Do I need the HIG for singapore 1a and 1b?

[staceyobu]

Or is the textbook and workbook enough???

[Stellalarella]

Yes. The HIG guides you how to teach math the singapore way. It also helps you work from concrete to abstract on each concepts.

[TKDmom]

Not really. I have them, but I never use them. One thing that you want to try to do if you don't have the HIGs, is to introduce new concepts concretely. If your dc have never seen a particular topic (like addition) before, don't rely on the pictures in the text to introduce the topic. Pull out some linking cubes, or base-ten blocks, or counters, and show them what addition is. Once you've played around for a while with manipulatives, then you pull out the textbook and do the lesson together, and then you give them the workbook to practice. That's basically the process that the HIG goes through for teaching each lesson. It also has mental math problems and enrichment ideas (like games to play).

[even_star]

We're doing 1A & 1B this year and I'm very happy that I got the HIG. I debated at first, but since we've begun 1A I really like all of the concrete activities, games, etc that they recommend we do prior to the text and workbooks. It helps me understand more how to first concretely present the new topic and my son enjoys the manipulative aspect of the activities.

[KrissiK]

I don't think I would be able to teach the program without it!

[Perry]

I never used them.

[staceyobu]

Well, that is a mixed response!

[Tress]

My vote would be: Yes!

 

I use the HIG to teach the lesson, then we glance at the textbook and go straight to the workbook. I would rather not have the textbook than miss out on the HIG. (BTW, we use the Standard Edition.)

[Aubrey]

I've got a 4th g'er & a 2nd g'er. I've never used the HIGs, but I bought them this yr, beginning to suspect that I might like to have them. Things can get pretty murky (maybe not the math, but the teaching?) pretty quickly, & *not* having them makes you wonder...what you're missing.

 

Here's what I *wish* I'd done: buy the higs for the first yr, maybe more. Buy them used--that shouldn't be more than $20/yr, I think. Maybe even less. Buy them for dc #1, so if you *like* them, you get the most use out of them.

 

If you don't use/like them, you've learned that about yourself instead of having a dark cloud of doubt & wondering. You don't have to begin to think maybe you should have bought them, but now they're more expensive because instead of using them w/ 3 dc, you'll only be using them w/ 1 or 2.

 

Then, when you're done w/ them (sooner or later), sell them. Even if you sell them for half what you bought them for, the whole experiment only cost you $10/yr + shipping. If all you get out of it is teacher inservice, that's still a great deal. :001_smile:

 

All of that said, I must add the disclaimer: I've looked at mine as far as the week plans. That *alone* is worth $10/yr to me, but be warned: the week-plans not that good. I've retyped mine (still faster than working from scratch) to incl Intensive Practice & CWP, but in the process, I've found quite. a. few. errors. Still, not a huge deal, & better to know ahead of time than bringing a kid to tears because it says to do exercise 50 when it means 56.

 

(The errors were almost exclusively in 2A; I think I found 1 in 4A.)

[LAmom]

I needed them! They helped me to explain things the "Singapore" way, which I was not taught. It gives good helps and ideas in it, too.