How does Singapore Math "work"?

[pahansen]

I am planning to use Singapore Math with our kids (probably levels 3 and 1 of Standards) next year. While I was reading the "How much prep do you do?" thread, I noticed more than one person mentioning time to plan out Singapore Math.

 

I was under the impression that it was more of an "open and go" thing, where you just did one lesson, then the next day's, then the next. For those of you who use the lower levels, do you just glance ahead for what comes next, or do you actually have to map out how much you'll be doing each day/week/whatever? (I can imagine there being different answers for upper levels.)

 

I don't think the answer will really affect whether or not we use it, it's just good to know ahead of time.

 

Thanks!

--Pamela

[Osmosis Mom]

Open and go for this mother here. Some people love to plan and what not, but the program really doesn't require a thing beforehand.

[Karenciavo]

open and go here too. I use the HIG for most levels and may spend a little bit of time here and there reading the lesson before hand, but we're talking 1-3 pages of instructions (5, 10 minutes?).

[mommyto4]

I like to look ahead to see what is next for the week. I also plan out what the kids are going to do each day in terms of how many pages and when we need to look at the textbok. I have the IP books too, so I need to see where to fit them in. I also add extra practice with multiplication or dividing, as my kids tend to forget things they have learned -- I use math-drills.com for that. I also use the HIG and copy the mental math sheets for them to do.

[Alice]

We've only used through 2B so I can't speak to the higher levels but it's pretty much open and go. I glance at what's ahead for the week on Sunday when I do all my planning for the week. ( I spend about an hour total just looking over the week for all of school. Singapore is a small part of that). I do have the HIG which I like. I'll skim through their suggestions for the week and look over what I want to cover. I also have to leave "lesson plans" for my dh to teach at least one day a week so I have to plan for that. I like to plan though and I think that if you had to you could just pick it up each day and teach the next thing with no or minimal planning ahead.

[Dmmetler]

I open and go. I tried planning and even a week in advance didn't work because my DD would go through three lessons on some days and then spend 2-3 days on the next one, with me scrambling to get extra materials (1800teacher.com has a bunch of downloads for Singapore Math-mostly put together by teachers in Singapore). So here, it's Open and Go. I do suggest pre-reading the lesson, though. We stalled on Capacity here because we didn't have anything bigger than a 1 cup measuring cup that was labeled with English measurements for DD to explore with.

[Dinsfamily]

open and go here too. I use the HIG for most levels and may spend a little bit of time here and there reading the lesson before hand, but we're talking 1-3 pages of instructions (5, 10 minutes?).

 

Same here.

[taffnus]

I'm with the group...I use the HIG and "plan" my week on Saturday so I know what's coming then, if necessary, I may read through the lesson the night before.

[EKS]

It's open and go if you know what you're doing. You need to teach the "Singapore way" to get the most out of Singapore. Lots of people need prep time to go over the HIG to find out how to teach the lesson.

 

I didn't use the HIG, but that's because I read the book Elementary Mathematics for Teachers. It uses the Primary Mathematics series to teach teachers how to teach math, making it a more streamlined way to learn how to teach the Singapore way.

[rootsnwings]

I like to look ahead to see what is next for the week. I also plan out what the kids are going to do each day in terms of how many pages and when we need to look at the textbok. I have the IP books too, so I need to see where to fit them in. I also add extra practice with multiplication or dividing, as my kids tend to forget things they have learned -- I use math-drills.com for that. I also use the HIG and copy the mental math sheets for them to do.

 

 

 

This is exactly how we use SM4. I usually plan out a chapter at a time incorporating the Textbook, Workbook Exercises and additional problems in the IP book. I write about 10 of the mental math problems on the white board each day. It takes maybe an hour to coordinate about a month's worth of math work, for me. We also start the day with 3 long division problems each morning but that's because SM4 has basically NO long division & I don't want him to forget how to do it! ;)

 

HTH! :)

Edited February 7, 2011 by rootsnwings

[snickelfritz]

It's open and go if you know what you're doing. You need to teach the "Singapore way" to get the most out of Singapore. Lots of people need prep time to go over the HIG to find out how to teach the lesson.

 

If you're not familiar with the Singapore method or don't use the HIG, you can go through the textbook/workbook doing it the "wrong" way. It can look like a pretty standard math program.

 

The HIG is where the differences show up, and reading through the lesson first will show you those differences.

 

Beyond that, I don't plan ahead. We just do math for a while and I do whatever workbook pages correspond to how much we got done and a few CWP pages. The next day, we continue. If she's getting bogged down, we hang out on the topic and do some extra problems or pull out different manipulatives.

[texasmama]

Singapore can be, as others have said, very open and go. I am one who likes to plan out the entire book to last for the first 18 weeks of our year and the second book to last for the second 18 weeks of our year. I have not done that in the past, but I started it last year and like it so I will continue it. It's really just about personal preference, though. Because my own schedule is so tight this year, I find that I need the structure to stay on track. It reassures me.:001_smile:

[alpidarkomama]

I agree with others. You can treat it as "open and go." But, without reading the instructor guide, you may not be teaching with the unique approach to math that Singapore has. The instructor guide was a real eye opener to me and really changed HOW I was teaching the concepts. We're on a timeout from Singapore right now :( and using Saxon to solidify our math facts. Hope to be back at it in the spring. LOVE Singapore.

