Element Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 My dd is finishing Singapore Primary Math U.S. Ed. 1A and moving into 1B. I am using the HIG, textbook, and workbook. My ds just finished MiF (The Singapore Approach) 3A and I've decided to move him into actual Primary Math (probably the SE) to save money. He tested into 3A so we will start there. This is my first year with Singapore and the HIG has been helpful, but I always see posts on here about supplemental Singapore books such as Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics and all of the math teacher resource books on the Singaporemath.com website. Money is tight right now and we don't have access to any of these books in our library or through ILL, so if I were to purchase just one of the books, which would you recommend? Additional information: My ds is extremely reluctant to use the bar model method, and when he tries he gets it wrong 90% of the time, so for a while I thought I needed a book on bar modeling. However, both of my kids are strong conceptually but seriously struggle with math facts, so now I'm wondering if I should get The Singapore Model Method for Learning Mathematics (because that seems like it would be an overview of the whole Singapore method, I assume?) Thank you in advance! I would just really like to be a stronger math teacher when we begin their new levels next month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrightmom Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 :bigear::bigear::bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Liping Ma, hands down. The great thing about this book is it walks you through four different errors a student makes and how two groups of teachers, American and Chinese, find the error and correct the thought process. Very enlightening and helpful in how to teach mathematics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Regarding the bar model, I wouldn't push its usage. Even the SM HIG says not to push bar models if your son's coming up with the answers without it. I would recommend that if your son is stuck on a problem, the two of you try to work on the problem with the bars. My son has slowly started using bars without prompting to try and find solutions that aren't immediately obvious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Another suggestion-Ed2Go has two Singapore Math teacher training courses, one focused more on K-2, and one specifically on the model method. I've done both, and really have found them (and having the course materials saved on my computer) more valuable than the HIGs by a landslide. There's a big difference between reading about the bar method and actually having to do problem sets and solve them using the bar method, and the discussion was wonderful. It wasn't expensive at all to do the training courses through our local community college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letsplaymath Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it (more information about the book here), but it isn't specifically about Singapore Math. Rather it's about what it means to understand math, and what type of understanding it takes to be a good teacher. There are four open-ended questions, which are each given at the beginning of a chapter, and then the teachers' answers are described and analyzed. The best way to read it is to read each question and then close the book and think about how you would answer it yourself --- even write out a few notes, if you want. And then, after you decide what you would have said, read the rest of the chapter. For more specific help on Singapore math, you might enjoy these websites: Free Singapore Math Problems The Singapore Maths Teacher Singapore Math: Simple or Complex? Word Problems from Literature The last one links to a series on my math blog that is sort of a mini-course on using bar models to solve word problems, beginning with simple 2nd-grade problems and going through level 5A. If you want to build up your own understanding of elementary arithmetic, the Parker and Baldridge textbooks (Elementary Mathematics for Teachers and Elementary Geometry for Teachers) are very good. I keep hoping to write a series on my blog about them, similar to the old Profound Understanding Yahoo group archives, whenever I get around to working on my good intentions list... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Letsplaymath, thanks for the links. These are great resources so now I'm off to read more about math... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMD Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it (more information about the book here), but it isn't specifically about Singapore Math. Rather it's about what it means to understand math, and what type of understanding it takes to be a good teacher. There are four open-ended questions, which are each given at the beginning of a chapter, and then the teachers' answers are described and analyzed. The best way to read it is to read each question and then close the book and think about how you would answer it yourself --- even write out a few notes, if you want. And then, after you decide what you would have said, read the rest of the chapter. ... Thankyou for this! You have just talked me into reading it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Element Posted December 15, 2011 Author Share Posted December 15, 2011 I can't seem to figure out how to multi-quote, so bear with me here. Denise, thank you for your helpful links! I am a big fan of your blog already, but I just need to remember to keep revisiting it as my questions and issues arise. What a great source of information! Erin- Thank you for the advice about Bar Models. I don't know why I try to keep equating "conceptually strong" with "should instantly understand bar models." I'm looking forward to getting the actual SM HIG for 3A, as opposed to the MiF Guide, which doesn't seem to be very permissive of alternate ways of solving things. Dmmetler- The ed2go classes look like they are out of my price range right now but I will absolutely keep them in mind for later! I will also