Singapore Math Question

[Lady Lulu]

Hey guys!

 

Can someone tell me which books I should order from Singapore Math for 1st grade? Do I really need to buy the textbook AND the workbook AND the teacher's guide? Do I really need a guide to teach 1st grade math?

 

Also, we just finished the Kindergarden Singapore math books. Looking through it, it sort of feels that the 1A and 1B books are just repeating most of the same info. I'm a little concerned it will be too slow for my son and that he'll get bored. My son really likes Math but isn't crazy about worksheets.

 

As a side note, we're thinking of doing Classical Conversations next year.

 

Thanks!

[brehon]

For first grade I'd buy the textbook, workbook, and intensive practice books. I also have the old Challenging Word Problem books which I love. Singapore doesn't have worksheets. I don't think I'd go straight into 2A with your 5 year old, though. Maybe 1B depending on how well he knows the concepts (as opposed to just how to work the problems). Don't buy the teacher's manual as that's for a classroom. I like the Home Instructor's Guide because it not only gives you ideas for how to present/teach the topics, but also has mental math exercises for the kids. Remember that Singapore teaches conceptually, not formulaicly.

[Spy Car]

My recommendation is the Standards Edition Textbooks and Workbook, the SE Home Instructors Guide ( HIGs) , the US Edition Intensive Practice books and the CWP.

 

The HIGs are different than the Teachers Manual (and much less expensive). I would take the fact memorization guidelines in the Level One HIGs with a grain (or make it a boulder :D) of salt, but they are an otherwise good resource for parents new teaching this style of math.

 

Bill

[Crimson Wife]

If you don't want to deal with the hassle of juggling multiple books, look into Math Mammoth. It's an all-in-one worktext and with an older child it can be used independently (in 1st grade, I don't think very many kids are capable of working independently).

 

I actually prefer Maria Miller's explanations to the ones in Singapore (even with the HIG) because it's more step-by-step. The main reasons I'm not using MM as my "spine" are (1) because I love the Singapore IP and CWP books and (2) our charter will pay for Singapore but has a policy against paying for e-books like MM.

[karensk]

For first grade I'd buy the textbook, workbook, and intensive practice books. I also have the old Challenging Word Problem books which I love. Singapore doesn't have worksheets. I don't think I'd go straight into 2A with your 5 year old, though. Maybe 1B depending on how well he knows the concepts (as opposed to just how to work the problems). Don't buy the teacher's manual as that's for a classroom. I like the Home Instructor's Guide because it not only gives you ideas for how to present/teach the topics, but also has mental math exercises for the kids. Remember that Singapore teaches conceptually, not formulaicly.

 

The Intensive Practice series contains more challenging, complex problems, like gifted/talented stuff, IMO. The IP table of contents is nearly the same as the one for the PM-U.S. Ed. series, and maybe about half of the problems within each topic of IP is at a similar level of difficulty as the ones in the corresponding PM; but then the rest of the problems are at a higher level of difficulty. The student already knows enough to solve the problems, but he will need to first think about the steps to take, as many of them are multi-step, and more so than the ones in PM. You may need to work a few problems together so your student can get an idea of how to do them before letting him do it alone.

 

The Home Instructor Guides (HIGs) are excellent. Pacing of the lessons is laid out in a table for you. Lesson objectives are described at the beginning of each lesson. Furthermore, at the beginning of many major topics, you're told what the student should already know by now, in case you need to do some review with them. I've appreciated the numerous hands-on activities provided (we did about 2/3 of them in PM-1), and especially how the base-ten system is taught in various ways.

 

The Challenging Word Problems series is really great, too. But if you're on a tight budget, I'd get the other items above and skip this. We do about half of the problems in here. What I love about these are the worked examples (maybe 4 to 6 per topic), which I use to teach myself the bar diagrams. CWP-1 is okay to skip, IMO. But you'll probably not want to skip CWP-2.

 

The Standards Edition will contain pretty much the same stuff as the U.S. Edition plus some extra topics, like probability. I chose to teach probability later...just a bunch in 7th grade. And I like how the IP table of contents pretty nearly mirrors the US Edition of PM. Also, the Standards Edition seems pricier. So my personal preference is the U.S. Edition.

 

HTH!

