Singapore math?

[MamaOfMany]

I have been looking at math programs. If I am reading singapore is a mastery program?

 

For those that have used it, or decided not to could you give me some insite?

 

Why do you like it? or didnt like it?

What are your favorite things about it?

Dislikes?

How long have you been using it?

What do your children think?

How teacher intensive is it?

Are there times when a 9&10 year old can work on their own?

 

Any other info that would be helpful in makeing the choice to go with it or run away lol?

[bluemongoose]

Why do you like it? It is straightforward, is doesnt have a spiral review (my DD hates Spiral), the pictures spread out the problems so it doesn't feel like too much on the page. or didnt like it? I dont like that there are so many books to flip between. I dont like that there are big jumps at times, and I feel the math facts review could be beefed up a bit.

 

What are your favorite things about it? That my DD understands the why as well as the algorithms.

 

Dislikes? Mainly the book flipping. I also suppliment with Math Mammoth to help when a new chapter needs a more incremental approach, or for math facts practice.

 

How long have you been using it? We are in our 3rd year. DD started with Earlybird and Essentials K and is now 1/2 way through the 2nd grade book. DS is now doing the Earlybird and Essentials book A.

 

What do your children think? My DD likes it it better than MM. I think mostly because of the pictures.

 

How teacher intensive is it? It can be more teacher intensive than MM, but probably less than other programs. Mainly the teacher intensity will be based on how/if you use the HIG and the textbook.

 

Are there times when a 9&10 year old can work on their own? Yes, my DD is 6yo and after our math instruction time together, she completes the wb pages independently. If the work is review before a test, she does all the work independently that day.

[Cornerstone Classical]

I tried SM twice, but both times went back to Saxon because it was spiral, had scripted lessons which gave me confidence that I was teaching each concept thoroughly, and my kiddos enjoyed all the many math manipulatives that were available in the math box that you can purchase.

[MamaOfMany]

See sprial is not working for my kids. Any of them. They are not doing well in math and its not that they just dont get it, its not enough time spend on it for them to get it (if that makes sense) I think a mastery program would work better for them.... or in a year I am going to be admitting I was wrong and looking at spiral approach based programs LOL.

 

Do most people use a supplement with a math program?

[redsquirrel]

I am in year 5 with Singapore. it's the only math program I have used. Some people use supplements. I now have my 5th grader using Life of Fred as a supplement/review of his math. Some people like the Intensive Word Problems and extra practice books. We have never needed them.

 

Singapore is a mastery/spiral program. It does stop working on a topic and then move on to others but it does spiral throughout the years. Every year we have started with place value. Every year in the spring (now) we have done geometry (of a sort). What changes is the level of challenge. There are also periodic reviews in the textbook. There are reviews at the end of a topic and then every couple chapters there are longer reviews. So, it's not like once you are done a topic you never see it again. On the Singapore website there are also placement exams that I have used as year end reviews.

 

My 10 year old does work on his own but I teach the lesson ever day. I open the text, explain whatever we are doing, have him do some of the problems in the textbook while I watch to make sure he understands, then I let do his assignment for the day. We have evolved a system where he gives me his answers as he finishes the questions. He doesn't want to chance making a mistake and carrying on that mistake through the other problems. But, that is just us.

 

Singapore math has it's own forum at it's website. The moderator is the same person who wrote the home instructor's guide. I have found her to be very helpful and quick to answer any question.

 

I think it is a great program. I find it very dependable. I am really, really not a math person. Math was the one homeschool subject that had me quaking in my shoes. Now, I don't worry. We have both done just fine. I am starting again with son 2 in the earlybird program.

 

If I can teach math with Singapore, anyone can.

[CourtneyChn]

I've been using Singapore with my oldest for 3 years and just started 1A with my 5 year-old. I think it's a very solid program and love how they teach mental math.

 

The only thing I didn't like about it was the number of different books there were and the constant flipping back and forth between them. We use all the books except the extra practice, so that's 5 books per child, plus the HIG's. With the new levels we just got, I had the binding cut off all the books, arranged the pages how I wanted them, and then got them spiral bound. So now each child has a workbook and I have the HIG's. Now there's nothing I don't love about SM.

 

It's not too teacher intensive. I do work with each child almost every day and then they work independently on the workbook pages, word problems and tests. I do all the suggested activities and it's still not too bad.

 

My girls both love it.

[kbpaulie]

Singapore is a mastery/spiral program. It does stop working on a topic and then move on to others but it does spiral throughout the years. Every year we have started with place value. Every year in the spring (now) we have done geometry (of a sort). What changes is the level of challenge. There are also periodic reviews in the textbook. There are reviews at the end of a topic and then every couple chapters there are longer reviews. So, it's not like once you are done a topic you never see it again. On the Singapore website there are also placement exams that I have used as year end reviews..

 

There are several different publishers that would claim they have "Singapore Math". I think that the previous posters are referring to the Primary Mathematics, as am I.

 

I would also add that in the Standards Version (not sure about US Edition) has reviews at the end of units that go back to previous concepts.

 

We started w/ EB and are finishing level 3. My engineer husband decided we should go with Singapore Math based on the review at Sonlight. It was a program that teaches you to think mathematically. My son is math smart - not sure if it's natural or due to the curriculum. My guess is naturally gifted that way. He wouldn't do well w/ a spiral as he'd get too easily bored.

 

I think that it does teach you how to "manipulate" numbers and think in math terms. We do use the Intensive Practice (a semester or 2 behind) and also Miquon. I don't to this b/c of curriculum gaps, but rather I overkill everything.

 

Also, I'm a curriculum jumper. So the fact we've stuck with it says somethings too.

 

Hope the long answer gives you some insights.

KB

[AnthemLights]

I have been intrigued with SM for awhile now but have never used it. It sounds like such a really neat program. After much research, soul-searching, and lost sleep I finally decided to go with Mammoth Math, mainly because of the price.

 

I hope I won't regret it. ;)

[MamaOfMany]

The long answers have actually been very helpful! I think its exactly what we are looking for. I too start to get a bit of a case of butterflies in my stomach when I think of teaching math. It is not a strong point for me and I want my kids to do better then I can in it. I like what I have seen and I like the reviews I have read. I think we will take the leap and go with it. I did give the kids the placement test tonight. I wanted to cry really. None of them got above a 50% (all in the 40s for the % correct) my first grader I gave the 1A test to and the 3rd graders got the 3A. I got quite a few mommy I dont know how to do this when it came to the word problems. I also noticed that my poor 1st grader kept getting the + and - symbols mixed up. Good things for me to know!

[texasmama]

Don't worry about them not being a "grade level" for SM. Just start where they need to start and build a good foundation. I needed to do that for my oldest son, whom I began hs'ing when he was in 2nd grade. SM has been a very good program for my kids. I have three kids in it this year and will continue with it next year.

 

I am not "mathy", either, but I read this book by Liping Ma, which helped me to understand conceptually what I would be teaching. It was eye opening and well worth the price and time for me to read it.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Knowing-Teaching-Elementary-Mathematics-Understanding/dp/0415873843/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301969936&sr=8-1

[RahRah]

Why do you like it? or didnt like it?

I like that DS likes it and is doing well with its format.

 

What are your favorite things about it?

That DS enjoys the colorful layout and for me, that there are enough problems to solve in concepts he quickly understands, with supplemental problems to continue working on if he needs more (IP & CWP). I do additional supplements from Horizon's Math - but that's more for reviewing now and then....additional supplements really aren't needed.

 

Dislikes?

None so far!

 

How long have you been using it?

A year now - we switched from Saxon Math when DS was getting frustrated with the repetition of concepts he understood well.

 

What do your children think?

DS likes that it is colorful and he seems to like the word problems a lot.

 

How teacher intensive is it?

I think it would depend on your child's ability and needs, their age and even how much time you spend each day.

 

DS is six, so we spend a good amount of time each day going through the lesson and the examples in the textbook - then he works on the IP pages if I think he needs some more practice, or we'll go to those the next day and week for practice and review before moving on.

 

Are there times when a 9&10 year old can work on their own?

Can't answer since DS isn't that old yet - but at six he's doing some work on his own already, so I'd think a 9-10 year old could too.

 

Any other info that would be helpful in makeing the choice to go with it or run away lol?

 

Which works better for your child - spiral or mastery? SM is mastery in approach, other programs are spiral or other methods. Whatever type approach will work for your child is the format to consider using.

[SnegurochkaL]

I had been using it on and off for last 4 years. I like it and my child likes it. We started with RS math but it didn't work very well with my daughter and we switched to EB SM. She was 4 and really enjoyed the books. She went through them quickly. We went back to RS math and finished level A. She liked RS too but it was a little to slow for me.

 

I don't use only 1 math program, SM and Russian Peterson math are our core curriculum. I supplement with British MEP which has a lot of challenging problems. I couldn't find any perfect math program so I am using 3.:)

 

What are your favorite things about it? Books are not crowded with pictures, good presentation of the topics in general.

 

Dislikes?

Too many books to work with.

 

What I would improve in US edition?

"Clock" topic was the one I would expend little bit more. I ended up supplementing with MM "Clock" unit because my daughter's mastery was below my expectations. She spent almost 3 days on clock topic which was too long for her. She was confused what word and where to use when we were talking about minutes: past, after or before, till, to. I ended up making a clock for her and writing words so she would memorize it.:(

 

How teacher intensive is it?

It is not teacher intensive at all.

 

Are there times when a 9&10 year old can work on their own?

Yes, my daughter is 8 and she works independently. I don't explain a new topic to her. First, she studies a new topic on her own, work on every assignment in a book, does reviews. She does 1/2 of chapter or whole chapter per day depending on a difficulty level. Later I check her workbook to see her accomplishments. If she mastered 95% of the topic assignments, I don't explain anything to her. She just correct her mistakes. If it is less than 95%, we work through topic together. Next day she works on Intensive Practice assignments. She does all of them without skipping anything. She takes topical tests, does Olympiad problems by Singapore math author. We don't use traditional Workbooks for PM at all. IP books are her workbooks. She does CW at the end "book" year when she finished with a level. It works as a review for her.

 

We are a "mathy" family. My daughter wants to participate in math Olympiads so she needs to be "ready" for them:). Hopefully she will be able to do it next year.

 

 

P.S. I checked Saxon math before but I found textbooks to "busy" for my taste. I like a challenging approach in Singapore. My daughter could be ahead in Singapore but I decided not to rush through PM levels. She spent between 3-5 hours of math/logic per day 5 times per week.

Edited April 5, 2011 by SneguochkaL

[Desert Strawberry]

I have been looking at math programs. If I am reading singapore is a mastery program?

 

For those that have used it, or decided not to could you give me some insite?

 

Why do you like it? or didnt like it?

We love it. Problems are presented visually and logicly. I was worried that he wouldn't memorize his math facts because there is very little repetition and no long pages of problems. He not only knows the facts, but he knows what they mean and why he would want to use them.

 

What are your favorite things about it?

I like that the problems are almost all word based. DS has to figure out what they are asking, and what to do about it. He doesn't just put answers on paper. He understands the application of everything he learns.

The visual presentation makes everything meaningful and interesting. I originally chose SM based exclusively off the visually entertaining aspect. I knew it would hold his attention.

 

Dislikes?

Not really :) The only thing I didn't like in the Earlybird K seems to be gone from the Essential K-which we are starting tomorrow with DS2. IMO there was way too much focus on writing out number words. In retrospect, we should have just skipped that.

 

How long have you been using it?

DS1 started with Earlybird K and is now finishing up Essential 2B. I'm hoping to start 3A by next week.

 

What do your children think?

They love it. DS1 flies through it. He picks everything up very easily. DS2 got to sneak peak it today. He was ansering the questions without any explanation at all. he's VERY excited to be starting.

 

How teacher intensive is it?

Not very. We don't use the textbooks, teacher's guides, Intensive practice or Challenging Word problems. I'm open to the extra work, but DS1 has never needed it. We did have one textbook that i bought by mistake. I didn't find it at all helpful.

DS1 is not a strong reader, so I read the questions to him. I do have to be present, but I don't think that will be for much longer.

 

Are there times when a 9&10 year old can work on their own?

Definitely.