suggest them to my mom, a grade 2 ps teacher, who always needs re-certification hours and has been very interested in learning about Singapore Math with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted December 15, 2011 Share Posted December 15, 2011 On the Ed2Go, tell your mom to check multiple schools in your state/are. The University I used to work for charged almost twice as much for the exact same class, done at the same time with the same learning group, as the community college I went with, and gave the same credits for teacher licensure. There were quite a few options in my state, and since it's all done online, you don't have to pick one close to you geographically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Element Posted December 15, 2011 Author Share Posted December 15, 2011 On the Ed2Go, tell your mom to check multiple schools in your state/are. The University I used to work for charged almost twice as much for the exact same class, done at the same time with the same learning group, as the community college I went with, and gave the same credits for teacher licensure. There were quite a few options in my state, and since it's all done online, you don't have to pick one close to you geographically. This website just says that the classes are $139 and I haven't even selected a state or a school yet. Am I looking at the wrong page? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I love Liping Ma's book and highly recommend it, but I wouldn't say that it is a teacher training book exactly. I read Elementary Mathematics for Teachers before using Singapore with my younger son (and after I had used a few of the books supplementally with my older son, so I was very familiar with the program). I found Elementary Mathematics for Teachers to be very helpful, as it helped me to understand where things were going, not just in the next lesson or within the same book, but over the entire series. It's probably not the most scintillating reading, but it gets the job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 As board member "letspalymath" has rightly said, the Liping Ma book (while one that was very valuable to me) is not a "how to" book on teaching Singapore math. This would not keep me from attempting to acquire a copy, and I would suggest purchasing the "original" edition used off Amazon (or elsewhere) as they can often be found cheaply. The new edition has a largely irrelevant new foreword, but there is no substantive difference otherwise. I have the Singapore Math Model book, I do not particularly recommend it (especially at the price). Were it a free PDF download I'd say grab it, but it is really aimed at impressing bureaucrats and government ministers and not really aimed at helping home educators (although it is somewhat useful). Like "letsplaymath" I would suggest the Parker and Baldridge book for the purposes you outline. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I love Liping Ma's book and highly recommend it, but I wouldn't say that it is a teacher training book exactly. I read Elementary Mathematics for Teachers before using Singapore with my younger son (and after I had used a few of the books supplementally with my older son, so I was very familiar with the program). I found Elementary Mathematics for Teachers to be very helpful, as it helped me to understand where things were going, not just in the next lesson or within the same book, but over the entire series. It's probably not the most scintillating reading, but it gets the job done. :iagree: Why did I bother? :D Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 (edited) I love Liping Ma's book and highly recommend it, but I wouldn't say that it is a teacher training book exactly. I read Elementary Mathematics for Teachers before using Singapore with my younger son (and after I had used a few of the books supplementally with my older son, so I was very familiar with the program). I found Elementary Mathematics for Teachers to be very helpful, as it helped me to understand where things were going, not just in the next lesson or within the same book, but over the entire series. It's probably not the most scintillating reading, but it gets the job done. :iagree: As board member "letspalymath" has rightly said, the Liping Ma book (while one that was very valuable to me) is not a "how to" book on teaching Singapore math. This would not keep me from attempting to acquire a copy, and I would suggest purchasing the "original" edition used off Amazon (or elsewhere) as they can often be found cheaply. The new edition has a largely irrelevant new foreword, but there is no substantive difference otherwise. I have the Singapore Math Model book, I do not particularly recommend it (especially at the price). Were it a free PDF download I'd say grab it, but it is really aimed at impressing bureaucrats and government ministers and not really aimed at helping home educators (although it is somewhat useful). Like "letsplaymath" I would suggest the Parker and Baldridge book for the purposes you outline. Bill :iagree: If I was forced to choose one, I would pick Elementary Mathematics for Teachers. However, using the book might pose a problem to someone on a tight budget due to the fact that it relies on the reader owning and working through the textbooks (and one workbook) through 6A. You could just reconcile yourself to going through the book at the same pace as your kids, studying the coming year's materials before each new year when you receive your kids' books. Still, it's something of which you should be aware when weighing the decision. The book is useful on its own but is optimally used with the SM textbooks. Edited December 16, 2011 by Alte Veste Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letsplaymath Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 ... I would suggest purchasing the "original" edition used off Amazon (or elsewhere) as they can often be found cheaply. The new edition has a largely irrelevant new foreword, but there is no substantive difference otherwise.... :iagree: I borrowed the new edition from my library