Math in Focus vs Singapore - please help

[momsuz123]

Hi,

First time HS mom. My dd1 and dd2 are going into second and first grade. I am torn between MIF and Singapore Math. What do you all recommend? MIF is confusing to me as far as what books do I need (workbooks, supplements, teachers edition, etc). Anyone use either of them that can comment to me please. I searched this to see what has been said about it, but still need some help.

 

Thanks,

Suzanne

[BatmansWife]

I will be starting MIF next month. I'm getting 1B and 2A for my 2nd grader.

 

About a year ago someone posted a comparison of MIF and Singapore. I don't know if you came upon it while searching, but I'll copy & paste below.

 

Also, here is a link to the sample pages of MIF. Click on Start Evaluating Now and when you come to the next page, click on Browse to see all books.

 

You just need the student textbook, workbook, and TE for MIF. Some reviews I read said that the TE *might* not be necessary. But...I am getting it anyway. You might want to check what manipulatives you'll need; you may already have some or can substitute with something else. I'm getting mine from Rainbow Resource; the packaged set (they tell you what you need for manipulatives too). I know you can get it at HSBC too, with free shipping.

 

I wish I could give you more help, but I haven't started it yet. I think it looks really great though. OK...here is that review:

 

Singapore Math in Focus and Primary Math Standard Edition and Math Mammoth

 

A Comparison of 1st Grade

 

I was able to take a long and (relatively) uninterrupted look at Singapore Math in Focus Grade 1. I had the Teachers Guides, Textbook, and Workbook. I own the Singapore Math Standards edition with HIGs of first grade and Math Mammoth Light Blue 1A and 1B so I compared the programs. Here are my observations.

 

 

 

• Scope and Sequence
  

 

MIF and Singapore Primary Standards cover basically the same material. They both start out with counting to 10 and cover addition and subtraction facts to 10, shapes, ordinal numbers and position. They move onto numbers to 20 and addition and subtraction facts to 20. The later half of the year they cover graphs, numbers to 100, and addition and subtraction facts to 100.

 

Math Mammoth has a more narrow focus and starts at a more advanced place. It covers addition and subtraction facts within 10 in the first book. In 1B it covers place value, skip counting, clocks, measuring, money, and +/- facts within 100.

 

Some differences are that MIF covers mental math strategies explicitly in a separate chapter while these techniques are folded into the addition and subtraction chapters in Primary Math Standards Edition. Primary math includes capacity while MIF does not. Also, Primary Math covers halves and fourths and I didn’t find that in MIF.

 

Terminology

 

They both cover the fundamental concepts of multiplication as repeated addition and division as sharing equally. However, Primary Math actually uses the word multiplication whereas MIF does not. It emphasizes 5 fours =20. It would say 2+2+2= 3 twos = 3 groups of 2 = 6. Also in MIF they compare numbers with words but don’t use >, or < signs that I could find. There is no multiplication or division in Math Mammoth 1 that I could find.

 

Singapore Primary Math doesn’t include as much terminology as you would see in Math Mammoth or MIF. In Math Mammoth they use terms like addend, minuend and subtrahend in the text. In MIF these terms as well as the properties (like commutative or identity properties) are present in the teachers text but not in the student text or workbook.

 

One interesting thing I notes was that Primary Math HIGs say renaming, MIF says regrouping, and MM uses terms like making 10s, within 10s, or make 10s.

I grew up with borrowing and carrying so I have no idea what I am going to use. I used regrouping with my older ds and that worked well so I will probably stick with that.

 

Specifics

 

I picked the topic of subtraction with 10s to compare how each program presents the lesson.

