Singapore Math Primary 1A,B

[talk2ham.1]

Is the textbook a consumable product as opposed to the workbook? Are both textbook and workbook necessary? Or is the textbook just illustrations of what to do (stuff I could probably figure out and teach on my own) while the workbook is the practice stuff?

[Iucounu]

The textbook is not consumable. You should consider buying the Home Instructor's Guide and textbook, and ditching the workbook, if you need to save a few dollars. The whole point of buying Singapore Math is the instruction, not to drill-and-kill. The illustrations are very clear in the textbook, and the Home Instructor's Guide is excellent too, with many enrichment activities that you probably wouldn't think of yourself. Challenging Word Problems / Intensive Practice are good additions too-- but again, I wouldn't skip the textbooks.

 

If you're really looking to save money as a top priority and will be doing all the teaching yourself, consider Mathematics Enhancement Programme instead; it's free.

[Crimson Wife]

The textbook can be used either as a consumable or as a non-consumable. I personally have my kids write in them because it's easier that way and they aren't particularly expensive to buy for each student.

 

You definitely need the textbook and either the workbook or the Intensive Practice book. The workbook for an average student, the IP book for an advanced one.

 

The Home Instructor's Guide I don't find necessary at the 1A/B level, but I know many parents find it helpful.

[Iucounu]

The textbooks aren't intended to be consumable, although you can certainly write in them the way you can any book. I disagree that the workbooks are necessary, or any supplement to the textbook-- it depends on how much extra practice a particular child needs, and how much other enrichment is provided for math. I haven't seen the HIG for 1A/1B, only later levels, so it might be that it's not as helpful early on.

Edited January 22, 2012 by Iucounu

[Five More Minutes]

For 1A & 1B, I've used the HIG extensively to give me ideas for teaching concepts. The textbook is non-consumable and we do it orally at this level. I find the workbooks invaluable.

[Crimson Wife]

The textbooks aren't intended to be consumable, although you can certainly write in them the way you can any book. I disagree that the workbooks are necessary, or any supplement to the textbook-- it depends on how much extra practice a particular child needs, and how much other enrichment is provided for math. I haven't seen the HIG for 1A/1B, only later levels, so it might be that it's not as helpful early on.

 

Aren't you using them in an "afterschooling" context? Those of us who are homeschooling full-time and not using Singapore to supplement a PS math curriculum will definitely want to use both the textbook and some sort of workbook (either the regular or IP one). There simply isn't enough practice in the textbook alone, even for a bright child.

[kristinannie]

Aren't you using them in an "afterschooling" context? Those of us who are homeschooling full-time and not using Singapore to supplement a PS math curriculum will definitely want to use both the textbook and some sort of workbook (either the regular or IP one). There simply isn't enough practice in the textbook alone, even for a bright child.

 

 

 

:iagree: The workbook is the meat of the program.

[AmericanMom]

I have taught this book 4 times and never used the HIG for level one. I get the textbook and do that as the lessons orally or on a white board, then use the workbook for practice. I do have the HIG for levels 2-6, but I don't use it much (except to grade in a hurry) until level 3.

[Spy Car]

We use the Textbook as a "consumable." This usually involves me doing the writing (as the scribe). Sometimes demonstrating how to work out the problems, sometimes having my son do the "work" out loud. It can be used in a non-consumable fashion on separate paper, but I find writing in the Textbook handy.

 

I do think (and we are "afterschoolers") that the Workbooks are necessary. This is when the student is supposed to independently (or semi-independently) show they have mastered the lessons in the Textbooks.

 

The Standards Edition HIGs are a boon. The Intensive Practice books (from the US Edition) and Challenging Word Problem books make it a complete and rigiorus program.

 

Bill

[Iucounu]

Aren't you using them in an "afterschooling" context? Those of us who are homeschooling full-time and not using Singapore to supplement a PS math curriculum will definitely want to use both the textbook and some sort of workbook (either the regular or IP one). There simply isn't enough practice in the textbook alone, even for a bright child.