[Spy Car]

The Intensive Practice series contains more challenging, complex problems, like gifted/talented stuff, IMO. The IP table of contents is nearly the same as the one for the PM-U.S. Ed. series, and maybe about half of the problems within each topic of IP is at a similar level of difficulty as the ones in the corresponding PM; but then the rest of the problems are at a higher level of difficulty. The student already knows enough to solve the problems, but he will need to first think about the steps to take, as many of them are multi-step, and more so than the ones in PM. You may need to work a few problems together so your student can get an idea of how to do them before letting him do it alone.

 

The Home Instructor Guides (HIGs) are excellent. Pacing of the lessons is laid out in a table for you. Lesson objectives are described at the beginning of each lesson. Furthermore, at the beginning of many major topics, you're told what the student should already know by now, in case you need to do some review with them. I've appreciated the numerous hands-on activities provided (we did about 2/3 of them in PM-1), and especially how the base-ten system is taught in various ways.

 

The Challenging Word Problems series is really great, too. But if you're on a tight budget, I'd get the other items above and skip this. We do about half of the problems in here. What I love about these are the worked examples (maybe 4 to 6 per topic), which I use to teach myself the bar diagrams. CWP-1 is okay to skip, IMO. But you'll probably not want to skip CWP-2.

 

The Standards Edition will contain pretty much the same stuff as the U.S. Edition plus some extra topics, like probability. I chose to teach probability later...just a bunch in 7th grade. And I like how the IP table of contents pretty nearly mirrors the US Edition of PM. Also, the Standards Edition seems pricier. So my personal preference is the U.S. Edition.

 

HTH!

 

The author of the HIGs (both US Edition and Standards Edition) says the Standards Edition ones are vastly improved over the earlier US Edition ones, and that is what parents who've used both report as well. For me this is good reason to go with the SE (in addition to the extra content and review built into the SE).

 

Bill

[Crimson Wife]

Yes, *IF* you decide to get the HIG's, you'll definitely want to use the Stds. ed. I used the U.S. ed. HIG for 3A/B and found it basically worthless except as an answer key. Switched over to the SE at 4A and it was a major improvement. Definitely worth the extra few bucks!

 

My younger child is doing the SE all the way even though I didn't bother getting the HIG for 1A and have barely used it for 1B.

[kalanamak]

The author of the HIGs (both US Edition and Standards Edition) says the Standards Edition ones are vastly improved over the earlier US Edition ones, and that is what parents who've used both report as well. For me this is good reason to go with the SE (in addition to the extra content and review built into the SE).

 

Bill

 

"Vastly"??? :lol: I don't like the extra pages, the inflexible spine in the books (kiddo "fights" to get the SE books to lie open), of the "look" of the SE. As I've noted before, I get the SE extra practice and cut off the spine. I do it to just "see" what the standards edition has the the US edition doesn't, and I introduce it on my own.

 

Anyway. I found the HIG to be in the way. I tried to follow it, but we just march to different drummer, I guess.

 

If kiddo is average in math, I'd get the text, workbook and the extra practice (although you could make up your own problems if you have the inclination), and Fan Math (intro to the bars). If kiddo was rather mathy and enjoyed "more", I'd get the text, workbook, and the IP for the challenges, and the Fan Math.

 

I found I preferred using my noggin to figure out what I needed to know and how my kid learned. The HIG is perhaps geared to a more "typical kid" but mine found her games really tedious (I did, too), he hated manipulatives (he would clap his hand over his eyes if I scooted them towards him and bark: No! I'm THINKING!), and he learned some things with the grace of a gazelle and other things it was just a matter of circling back over and over until he was "ready" for them. The HIG has a schedule and a "your child must know this before you move on" attitude. We would have had to drop math for year if I'd followed that advice. I did buy 2 full years of the HIG, but each time I quit in disgust over and over. To me it takes a beautifully flexible program and tries to put it in a sausage casing.

 

This need to be flexible is why I prefer SM to MM, although I did use some MM Division 2, and on two subjects I bought the book and if he was not focusing and trying on a topic, I'd bring out that book. He'd groan, "Not another math book" and suddenly "get" the topic at hand (and if this sounds nuts, there is another board member who did the same thing for her kid, with the same results), so I never used those other two. Also, MM has crowded pages for my kid, whose writing is not large for age.