 

For MIF the teacher guide has the fundamentals. They start in the TG with emphasizing how subtraction is related to the part-whole concept taught in addition. It goes on the list the strategies they use to teach subtraction – taking away, counting back, counting on, and using number bonds. The chapter planning guide breaks down the chapter into 45 minute instructional blocks(days) and tells you what resources to use each day. Each lesson starts with a 5 minute warm up and then moves to guided practice. Frequent use of manipulatives and/or pictoral representations is provided. They focus on manipulatives that directly assists with the lesson like the 10-frame, linking cubes, and place value charts. One or two games are included in the student text but they would be more fun with more than one kid participating. The lessons proceed logically and clearly and no leaps are made or expected of the student. The concept is taught, reinforced in the text, and finally workbook exercises that coincide directly with what was taught are assigned. Answers are provided to everything in the TG. Problems with missing subtrahends and minuends are provided and a challenging problem or two are presented in the text and workbook for every lesson. The chapter ends with a two page summary of what you have learned explicitly written out to the student in the text and very helpful.

 

In the Singapore US Standards edition the text isn’t as helpful if you are having problems. There is little explicitly stated and the pictures are large and cartoon like.

The HIG emphasizes taking away and part to whole but other strategies aren’t explored explicitly. Fact families are emphasized as the most important concept. The HIG explicitly states to commit facts to memory and this isn’t found in MIF. The teaching in the HIG is fairly unconnected to the text. That being said, I think Singapore is a strong program and for a math intuitive mom and/or kids this program would be easy to accelerate.

 

In Math Mammoth 1A subtraction is presented as taking away with pictoral representations emphasizing that. Counting back is presented in the context of a number line an explicit work with jumping back on the number line is illustrated multiple times with many opportunities for the student to practice this. MM works with number before for example ____,55 and ___,___,55. Counting back is taught and missing subtrahend and minuend problems are presented. Fact families are taught and comparing with > and < are explicitly asked of the student. For example 3-2 ____ 5 or compare 8-5___2+1.

Math Mammoth also explicitly teaches the student that you can’t subtract a bigger number from a smaller number without going into debt.

 

Of the three MIF seems the clearest with the best presentation. It is visually very clean and the TG is excellent. It isn’t as challenging as Math Mammoth and some of the problems seen in the Singapore Editions of IP and CWP are a good deal more difficult to do. Math Mammoth is easy to implement and covers things well but the presentation is more appropriate to a more mature student. The text and pictures are small and there are a lot of problems on the page, which appears very overwhelming. MIF is more thorough and explicit in its’ instruction and it would be easy to teach from just the text and workbook with a mathy dc in first grade.

[Chelli]

I have also ordered MIF 1b and it is currently in the mail. I am going to use it alongside Horizons math.

 

I only ordered the textbook and the workbook. I read quite a few reviews and about 90% of them said that the TE is not necessary until you get to the 3/4 levels because you will want to have the answers to the problems handy to help your dc if they have trouble.

 

When I get my books in the mail this week, I will post if I made a good decision about not getting the TE ;) I looked through the manipulative kit at RR site and I had all the manipulatives except base 10 blocks, so I will purchase those at a teacher supply store in Houston soon.

[BatmansWife]

I have also ordered MIF 1b and it is currently in the mail. I am going to use it alongside Horizons math.

 

I only ordered the textbook and the workbook. I read quite a few reviews and about 90% of them said that the TE is not necessary until you get to the 3/4 levels because you will want to have the answers to the problems handy to help your dc if they have trouble.

 

When I get my books in the mail this week, I will post if I made a good decision about not getting the TE ;) I looked through the manipulative kit at RR site and I had all the manipulatives except base 10 blocks, so I will purchase those at a teacher supply store in Houston soon.

 

Well, this is exciting news! I think the MIF users here are relatively small. I can't wait to get ours....but our school hasn't even ordered them for us yet! :glare: Please do post again after you get your books and can look them over.

[sbgrace]

I've got incoming/rising 2nd graders and I purchased Math in Focus 1B to pick up anything that doesn't overlap with the math we used in 1st grade. I'll move to 2A when we get there. I don't think I'll need all of 1B but it's ok if I do. I purchased the workbook and student textbook. I don't think I'll need the teacher's manual at this level. I did purchase a set of base 10 blocks from Rainbow Resources. I think I can make do with what I have for manipulatives otherwise.

