New to SM...but my there looks to be a lot of problems to do

[AEC]

Hi-

 

DS9 finished Miquon this summer. To date, that's all we've done - along with math-facts practice and some arithmetic pages I made on excel. His integer arithmetic is fast and accurate...fractions and word problems not so much.

 

We decided he'd start with SM 3B and run with SM till we switch for algebra. The SM books arrived here on Friday and I've been looking through them preparing for starting on Tuesday. My first impression.....my, but there are A LOT of problems to work and the new stuff comes pretty incrementally.

 

Does anyone actually do all of this? There's the teaching/discussion part which has some problems we work together, daily. Then every day has 2ish pages of examples/discussion in the 'textbook'. Then a page of exercises in the 'workbook'. All together that just seems like soul-crushing repetition...no? I'd like to add the 'challenging word problems', but it already sounds like a lot.

 

We'll start by doing exactly what they suggest for the first week and see how it goes. Maybe I'm over-reacting. If you've got any suggestions for streamlining the program (or warnings not to), I'm listening.

[truebluexf]

I felt the same way! In first grade we didn't even use the text, but for 3rd with my DS we did. Ouch. It didn't go over well for us.

[Crimson Wife]

I streamline it for DD by doing IP and CWP but not the workbook.

[zoo_keeper]

We don't use the HIG. Right now, we do the textbook together, the workbook pages independently, and then the CWP/IP practices orally together. The wb/tb get done more frequently (e.g., one lesson/day) while the supplementals get done in bigger, more infrequent chunks.

One of the main criticisms of SM is that there isn't enough repetition, compared to other math programs...

 

I particularly like the CWP books, though some of the problems are very "C" indeed, being able to do these kinds of problems really shows a mastery of contextual math.

[amyrjoy]

I agree, it's a lot, but I'm trying to stick with it. We used Abeka last year and I didn't see retention or enough of word problems, etc. So for DS we are doing SM 1. I added The challenge problems and IP as well and we tackle a page of each, each day. It's a lot, but I think it is worth it at the time being. Who knows, maybe we will burn out of SM but I just have a feeling doing this work will reap the most benefits. for DD, we are doing TT and then the IP and CWP from grade 2- since those seemed about the level of 2nd grade of Abeka we left off from. DD is in 3rd grade but I think the extra practice from sM will help her too.

[MissKNG]

I streamline it for DD by doing IP and CWP but not the workbook.

 

:iagree:

[Penelope]

If it's a concept he clearly understands, we skip some or even most of the textbook practice. I often use the IP and CWP instead of the workbook. In the standards edition, there are some topics that are not found in the IP, so in that case we use the wb.

 

I do like having all of the practice, because occasionally we need it. Long division in 3 was an area that took more practice, as was two digit multiplication in 4A. It is nice to have options to pick and choose, and to have pages to add in for review later, if a student needs it.

 

This thread is a little funny to me, though, because usually a criticism of Singapore is that it doesn't provide enough practice. I can't imagine what I would do with a program that had more than this one!

[boscopup]

Since it's designed for schools, I would expect there to be a lot of problems. I think you could skip as needed. I doubt the schools use all the problems. ;)

 

I just use the IP and CWP, and I go through and circle some of the problems for DS to do. He uses Math Mammoth as his spine, and we don't do all the problems there either (there are a LOT of problems). I just have him do however much he needs. If it's a concept he already understands well, we'll just do a few to keep them fresh. If it's a completely new concept that he's never done before, we'll do more problems and just spread the section out over a longer period of time if we need to.

[eewaggie99]

I go through the problems once we finished the HIG portion and circle the ones he should do. If he has problems with the concept, we revisit the worksheet to do the rest of the problems.

[BarbaraL in OK]

Both of my sons (older did Singapore 4B-6B, younger did 1A-6B) needed more practice than the textbook offered, but not as much as textbook + workbook + IP and/or CWP.

 

Kinda like Goldilocks, we found a middle way that was just right for us.

 

My older son felt the workbook was tedious. "Just right" for him turned out to be textbook + IP for that level, occasionally dipping into CWP. When he needed to solidify a particular skill (subtracting multi-digit numbers, long division, multiplication to 12x12), I added targeted worksheets I found online for drill-type practice.

 

For my younger son, "just right" was textbook + workbook (simply to slow him down for better absorption!), and every week or so a little work in IP from the previous level (e.g., IP 4 when he was using the 5B textbook). Also worksheets as needed for specific skills.

[nmoira]

Does anyone actually do all of this? There's the teaching/discussion part which has some problems we work together, daily. Then every day has 2ish pages of examples/discussion in the 'textbook'. Then a page of exercises in the 'workbook'. All together that just seems like soul-crushing repetition...no? I'd like to add the 'challenging word problems', but it already sounds like a lot.

You do what your child needs, with an eye to keeping it challenging without being too frustrating. The amount of scaffolding varies from child to child as does the point at which it becomes challenging. :001_smile:

[Jim]

When we used SM, our first year at home we discussed the material as described in the HIG, complete the workbook problems and the workbook problems in their entirety. The complaint at the time was that there were to few problems, not to many.

 

We've since switched to Saxon and we still complete each and every problem. It averages about 30 a day and I don't think that's asking to much. To me, math is all about repitition and proving mastery. My fear is that by missing even the tiniest bit the effort could collapse later.

 

I know through personal experience this is possible. It was ugly, going from an excellent math student to totally confused. It will not happen to my son.

 

 

Jim

[timetoteach]

We have only completed Singapore 1B so far after doing RSB. DD does the textbook orally as we go through the HIG, and all the problems in the workbook. She works on CWP, IP and mental math with her dad in the evenings (a step behind what we do in the HIG). We also still supplement with RS activities.

 

It is alot, but it helps to have my husband's help, and my daughter enjoys the one on one time with him. We are now working through the 2a workbook but my husband is still finishing up CWP/IP 1.

[Penelope]

To me, math is all about repitition and proving mastery. My fear is that by missing even the tiniest bit the effort could collapse later.

 

I know through personal experience this is possible. It was ugly, going from an excellent math student to totally confused. It will not happen to my son.

 

 

Jim

 

I do think this is important to consider. We do know our own kids, but there is the danger of assuming they know something to the point that we let them off easy in the name of advancement, and they don't get the overlearning that is needed for mastery.

 

Leigh Bortins makes this point well in The Core.

 

This is probably why I have at times built more review into SM than is actually there in the sequence. But there is such a thing as overkill, too.