Singapore Math - Guidance

[kelise24]

Ok, so I recently purchased Singapore Math and sat down with the books last night. Mind you, I had a toddler jumping around, but it seemed a little overwhelming to me. Not the concepts so much, just my part in this. There was so much on each page, and it seemed like it was all just thrown out there... Maybe I was just tired. Super busy work day, then karate with my son, dinner, and a crazy toddler. :tongue_smilie:

 

For those who have used Singapore math, did it seem organized to you and easy for you to present? Do you have advice on how to "tackle" it? Strategies? Thanks.

 

BTW, my son (8yo - 3rd grade) is very good with math and likes to do math problems. He wants to just pick up the workbook and start doing problems....

[boscopup]

I use Standards edition with the HIG. The HIG lays out the lesson pretty clearly for the teacher. I present the lesson from the HIG on the white board, we discuss a few TB problems, and when we get to the purple pencil, we head over to the workbook to do that "exercise" (and they're labeled). There is also a schedule in the beginning of the HIG, but I don't really use that

 

We intersperse IP and CWP at will. I don't schedule those.

[kelise24]

I use Standards edition with the HIG. The HIG lays out the lesson pretty clearly for the teacher. I present the lesson from the HIG on the white board, we discuss a few TB problems, and when we get to the purple pencil, we head over to the workbook to do that "exercise" (and they're labeled). There is also a schedule in the beginning of the HIG, but I don't really use that

 

We intersperse IP and CWP at will. I don't schedule those.

 

I'm using the U.S. edition. So, it sounds pretty organized, then. I meant to bring it with me to work so I could look at it during some down time, but I left it this morning. Could have just been that my brain was officially shut off for the day when I was readig it last night... :glare:

[Dana]

I like the Standards edition much better than the US edition. I like the additional topics. The HiGs are also better.

 

Regarding the "busy-ness" of the pages, I generally use a folded piece of paper as a guide when we're doing work and move it down the page in the textbook. It helps my son focus on just the problem we're doing and not on extraneous stuff. I'd do this with any math text & find it helps us.

[kelise24]

I like the Standards edition much better than the US edition. I like the additional topics. The HiGs are also better.

 

Regarding the "busy-ness" of the pages, I generally use a folded piece of paper as a guide when we're doing work and move it down the page in the textbook. It helps my son focus on just the problem we're doing and not on extraneous stuff. I'd do this with any math text & find it helps us.

 

I want to switch to the Standards Edition once I use what I have already purchased.

[In the Rain]

 

BTW, my son (8yo - 3rd grade) is very good with math and likes to do math problems. He wants to just pick up the workbook and start doing problems....

 

My dd is often able to just pick up the workbook and go. Unless it is a totally new concept, she doesn't usually need instruction or the textbook.

 

The HIG and textbook do make sense to me. Maybe as you go along it will become easier for you. I remember AAS seeming overwhelming when I started. It soon became very easy to follow.

[kitten18]

I was definitely overwhelmed when I first received my SM books. I had all the books, I was flipping back and forth from the lesson (in HIG) to the schedule in the front, to the TB and workbook.:001_huh:

 

I just had to go ahead and start doing lessons. It got much easier after about a week.

[chepyl]

You can look at the schedule, or just go through the textbook and when you get to the little pencil/arrow you go to the workbook and do the exercise. If you can't explain a concept, use the HIG. It looks like a lot, but once you get going it is pretty easy.

[ErinE]

For our SM lessons, I always use the HIG first. If I've been super mom, I may have reviewed the week's lessons on Sunday. Usually, I'm glancing at it while the kids are eating breakfast. Then, if it's a new concept, we go through examples, most days using my own equations. This is usually only 5-10 minutes unless it's a big new concept like long division or fractions.

 

If we haven't used the textbook, I might open it up and glance at to see if there are any tricky problems I want him to work. Then I send him off with the workbook. It may feel like you're juggling a lot of books, but really you only need the HIG to educate yourself and the textbook (maybe) for your lesson together. I rarely have the HIG out while I'm doing the lesson.

 

I started out scheduling SM and within a month, I stopped planning lessons in advance. My kids go at their own pace. Although most days, they'll do one worksheet, there have been days when they'll complete two to three. If we're nearing the end of a book, the kids are usually motivated to work faster as I give them a week off when we transition to a new level. I'm a big proponent of planning and most of our subjects are scheduled at the beginning of the academic year, but with math, I've been wrong too many times.

[kelise24]

I was definitely overwhelmed when I first received my SM books. I had all the books, I was flipping back and forth from the lesson (in HIG) to the schedule in the front, to the TB and workbook.:001_huh:

 

I just had to go ahead and start doing lessons. It got much easier after about a week.

 

Thank you! So happy to know someone else felt the same way. I was doing the flipping back and forth thing, too. I decided to just dive in with the lessons!

 

My dd is often able to just pick up the workbook and go. Unless it is a totally new concept, she doesn't usually need instruction or the textbook.

 

The HIG and textbook do make sense to me. Maybe as you go along it will become easier for you. I remember AAS seeming overwhelming when I started. It soon became very easy to follow.

 

I think it will get easier as I go along. Being new to all of this, it seems like I'm learning more than he is, because I have to figure out what the heck I'm doing with all of these different lessons. (Scheduling wise - I get the concepts... for now. Ha!)

 

You can look at the schedule, or just go through the textbook and when you get to the little pencil/arrow you go to the workbook and do the exercise. If you can't explain a concept, use the HIG. It looks like a lot, but once you get going it is pretty easy.

 

Thank you. I think I will follow your advice. Leave the HIG alone unless I need it.

 

For our SM lessons, I always use the HIG first. If I've been super mom, I may have reviewed the week's lessons on Sunday. Usually, I'm glancing at it while the kids are eating breakfast. Then, if it's a new concept, we go through examples, most days using my own equations. This is usually only 5-10 minutes unless it's a big new concept like long division or fractions.

 

If we haven't used the textbook, I might open it up and glance at to see if there are any tricky problems I want him to work. Then I send him off with the workbook. It may feel like you're juggling a lot of books, but really you only need the HIG to educate yourself and the textbook (maybe) for your lesson together. I rarely have the HIG out while I'm doing the lesson.

 

I started out scheduling SM and within a month, I stopped planning lessons in advance. My kids go at their own pace. Although most days, they'll do one worksheet, there have been days when they'll complete two to three. If we're nearing the end of a book, the kids are usually motivated to work faster as I give them a week off when we transition to a new level. I'm a big proponent of planning and most of our subjects are scheduled at the beginning of the academic year, but with math, I've been wrong too many times.

 

I let him go at his pace. Usually he is faster than I thought in the first place. He likes math. I get math, but I don't want to just do problems for fun... He does! :tongue_smilie: