Singapore math for newly homeschooled 5th grader

[babygemma]

Is it doable and not too teacher intensive, particularly would like him to do the word problems. He has been in ps and I know basic math but not particularly good w explaining and terrible w word problems. Otherwise we would like to try math mammoth or saxon, but I was just at hs expo and so many raved about singapore word problems. Any suggestions or should I do combo, if so,, what would be good to do together? my son is a quick learner and is pretty good with math, although he doesn't love. public school math esp. word problems are boring and too straightforward for him.

can anyone also comment if you are using us or standard edition, HIG or Teacher's Guide. I'd like something that provides step-by-step solutions for me for my non-mathematical brain! Thanks.

[BarbaraL in OK]

My older son started homeschooling in 5th grade, too. He's now 15, and entering 10th grade (at home). We were very happy with Singapore. I would say that Singapore really presents math in what we would call word problems, but it's a real-world context -- how we really encounter math. Singapore made my kids completely comfortable with word problems as a normal way to put math to use!

 

First I had my son take the test on the singaporemath.com website to find out where to place him. Then I got that textbook (something like 4B, I don't remember exactly). I had him work quickly through the lessons until he hit something less familiar or presented in a way that he didn't get at first, at which point he needed to slow down. This helped him fill in the gaps so he would be ready to start the next Singapore book.

 

I also learned to sit with him and go through the lesson and then the first problem or two, before letting him work on his own -- an important investment of a little time that helped both of us.

 

When your son is finding that most of the lessons are new topics or new approaches, it might be time to get a secondary book to work through alongside the textbook. Think about whether he could use more practice on a topic (get the workbook), slightly more challenging practice (get Intensive Practice), and/or more challenges with the topics (get Challenging Word Problems -- though folks often get CWP a full level below the textbook being used).

 

With both my sons, once we got to level 4 or so, the combination of textbook and Intensive Practice was a good one.

 

As for editions and guides, five years ago we were getting the standard edition, but last year for my then-5th-grade younger son I think we were getting the new US edition. I never got the HIG or teachers guide, but I am really comfortable with math. I do think I probably missed some helpful info and guidance, but we did fine.

 

Best wishes with your homeschooling!

[karensk]

If you decide to use SM, then you'd want to have your son take the SM placement test to figure out which level to get. The HIGs are written for homeschool parents who aren't trained math teachers, so they have a lot of helps and step-by-step solutions worked out for you.

 

Ultimately, you should get a math program that works for you and your child. Some programs (e.g., SM, BJU, most traditional math textbooks) are arranged topically, as in one topic per chapter. And other programs are arranged spirally (e.g., Horizons, Saxon), so each daily lesson covers multiple topics, many which have been previously taught. So there's not a chapter on fractions or decimals or area, but rather the fraction problems are interspersed throughout the text.

 

And whichever program you end up using, you might want to have your child every now and then work through some similar-level problems from a different math program to make sure he's learning the math, not just accustomed to a certain publisher's format. (SWB suggested this at a HS conference recently.) So, for example, if you decide to use Saxon as your math program, you could buy a Singapore math book of approximately the same level for about $10 and have your son work a few problems from it, maybe once a week. The Intensive Practice series would be my top pick, if you had to get only one.

 

HTH!

[redsquirrel]

Do not be afraid to take a step back in years to make the program workable.

 

FTR, I have only used Singapore for my son. He is starting 6a next year, it will be his 6th grade year. I have him work through Singapore Challenging word problems at year 4! They are plenty challenging, lol. I am looking for review and for weaknesses. My son tends to ZOOM (like so many his age) and this proves to him that he needs to slow down and THINK. Going back 2 years was a great choice.