lea1 Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 (edited) I have been teaching Singapore 1A to my two K'ers (both boys - just turned 6yo). They seem to have understood the addition to 20 chapter and now we have started the chapter on subtraction within 20. Granted, we have not gotten very far into it yet, but I keep having this nagging feeling that they are not really getting it. I really want them to learn the concepts well, to have a solid foundation, and not just learn a method. So I am contemplating switching to Right Start A, which I happen to have, along with the manipulatives. I had planned to use RS A originally but did not really care for the way it jumps to several topics in one lesson but I can make myself teach it if it will get us to the point of really understanding and enjoying math. I really like Singapore and would plan to come back to it after doing RS A or maybe RS B too? I'm not sure if I should be moving to RS B or if RS A will be OK. Would it be too redundant to do RS A and then come back to Singapore 1A? Will RS A be too easy? ETA: We are also going very slowly and doing all of the problems in the workbook, the IP and the CWP books. Edited October 7, 2011 by Lea in OK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea1 Posted October 7, 2011 Author Share Posted October 7, 2011 Anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I would personally use RightStart A. Rebecca wasn't getting it when we tried Singapore either, but RS really helped her understanding. Are you using the HIGs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 The addition to 20 (using Singapore's method) is the foundation of mental math. I think you're right to stop for a while if they aren't getting it. It sounds like it's not a problem with the curriculum, though, but is most likely a developmental issue. Mentally manipulating numbers in the way Singapore teaches requires a mental maturity that most K'ers don't yet have. (Remember, it's a 1st grade book!) I actually had the same situation with both of my girls at that point in the book. We just stopped doing Singapore for a while and did "life" instead. Every once in a while (like, every few months) I'd check to see if they were ready. Once they were we moved on. I guess you could go to Right Start for a while if you aren't comfortable with just not doing math workbooks for a while, but IME you don't NEED to. You could just talk about math throughout the day. I sometimes lay in bed with my kids when they're going to sleep at night and say math problems for them to work out. They like this because they get time alone with me and get to stay up later! Oh, one thing that I've found REALLY helps with this concept is the Right Start Abacus. We don't use their curriculum but I couldn't do without the abacus. It is the perfect tool for teaching this concept! You could just make up 5 problems per day of adding/subtracting within 20 and have them use the abacus to find the answer. Once they start doing it without the abacus you know they've got it! HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Oh, another thing - I put the add/subtract within 20 problems on popsicle sticks, stuck them in a mug, and we used them with the Candyland board. Simple, fun, and effective! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joyfulhomeschooler Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 :iagree: The addition to 20 (using Singapore's method) is the foundation of mental math. I think you're right to stop for a while if they aren't getting it. It sounds like it's not a problem with the curriculum, though, but is most likely a developmental issue. Mentally manipulating numbers in the way Singapore teaches requires a mental maturity that most K'ers don't yet have. (Remember, it's a 1st grade book!) I actually had the same situation with both of my girls at that point in the book. We just stopped doing Singapore for a while and did "life" instead. Every once in a while (like, every few months) I'd check to see if they were ready. Once they were we moved on. I guess you could go to Right Start for a while if you aren't comfortable with just not doing math workbooks for a while, but IME you don't NEED to. You could just talk about math throughout the day. I sometimes lay in bed with my kids when they're going to sleep at night and say math problems for them to work out. They like this because they get time alone with me and get to stay up later! Oh, one thing that I've found REALLY helps with this concept is the Right Start Abacus. We don't use their curriculum but I couldn't do without the abacus. It is the perfect tool for teaching this concept! You could just make up 5 problems per day of adding/subtracting within 20 and have them use the abacus to find the answer. Once they start doing it without the abacus you know they've got it! HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 We found that supplementing with some of the MM blue books really helped my younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 You could get some C Rods and/or Miquon. The rods are awesome at concrete understandings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillian Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 We are using RSA this year and loving it with our young K-er. We plan on moving up to Singapore 1A next year for first. The abacus has really helped Little Miss grasp what we are talking about right now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethben Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I did Math u see Alpha until ds was ready (we started singapore when he was almost 6). He's almost 7 and is now ready to go back to Singapore. He just needed some time to mature. Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 When ds was 6 and did 1A, I had to stop half way into the book and used Rod and Staff Math 1 to supplement for a few months. To do 8+6, you need to know 8 and what make 10 and then 6 is 2 and what. It is very hard if a child doesn't know these facts yet. With my younger, I did oral drill with him every other night in bed before he fell asleep so when he did 1A, it was easy. Now he is 6.8 and just finished 2B, IP 2B, and CWP 2 yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 For us, there have been mental readiness issues. When I found kiddo wasn't/isn't clicking right along, I move ahead. Start alternating days with the measurement, geometry, etc. parts. Play some games (in your case both addition and subtraction games), e.g. Sum Swamp and Money Bags and the Dino place value one. Play the card game War, but the smaller number wins, not the biggest. Simple addition and subtraction bingo (place cards have numbers like 0-12 and the cards you draw are 4+1 or 8-2 or even 3x3). I got good advice here not to belabor areas not gotten, and not listen to the HIG which said X MUST BE mastered before going on. Then one day when I've moved past hope, the nickle drops and kiddo understands it. Sometimes he tells me. "I get it!" Sometimes he just starts getting the problems himself without hints more and more. If you otherwise like SM, I wouldn't switch for this issue. For us, I'm sure I would have turned into a Math Hopper if I moved on for every stumbling block. HTH, and don't worry, changing or staying at this point will not harm anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea1 Posted October 7, 2011 Author Share Posted October 7, 2011 (edited) Thanks everyone. I am using the HIG and I really like it. I had Miquon and the rods and tried to get that going here but I had a hard time with it. Even though I have tried, the rods just really don't make a lot of sense to me, for some reason. (I like/enjoy math and had to take 4 semesters of calc in college, so I normally get math). We also have the cubes that link together and they make more sense to me and we have used them with Singapore. I really like the RS abacus, which is another reason I am pulled to use RS A for a while. I think we will take some time off Singapore and come back to it in a few months. In the meantime, we can play around with RS A since we already have it (even though I will have to grit my teeth to get through it:tongue_smilie:). Thanks for all of the advice and feedback. Edited October 7, 2011 by Lea in OK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 FWIW, I don't care much for RS A even though I love, love, :001_wub: RS B. Level A has too much of a "spiral" format for my tastes. If your student is most of the way through Singapore 1A, I think there should be no problem starting B. DS completed 1A last spring but I felt like he really didn't have all that solid an understanding of the concepts of addition and place value. Not like his big sister got from RS B. So I decided to hold off on Singapore 1B and take him through RS B. I'm really glad I did start him in RS B because even though the beginning part is pretty easy for him after doing Singapore 1A, I think he is getting a much better understanding of the underlying concepts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Accidental double post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea1 Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 Thanks for the information Crimson Wife. I will investigate A VS B further before I make a final decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joysworld Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 When we got to that part in 1a, we took a break. I didn't really do any other math in that time. I just made review pages of things he already knew. It finally clicked with him, and we still go back and review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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