[Cindyz]

I take the time to read through the lesson, get the manipulatives ready, and make sure I understand it. :D :D

[petepie2]

I like to look ahead to see what is next for the week. I also plan out what the kids are going to do each day in terms of how many pages and when we need to look at the textbok. I have the IP books too, so I need to see where to fit them in. I also add extra practice with multiplication or dividing, as my kids tend to forget things they have learned -- I use math-drills.com for that. I also use the HIG and copy the mental math sheets for them to do.

 

I mentioned "planning out" singapore math in the other thread. This is exactly what I do. It's usually not one exercise per day in the workbook. Sometimes it's more and sometimes it's less. The HIG does give a "suggested amount of time in weeks to spend on each unit", so I use that as my guide. I also look over the HIG on some topics to make sure I understand the way Singapore teaches them. Singapore is our supplementary math program.

[Crimson Wife]

Right Start Math is "open and go". Ditto MEP and Math Mammoth. Singapore is *NOT* unless you are an intuitively "mathy" person yourself. There are no scripted lessons like RS or MEP and it's not designed to be self-teaching like MM.

 

At the beginning of each chapter, I need to devote a good chunk of time to reading the HIG and figuring out how to teach the concepts the Singapore way.

[pahansen]

Let me summarize the impression that I get, and you all can set me straight if I misunderstood. I also have a question about the Singapore method at the end.

 

It looks like some of the level of planning has to do with whether or not you have a high comfort level with math, which makes sense. (I suspect a part of this probably has to do with the child, as well. Thing 1 breathes math in a way I don't even understand. Thing 2 needs to be explicitly taught and must touch and feel things for herself.)

 

It also appears that some of the level of planning has to do with what kind of planner you are in general. I usually aspire to sitting down on the weekend and planning out the coming week, but sometimes that doesn't happen. With a new baby in the house, I'm not making any promises for next year! If there is the added flexibility of being able to study the lesson early in the morning, or possibly just open-and-go, that's a bonus for this particular school year.

 

I will keep in mind to look ahead for materials we might need for a lesson. I've gotten bitten by that bug in the past!

 

It also makes sense that the more of the supplementary material you use, the more prep there will be.

 

The thing I'd like to know now is if someone could explain what is meant by the Singapore method/approach. I have looked through the sample of the HIG, which I do plan to use, and I can see that Singapore is very visual in presenting things like word problems. It is also my understanding that there is not a lot of "drill," although there is plenty of opportunity for practicing the skills. (Correct me if I'm wrong with that.)

 

There aren't a lot of samples for the HIGs, so I'm curious about what I'm getting into.

 

Thanks for all the input so far!

--Pamela

[Guest BugabooNut]

What is the HIG? I am not familiar with that :blushing:

 

Thanks!

[hmschooling]

I couldn't do the planning ahead in order to actually teach the true Singapore method. It's very different. Now, I'm using Math Mammoth which teaches the Singapore method with NO planning needed...just go page by page and super effective. Plus it offers all those extra practices and drills without needed separate books...

 

...so in comparison, SM takes much more planning than something like MM and ends up in the same place come end of the primary series. I have a math phobic child and a very math (eat, sleep, breathe math kind of kid) both thriving after our switch from SM to MM, simply b/c I don't have to plan anything for them to get the full benefit of the lesson.

[Floyd]

I do spend 30 minutes on Sunday planning the week ahead, but that's because we like to add supplemental games and activities on top of what's in the book, and we want to be sure there's plenty to do every day. I also highlight activities on specific days that my wife may need to spend a few minutes prepping. On a given day, however, it's pretty much grab and go.

 

The one thing I would add is that you should assign IP and CWP problems the week after you cover the material. We didn't get the WB for 1a/1b, and a lot of that time Sunday is on figuring out which sheets go with which days. We plan on doing it differently for 2A/2B.

[Crimson Wife]

The thing I'd like to know now is if someone could explain what is meant by the Singapore method/approach. I have looked through the sample of the HIG, which I do plan to use, and I can see that Singapore is very visual in presenting things like word problems. It is also my understanding that there is not a lot of "drill," although there is plenty of opportunity for practicing the skills. (Correct me if I'm wrong with that.)

 

There aren't a lot of samples for the HIGs, so I'm curious about what I'm getting into.

 

Singapore assumes the child can make conceptual leaps akin to tossing the child into the deep end of the pool. If the student is not able to make those leaps, it's up to the teacher to help him/her get there. I don't know about you, but I'm not an intuitively "mathy" person and the math I had growing up did not stress conceptual understanding. I don't "get" the Asian way of teaching math without a lot of hand-holding.

 

I found this to be an especially an issue with the multi-digit multiplication and long division chapters in 3A and 4A and the fraction chapters in 3B and 4A.