It really depends on the child. There's "bright", and then there's gifted; the more gifted the child, the less practice is necessary, and actually for highly gifted children less drill is typically recommended. In fact, for highly gifted children, "curriculum compacting" is often recommended (skipping a section if a pretest shows mastery). With DS6, he didn't need any instruction on first grade math at all, since he'd more than picked up that material on his own.

 

DS6 is currently in public second grade after a skip, in their top math section, but they're still using Everyday Math at the second grade level. As he's finished with SM 4B and I can see what they're doing in school, I know that he's not getting any practice in material at his level during the day. His MAP scores showed at the beginning of this year that he was a good candidate for a skip to fifth, especially since EDM seems to be about a year behind SM in grade level, but the district Just Doesn't Do That.

 

So while this is an unusual situation, it is a real-life one-- and every child's needs are really going to be different. Some children will have a better memory, so won't need much drill at all on facts or procedures; some will need more practice on problem solving, etc. Some of these requirements are essentially mix-and-match, in my experience-- someone may have high processing speed and working memory even if they're average on conceptual learning, and vice versa.

 

We've gone through LOF Fractions, Ed Zaccaro Challenge Math for Primary Grades, and bits of other things as well, which I think are partly responsible for his good problem-solving abilities; this is extra practice, but certainly not keyed to SM. We still haven't done a single page from the workbooks, as it hasn't been necessary. We own the Challenging Word Problems / Intensive Practice, and have done several problems from them, less than ten in total. I may do more with him on this in the future, and we may do selections from MEP. I don't know. I do know it would be extremely limiting and frustrating to him to plow through more practice than he needs, when he's raring to go on.

Edited January 22, 2012 by Iucounu

[talk2ham.1]

Hmmmm. I'll probably end up getting both. I am also using Activities for the AL Abacus to help reinforce math concepts as he learns them. And I make my own drill sheets as needed or snag what freebie printables from mommy and teacher bloggers.

[Crimson Wife]

It really depends on the child. There's "bright", and then there's gifted; the more gifted the child, the less practice is necessary, and actually for highly gifted children less drill is typically recommended. In fact, for highly gifted children, "curriculum compacting" is often recommended (skipping a section if a pretest shows mastery).

 

You're lecturing the wrong woman, sister. I've got a kid in DYS who happens to be several years older than your child is. So spare me your oh-so-wise advice about gifted issues :rolleyes:

 

In a homeschool setting, where the child isn't systematically going through another math curriculum, even gifted kids benefit from doing practice exercises in addition to the Singapore textbook. The IP books are excellent for this purpose.

[Iucounu]

You're lecturing the wrong woman, sister. I've got a kid in DYS who happens to be several years older than your child is. So spare me your oh-so-wise advice about gifted issues :rolleyes:

I don't understand the attitude. If you have a DYS child, you should well know by now that no extra practice may be necessary-- and in fact that a lot of math-talented children may learn the first years of math on their own. In any event having a child qualify for DYS doesn't mean one has the one perfect solution to educating every child.

 

even gifted kids benefit from doing practice exercises in addition to the Singapore textbook. The IP books are excellent for this purpose.

... but that's not exactly what you wrote before:

You definitely need the textbook and either the workbook or the Intensive Practice book.

That's not entirely true, since it depends on the child and situation. It's possible to drown a child in busywork that doesn't add value. That's the point. A gifted child may even be best served by skipping whole sections of the textbook, or even 1A/1B entirely.

 

I know of a parent of a highly gifted girl on another board who chose to use just the SM workbooks and skip the textbooks, since her daughter picked up the concepts needed on the fly, with brief explanations from her mother as necessary, similar to what the OP was contemplating. I don't think that this mother had her daughter do all the work in the workbooks, either, and she seems to have done fine with this approach.

 

It seems to me that a big benefit of homeschooling is the flexibility. There's no hard-and-fast rule that one must combine the SM textbook with either one or the other workbook, as you suggest.