 

 

Any other info that would be helpful in makeing the choice to go with it or run away lol?

Go with it. :)

 

 

 

:)

[Embassy]

If I am reading singapore is a mastery program? Yes, it goes deeper into the same topics in further books.

 

Why do you like it? or didnt like it? I don't like it. I love it. Look here for a recent blog post I had on Singapore.

 

What are your favorite things about it?Mental math. The way it teaches my kids to manipulate numbers.

Dislikes? [Price

How long have you been using it?Since September

What do your children think?They enjoy it.

How teacher intensive is it? I usually work with 2 kids at once and while I am working one on one with one child the other child does work independently. I typically do the textbook and mental math with my children and they do the workbook independently.

Are there times when a 9&10 year old can work on their own?I would say at least half of math time would be independent.

[LMD]

Just to add, the word problems are one thing Singapore PM is famous for. When DD did the placement test she could do the math, she just couldn't figure out what math to do from the word problem. I figured we needed singapore math even more! We jumped in, she loves it, and can breeze through word problems now.

Is their mixing up of the +/- symbols because they don't know or a concentration issue? (it was the latter here)

[AngieW in Texas]

Why do you like it? or didnt like it?

It was a great program that my older girls were able to do independently from about 4th grade on up.

 

What are your favorite things about it?

It taught more than one way to do things and was very strong on concepts.

 

Dislikes?

It didn't have the systematic review that my youngest needed. It had plenty of review for my two older girls though.

 

How long have you been using it?

My two older girls used it for 3A-6B. My youngest used it for 1A-3A, then tried other programs for one year, then did 4A-5B, and then we dropped it.

 

What do your children think?

My two older girls liked it. My youngest liked it up until 2B. After we had abandoned Singapore for one year, we went back to it at her request and she was very relieved to go back to it. She liked it from 4A-5A and then she hit another brick wall.

 

How teacher intensive is it?

Not at all. My two older girls were able to do it independently from 4A on up. I always had to sit with my youngest, but I still have to sit with her for everything and she's in 7th grade now.

 

Are there times when a 9&10 year old can work on their own?

Most definitely.

[Aquinas Academy]

Why do you like it? or didnt like it? It has great word problems, pictures, and is very well oranised.

What are your favorite things about it? Probably the word problems. We also love the little snippets of Asian culture (we use the 3rd edition books not the US or standards ones).

Dislikes? I agree with others that there are too many books, but I'm so used to it that I hardly notice.

How long have you been using it? Since 2002.

What do your children think?They all really enjoy it! A few of my less mathy kids have needed some extra explanations and practice, but even they don't want to switch to another curriculum.

How teacher intensive is it? Super easy.

Are there times when a 9&10 year old can work on their own? Absolutely. My 9yo does most of it on his own. If doesn't understand something we go over it together. I check his work and then we work on any questions he got wrong together.

[Holly]

If I am reading singapore is a mastery program? Mastery

 

What are your favorite things about it? I like that it teaches multiple ways to approach problems, teaches understanding, and love how we start with manipulatives, move to pictures, then move to abstract.

 

Dislikes? There is a bit of jumping around with teacher's guide, text, and wb...not to mention all the additional books you can add. There is also not much practice in the book. This is nice when they don't need it, but not so great when you get stuck on a topic.

How long have you been using it? 2+ years

What do your children think? My oldest doesn't like math, but is okay with it. My DS loves it.

How teacher intensive is it? I think all elementary math should be somewhat teacher intensive. From the programs I've used, I'd call this moderate. I spend a few minutes planning the lesson, a bit of time teaching (5-20 minutes depending on the lesson), and another 10-15 overseeing their wb pages. If I don't "help" with the wb, they loose focus, but that may not be the case with your DC. I also need a bit of time to learn the materials since it's so different than how I was taught.

Are there times when a 9&10 year old can work on their own? Yes...especially with the wb and review pages.

 

Any other info that would be helpful in makeing the choice to go with it or run away lol? We've tried a few programs and have decided to stick with SM for the long haul. I love the idea behind Asian-style math and want my DC to have a deeper understanding than I have of mathematics. It may not always be perfect, but it's worth a little extra effort to make it work.