Jayne J Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I'd like to switch ds from Horizons to Singapore. He is finishing up Horizons 2 this year and doing well, but I know he is not understanding what he is doing as well as I'd like. Ds is very mathy and I think that has helped him, but on things like carrying/borrowing I see a disconnect. Thus the switch. I gave him the placement test and he scored 74% on the 2a test, and the Singapore site recommends that a score of over 70% goes onto the next level. Hs mostly missed things we have not covered (division, metric measurement). So my thought is that I will catch him up in those areas over the summer. But then I read (in Cathy Duffy's Top 100 I think) that a student coming into Singapore at level three is going to have a hard time, due to the differences in the way things are taught. I planned to start at 2B. What do you think? Do I go back to 2A, or do I start with 2B? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakereese Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I've used Singapore with three kiddos so far, and I used it with Horizons for my oldest. Horizons is quite advanced, and I think you would be fine going into 2B. Singapore would have covered more metric measurement than Horizons obviously. Not counting those, he would definitely have made the 70% cut off and then plenty. He isn't going into level 3, and I think Cathy Duffy is often off a bit on the easy side. :001_smile: Another option would be to just buy the text for 2A and read through it together over the summer for review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 I think we are going to be doing metric measurement, division and some mental math (from MM, which I bought and ds hated) over the summer and I think that will get us up and running for Sing. 2B. I really hadn't been too concerned about this decison until I read the Cathy Duffy review. That gave me pause. The budget is tight and buying 2A and not using it would hurt, but I would do it if we needed to. But maybe just the text...Hmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 (edited) The topics you want are in 2a because of the way Singapore lays out the concepts you will not see it repeated explicitly until 3a. I am referencing the U.S. Edition topic numbers to 1000, with + and -, with/without renaming (aka,carrying/borrowing). Edited February 21, 2011 by Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I think we are going to be doing metric measurement, division and some mental math (from MM, which I bought and ds hated) over the summer and I think that will get us up and running for Sing. 2B. I really hadn't been too concerned about this decison until I read the Cathy Duffy review. That gave me pause. The budget is tight and buying 2A and not using it would hurt, but I would do it if we needed to. But maybe just the text...Hmm... I wouldn't worry about buying 2A then. The summer review you are planning will be more than enough. Honestly, I don't have the homeschool philosophy as Cathy Duffy, so I don't take her advice. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in SW WA Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 3A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 3A Can I ask why? Is 2B more of the same as 2A, or is new information introduced? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 Honestly, I don't have the homeschool philosophy as Cathy Duffy, so I don't take her advice. :001_smile: Yeah, I have to say I was a bit suprised when I finally checked the book out of the library, due to some good reviews here on the boards. Very little of what I love/use/agree with ends up in her Top 100. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I recently just started my daughter in Singapore 3A after Horizons/Abeka and she is having no trouble. It fits the way she thinks better so it has been an easy transition for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 We switched halfway during Horizons 3, and then repeated Year 3 Singapore. We bought the New Syllabus books, directly from Singapore. What I did was NOT use the standard "Primary Maths" set, but instead use two of the supplemental books Classroom Maths Workbook and Classroom Maths Problem Sums. The advantage was that the books in these series have full worked examples, so it was much easier for me to extrapolate the method that should be used. It was a very tough transition, particularly in the area of problem sums, where Horizons is weak and Singapore very strong, but after several months we had the hang of it. Interestingly, I think the Classroom Maths series are at a much higher level than the basic Primary Maths books used in classrooms - after finishing Year 3, we skipped a year ahead to Year 5 (to bring dd on-grade), but using the Primary Maths textbooks and workbooks. We are finding this year much easier than last year where we used the Classroom Maths series. Or it could be that we're just used to the "Singapore method" by now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 There used to be a recommendation that is was difficult for a child who had not been taught with Asian math to begin SM after grade 3, because so much of the foundation is contained in those first three levels. I remember reading this and spoke with someone at SM because my DD came home from PS for 4th grade and they did not recommend placing her into the curriculum. Things may have changed since then. Carrying and Borrowing is all in 2A, 2B is mental math review, multiplication, money, fractins, time, capacity, tables and graphs, and geometry. (Maybe that is where there recommendation for 3A comes in?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I would do the text of 2A, and then do 2B regular. We started on 3A and had to go back. If your kiddo has not started division, I highly recommend learning it the Singapore way. We are doing just the text and doing it mostly orally, but we are learning so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 I recently just started my daughter in Singapore 3A after Horizons/Abeka and she is having no trouble. It fits the way she thinks better so it has been an easy transition for her. What level Horizons/Abeka was she in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in SW WA Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Can I ask why? Is 2B more of the same as 2A, or is new information introduced? New info is introduced -- but since you're finishing up Hor 2 you should have no problem with Sing 3A. JMHO :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 Hmm. Thanks for the reply. I am having him work through the 2B placement test, and he is all over the place--some things that we have covered his misses, others that we haven't he gets just fine. I am having him take it over several days so that he doesn't get frustrated, so I don't know what his final scores will be like (so far he is getting just over half right.) I think he needs a stronger base in mental math, and work with fractions, division and metric measurement. Maybe I should put off buying anything until the end of the summer, since we will be remediating in those areas... No to mention that we aren't actually *done* with Hor. 2. Maybe he'll do better at the end of the year. My poor kiddo and his mother's multiple placement tests...LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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