and was disappointed not to find any new material in it. I had hoped for an extra chapter or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Element Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 As board member "letspalymath" has rightly said, the Liping Ma book (while one that was very valuable to me) is not a "how to" book on teaching Singapore math. This would not keep me from attempting to acquire a copy, and I would suggest purchasing the "original" edition used off Amazon (or elsewhere) as they can often be found cheaply. The new edition has a largely irrelevant new foreword, but there is no substantive difference otherwise. I have the Singapore Math Model book, I do not particularly recommend it (especially at the price). Were it a free PDF download I'd say grab it, but it is really aimed at impressing bureaucrats and government ministers and not really aimed at helping home educators (although it is somewhat useful). Like "letsplaymath" I would suggest the Parker and Baldridge book for the purposes you outline. Bill This is very helpful. I was wondering if the newer version was worth the extra $30. I'm also very glad to hear that I'm not missing out on anything life-altering by not picking up the Singapore Math Model book. It looks like Parker and Baldridge is written to go along with the US editions. I was planning on using the SE. Is this a problem? Thank you, Kristina, Kai, and Bill, for your input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 It looks like Parker and Baldridge is written to go along with the US editions. I was planning on using the SE. Is this a problem? Not a problem. I use the SE also. Go to this page for the adaptations. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 (edited) This is very helpful. I was wondering if the newer version was worth the extra $30. Definitely not. There is (as I mentioned) a new forward in which Ma expresses her surprise at the popularity of the book, which was based on her doctoral dissertation, etc. One can read it (or most of it) if memory serves in the Amazon preview. I just looked at Amazon and did not see any fantastic deals on used copies (hardcover is nice) but good deals come up. I'm also very glad to hear that I'm not missing out on anything life-altering by not picking up the Singapore Math Model book. I was the first kid on the block to order this. I counted down the days and punched in the order the moment it was available. I thought I'd be getting the Singapore Math bible. Not quite. It is a fair overview of the Singapore Math Model. Not useless, but not worth $30. I wish they offered it as an ebook for $5 or better yet free. It is not worth $30. It looks like Parker and Baldridge is written to go along with the US editions. I was planning on using the SE. Is this a problem? Not a big deal. A.V.A. (Kristina) has linked you to the supplement I see. Would I prefer a version written specifically for the Standards Edition? Yes. Is it a deal-breaker? No. Bill Edited December 16, 2011 by Spy Car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Element Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 Not a problem. I use the SE also. Go to this page for the adaptations. :) Wow, thank you! That will be very helpful. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Element Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 I just looked at Amazon and did not see any fantastic deals on used copies (hardcover is nice) but good deals come up. I was surprised that even the Kindle edition was (IMO) pricey! Thanks again for all of your help on the subject. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cassyt Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 For more specific help on Singapore math, you might enjoy these websites: Free Singapore Math Problems The Singapore Maths Teacher Singapore Math: Simple or Complex? Word Problems from Literature I second these. For free bar modeling help online, you should dig through the demos and practice problems on Thinkingblocks.com. Two books I like that have not been mentioned so far: Bar Modeling A Problem-solving Tool by Dr. Yeap Arithmetic for Parents by Ron Aharoni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Bumping in case this helps anyone else as much as it did me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 One thing you could consider: The Ma book, "Knowing and Teaching..." is available as a Kindle book on Amazon. Better yet, if you want to try it out, you can *rent* this Kindle book for 30 days for half the price of buying it. (I think a 30 day rental was about $9.50, and you can extend it to a purchase within that period if you decide you want to keep it.) This book was suggested to me, so this was the route I took. If you don't have a Kindle device, you can download an app and read it right on your computer. Just a suggestion if you're looking to go the most economical route!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I love Liping Ma's book and highly recommend it, but I wouldn't say that it is a teacher training book exactly. . It's probably not the most scintillating reading, but it gets the job done. :iagree: And fairly cheap, dry, full of extra practice and GOOD definitions and nomenclature is Schaum's Elementary Mathematics. I filled in all the holes I had, blew off the dust of those things I could barely remember, and learned the whys of things I'm handy at. Get the second edition. By Rich, revised by Schmidt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
underthebridge Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 This website just says that the classes are $139 and I haven't even selected a state or a school yet. Am I looking at the wrong page? Under the enroll button, there is a hyperlink "Choose another school". You can enter zip codes to choose a region. So far, NC (28303) is offering it for $70. Anybody know of a cheaper option? ETA: I didn't realize this thread was so old! But while I'm here... Has anyone taken this class? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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