 

For fractions, we did Key to Fractions book one interspersed with SM.

[Spy Car]

"Vastly"??? :lol:

 

Yes, the HIGs were completely re-done with the benefit of time and input from parents. Why does that get a laugh???

 

I don't like the extra pages, the inflexible spine in the books (kiddo "fights" to get the SE books to lie open), of the "look" of the SE. As I've noted before, I get the SE extra practice and cut off the spine. I do it to just "see" what the standards edition has the the US edition doesn't, and I introduce it on my own.

 

Fortunately for you there is a US Edition. For myself, I strongly favor the extra content in the SE. For me the US Edition was to light on content and has insufficient review (common criticisms) and the SE resolves the problem.

 

Anyway. I found the HIG to be in the way. I tried to follow it, but we just march to different drummer, I guess.

 

One thing I've learned as a member of this forum is there will never be uniformity of opinion about anything. All we can do is offer others our best advice.

 

If kiddo is average in math, I'd get the text, workbook and the extra practice (although you could make up your own problems if you have the inclination), and Fan Math (intro to the bars). If kiddo was rather mathy and enjoyed "more", I'd get the text, workbook, and the IP for the challenges, and the Fan Math.

 

I have not used the Extra Practice books, but substituting it for the IPs seems like a reasonable option for children who need more basic level practice rather than more challenging work of the sort in Intensive Practice.

 

I found I preferred using my noggin to figure out what I needed to know and how my kid learned. The HIG is perhaps geared to a more "typical kid" but mine found her games really tedious (I did, too), he hated manipulatives (he would clap his hand over his eyes if I scooted them towards him and bark: No! I'm THINKING!), and he learned some things with the grace of a gazelle and other things it was just a matter of circling back over and over until he was "ready" for them. The HIG has a schedule and a "your child must know this before you move on" attitude. We would have had to drop math for year if I'd followed that advice. I did buy 2 full years of the HIG, but each time I quit in disgust over and over. To me it takes a beautifully flexible program and tries to put it in a sausage casing.

 

I have taken issue with some of the "expectations" in the HIGs. I also like researching and thinking about inventive ways to teaching topics. I have been impressed how many ideas I thought were my own turned up in the HIGs. For a busy parent who may not be "mathy" or one who does not have the time to invent or research inventive ways of teaching the HIGs are a wonderful resource IMO. I do take issue with some of the "don't move on before you know this" suggestions, but can separate that out from the rest.

 

My child enjoys games and fun activities To re-enforce the math lessons, but children are different.

 

Bill

[jennynd]

If you don't want to deal with the hassle of juggling multiple books, look into Math Mammoth. It's an all-in-one worktext and with an older child it can be used independently (in 1st grade, I don't think very many kids are capable of working independently).

 

I actually prefer Maria Miller's explanations to the ones in Singapore (even with the HIG) because it's more step-by-step. The main reasons I'm not using MM as my "spine" are (1) because I love the Singapore IP and CWP books and (2) our charter will pay for Singapore but has a policy against paying for e-books like MM.

 

MM sent out email today that she will have a homeschool coop in March. So if u decide go MM, u might want to wait

[twoxcell]

For 1a/1b you need the textbook and workbook at minimum. My dd did SM Essentials K last year and she is adequately challenged with 1a. The beginning is fairly easy and a review of sorts but it ramps up very quickly. I would not skip ahead.

[kalanamak]

Yes, the HIGs were completely re-done with the benefit of time and input from parents. Why does that get a laugh???

 

 

My child enjoys games and fun activities To re-enforce the math lessons, but children are different.

 

Bill

 

I think "vastly" is vastly overused. Vast? Really? It would have to step to the tune of Two For A Dollar

http://www.lyricstime.com/tom-waits-step-right-up-lyrics.html

Perhaps it is the geographer's daughter in me, but vast conjures deserts and oceans.

 

My son likes math games very much. I just think the HIG ones are a bore. But I haven't tried them after 2A.

[chepyl]

I skipped 1a and b and started on 2a with my son at five. I did the placement tests with him. Of you are concerned, take the placement test for 1a and b. Of he gets 90% or higher, practice what he missed and then move on to the next test until he scores below 90%. It took us a few days to get through all of the tests, but it was worth it.

