore Math because of the way it builds the various math skills concurrently rather than separating Algebra, Geometry, Statistics and Trig into different years. Also, I think the method gives the student a deeper understanding of the math concepts. I highly recommend it.

 

I agree with elizabeth. You should take the placement tests. Singapore tends to run a year ahead of most US students. So a 7th grader may need to start with Primary level 6. Don't feel bad if that is the case.

[emzhengjiu]

My daughter is using NEM1 this year but we'll be switching to Discovering Math 2 in the fall. She doesn't like the way NEM is set up. Discovering Math is suppose to be similar to the Primary Math series and is a bit easier than NEM but I've only seen sample pages.

 

NEM has solution manuals for the first two texts in the series only. According to the Singapore Math website, no manuals will be produced for NEM 3 & 4. My daughter is strong in math but I like have fully worked out solutions if we get stuck. Discovering Math has solution manuals for all 4 texts.

 

I like the way NEM and Discovering Math integrate algebra and geometry rather than having separate courses. When she took a standardized test about a year ago, she did very well.

 

ETA: Try posting on the highschool board. You may get more responses.

Edited June 27, 2010 by emzhengjiu

[Tohru]

Thanks for the replies. Is there another high school board?

 

ds did Singapore before but at 3A everything turned pink and he couldn't focus...this was before they had color. Then when we tried to return at level 4 he didn't like the cartoon characters in the book, so we've been hopping around different curriculum since then.

 

It seems pretty reasonable for price, so I'll download the test to see where he's at and then order a year.

[emzhengjiu]

Well, no! I was just on the k-8 board before reading your post and forgot where I was! What can I say. I'll blame it on the heat here in Texas.

[Nan in Mass]

We've used it with 2 now, through NEM3. Then we jump ship and do pre-calc at the community college. I had no trouble with the lack of solutions for NEM3, although I was glad of them for NEM1 and NEM2. If you search for my posts, you will see how it worked out for us.

-Nan