[AngelBee]

:lurk5:

[kalanamak]

Open and go. I've never found the HIGs that helpful, although I 've sometimes been stuck and bought it in desperation, only to find out I'm already doing what they mention.

 

I do go back over extra practice and the other resources, and reinforced division with MM. But the beauty of SM is how flexible it is. I try this, I try that, and eventually all our efforts together suddenly CLICK and what a joy. It has been a shared experience for us, and really helped me see how my son sees things.

[Dana]

What is the HIG? I am not familiar with that :blushing:

 

Thanks!

 

The Home Instructor's Guide. There's one written for homeschool teachers for each text. It has answers to the text and workbook, some additional worksheets, and suggestions for pacing, teaching techniques, and ways to teach the material.

 

I could teach without them easily... but I still find some useful ideas in them, so I'm glad I get them.

[catz]

I've never done any prep work for Singapore (unless you count that math degree I have :)). I have a kid now in Singapore NEM and we open and go with it. We don't always have clean breaks day to day but it works well for the most part! I do look ahead a little now that we're in NEM, but never spend more than a few minutes planning it out. Sometimes I dig around and see if I can find a related video on the topic at Khan academy.

[Cindyz]

Here is a sample of the 1B HIG. As you can see there is a narrative explaining how to teach the material. It then tells you which pages correspond in the textbook and which to do in the workbook as well as the answers. We do one section per day...instruction, textbook, workbook, and mental math. It will also tell you which types of manipulatives you may need. There are often reinforcements as well that may require planning. A recent one suggested using dimes and playing store with prices attached to items, or a card game, etc. Reading ahead of time to know what you're doing and to have all of the materials prepared makes the lesson go much smoother. It takes me about 5 minutes at this level to read and prepare any necessary materials. I usually do it the night before.

 

[KrissiK]

I don't do prep per se, but I do look it over because they teach math a lot differently than I learned it, so I have to figure it out first! Even if we are in 2a.

[AngelBee]

So what would you all suggest having for each level?

 

The textbook, workbook, HIG....what else?

[Kipling]

Here is a sample of the 1B HIG.

 

 

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So what would you all suggest having for each level?

 

The textbook, workbook, HIG....what else?

 

:bigear: We're looking at switching to Singapore, so I'm trying to get as much information as I can as well.

[Dinsfamily]

So what would you all suggest having for each level?

 

The textbook, workbook, HIG....what else?

 

CWP or IP. I prefer CWP. Some people use both. EP if you have a struggling student.

[Dana]

The text and workbook are definite needs. There's A and B for each grade level. There's a corresponding Home Instructor's Guide for each book (A and B).

 

There's a single Extra Practice Book for the whole level (not divided into A and B). It gives extra practice on the same level as the workbook problems. I got it instead of a supplemental Spectrum workbook for extra practice, although we're not using it much and I'd probably just print free worksheets in the future.

 

There's one CWP book for the whole level. If you could only get one supplemental book, this would be what I'd recommend. The bar models take time to learn, but they're pretty powerful and give a great transition to algebra.

 

The Intensive Practice books are only for the US editions right now. They can be used with the Standards editions but you have to mix & match some. There are books A and B for each level. The IP books have more practice but generally at a significantly higher level than the text/wb. It also has word problems and challenge problems.

 

We complete the CWP books along with the text. We end up lagging behind with the IP. I really like the challenge and thinking in it, but we just run out of time.

[Crimson Wife]

I would say the text, the HIG, the workbook and/or IP, and CWP. The EP books can be used if you have a child that needs additional practice at the same level as the text & workbook (in that case, you probably wouldn't want to use the IP).

[FO4UR]

Hmmm...have many here tried using the TB and IP and CWP...no WB?

 

I'm thinking of my 8yo...who doesn't need a lot of repetition. I think CWP, WB and IP would be WAAAAAAYYYYYYY overkill. We already have the old CWP...

 

 

Paula (who is frustrated trying to figure out math for this child!:tongue_smilie:)

[Crimson Wife]

Hmmm...have many here tried using the TB and IP and CWP...no WB?

 

There are a bunch of folks over on the "Accelerated Learner" board who are doing just that.

[FO4UR]

There are a bunch of folks over on the "Accelerated Learner" board who are doing just that.

 

Off to go lurk:001_smile:...:auto:

[dirty ethel rackham]

With all 3 of my children, we have only done the text and the workbook and some math fact drill thrown in. (the HIG's didn't exist when we started.) We tried the extras at any given time and it was just too much and killing their enjoyment of math. My older two are excelling in Math right now. Dd needs more time to do each lesson, but is progressing well, just not as well as her older siblings. She would be overwhelmed if I added anything more.

[Floyd]

My daughter covered a bunch of math in her Montessori preschool, so we initially tried to do 1A/1B with TB, HIG, and CWP only. The problem with IP and CWP is that they don't line up exactly with the material being covered (so if HIG covers a chapter over two weeks, IP may start out right away with problems needing material from the second week). So we got EP, and for 2A/2B we ordered the WB. She goes through the easier problems fast enough and it helps build her confidence.

Edited February 9, 2011 by Floyd