 

I'm excited about the program. I actually got my box today but I've not been able to look at it yet. I'm feeling nervous actually because I so want this to work for my math disliking kid.

[Chelli]

Okay...here is my initial impression about MIF. I think we are going to LOVE it! The student textbook is fabulous. Each step is explained very thoroughly with LOTS of practice. The workbook is nicely laid out with lots of space to write answers and solve problems (just like Primary Mathematics' workbooks).

 

I am glad that I did not by the TM since the student book explains concepts so thoroughly I can teach from it (for now at least!). All of the hands on activities and learning games are in the student book, so you don't even need the TM for those! I was not expecting that, but am pleasantly surprised. The program will cost you about $60 for the whole year if you don't buy the TM, so I'm holding off on needing to buy that for as long as possible!

 

As for manipulatives, the only thing I really need is a set of base 10 blocks (I already have unifix cubes or I would need those). You might want a balance (for 1B), but it is only needed for one chapter so I'm going to skip on that one.

 

Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase. I kind of went out on a limb with this one since practically nobody on this board uses MIF. I will continue to supplement with Horizons math workbooks just because I can't let go of that spiral approach! I am also adding in CWP between chapters.

 

I can't wait to hear what the PP's think about it when they receive theirs.

[BatmansWife]

Okay...here is my initial impression about MIF. I think we are going to LOVE it! The student textbook is fabulous. Each step is explained very thoroughly with LOTS of practice. The workbook is nicely laid out with lots of space to write answers and solve problems (just like Primary Mathematics' workbooks).

 

I am glad that I did not by the TM since the student book explains concepts so thoroughly I can teach from it (for now at least!). All of the hands on activities and learning games are in the student book, so you don't even need the TM for those! I was not expecting that, but am pleasantly surprised. The program will cost you about $60 for the whole year if you don't buy the TM, so I'm holding off on needing to buy that for as long as possible!

 

As for manipulatives, the only thing I really need is a set of base 10 blocks (I already have unifix cubes or I would need those). You might want a balance (for 1B), but it is only needed for one chapter so I'm going to skip on that one.

 

Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase. I kind of went out on a limb with this one since practically nobody on this board uses MIF. I will continue to supplement with Horizons math workbooks just because I can't let go of that spiral approach! I am also adding in CWP between chapters.

 

I can't wait to hear what the PP's think about it when they receive theirs.

 

Thanks for the review. I'm glad it's a positive one so far. I'm anxious to get ours and then I'll be able to let everyone know if there's anything additional in the TE's that aren't in the books...& if it's anything that is really necessary. If I were buying this myself I wouldn't have gotten the TE's..but since the school is buying it I figured I might as well (in fact, they maybe wouldn't have wanted me to *not* get the TE's).

[sbgrace]

Thanks for the review. I'm glad it's a positive one so far. I'm anxious to get ours and then I'll be able to let everyone know if there's anything additional in the TE's that aren't in the books...& if it's anything that is really necessary. If I were buying this myself I wouldn't have gotten the TE's..but since the school is buying it I figured I might as well (in fact, they maybe wouldn't have wanted me to *not* get the TE's).

 

I hope you'll let us know if you think it adds significantly to the program. One thing I noticed is that the TE (I glanced at the sample) has some chapters laid out for two or more days and others for one day. As far as I can tell you can't tell from the student book that you might have divided a particular lesson in two days if you were following the TE. Other than that I didn't see anything significant in the TE's but I only did a quick glance.

 

So far so good here though 1B starts with comparing weight and such that would naturally appeal to my math hater more than, say, addition with regrouping. He really likes the color and pictures so far and the pacing/amount of practice/etc. seems good to me.