[stm4him]

Can one use Singapore as a supplement with just an answer key if they are getting their instruction from another program? I'm very happy with Saxon after trying many other things (including SM though to be honest I didn't give it much time), but LCC recommends Singapore or Right Start and although I love Right Start too it is only something I would use in the summer after we are done with Saxon since I can't handle two teacher intensive programs. When I look at Singapore I think that part of the beauty or appeal of it would be that it looks pretty independent. I wonder if adding all the extra teacher guides and extra practice books scare some of us off when in actuality it could be used just fine as is with an answer key. I'm not sure I would use any of it as our Math time already is full (and I had other supplemental plans anyway for summer and "off" weeks) but I just thought I'd ask in case I ever change my mind and want to try it :-)

[twoxcell]

 

Can one use Singapore as a supplement with just an answer key if they are getting their instruction from another program? I'm very happy with Saxon after trying many other things (including SM though to be honest I didn't give it much time), but LCC recommends Singapore or Right Start and although I love Right Start too it is only something I would use in the summer after we are done with Saxon since I can't handle two teacher intensive programs. When I look at Singapore I think that part of the beauty or appeal of it would be that it looks pretty independent. I wonder if adding all the extra teacher guides and extra practice books scare some of us off when in actuality it could be used just fine as is with an answer key. I'm not sure I would use any of it as our Math time already is full (and I had other supplemental plans anyway for summer and "off" weeks) but I just thought I'd ask in case I ever change my mind and want to try it :-)

For level 1a/1b I am just using the textbook/workbook along with some of the hands on lessons from Heart of Dakota. I think I may have an answer key here somewhere but I don't need it at that level. My ds has gone through 2a/2b/3a/ and is in 3b with just the text/workbooks and I own some of the HIG's that I use occasionally. I also own a few of the CWP books and we use them here and there.

[boscopup]

Can one use Singapore as a supplement with just an answer key if they are getting their instruction from another program? I'm very happy with Saxon after trying many other things (including SM though to be honest I didn't give it much time), but LCC recommends Singapore or Right Start and although I love Right Start too it is only something I would use in the summer after we are done with Saxon since I can't handle two teacher intensive programs. When I look at Singapore I think that part of the beauty or appeal of it would be that it looks pretty independent. I wonder if adding all the extra teacher guides and extra practice books scare some of us off when in actuality it could be used just fine as is with an answer key. I'm not sure I would use any of it as our Math time already is full (and I had other supplemental plans anyway for summer and "off" weeks) but I just thought I'd ask in case I ever change my mind and want to try it :-)

 

I wouldn't bother just using textbook/workbook as a supplement to Saxon. The IP and CWP books might be a good addition. I used those with Math Mammoth (though MM teaches similarly to Singapore). The teaching isn't in the textbook as much as it is with MM. Also, the TB/WB problems aren't that difficult. The IP and CWP problems are much harder. I've occasionally had to look up answers from IP take the challenge section... in IP2A, and I'm mathy. :lol:

[Lady Lulu]

LCC recommends Singapore or Right Start

 

Sorry...what's LCC?

[Lady Lulu]

I skipped 1a and b and started on 2a with my son at five. I did the placement tests with him. Of you are concerned, take the placement test for 1a and b. Of he gets 90% or higher, practice what he missed and then move on to the next test until he scores below 90%. It took us a few days to get through all of the tests, but it was worth it.

 

Oh my. Thank you so much for this suggestion. I will definitely do this.

[Iucounu]

If you feel comfortable with math, and especially if you provide fun enrichment activities as you go already, you may not need the HIG. You definitely don't need the TG for home use. I never even peeked inside a HIG until SM 3A, and even then we didn't really use it.

 

Since your son doesn't sound like he needs much drill, you can try skipping the workbook. We've never used any of the workbooks. Again, the answer to whether the workbooks are helpful will depend on your kid (how much drill-and-kill is necessary or helpful) and how much math practice he will get outside of SM.

 

The CWP/IP are good. We never used them much either, at least so far (through the end of SM 4), just a few problems and occasionally. MEP is a good free source for challenging extra work that'd be fine for an addition to SM. Zaccaro Challenge Math and the other usual suspects might fulfill much the same function as well.

 

The one thing I would never personally dispense with is the textbook... but even there, some people do dispense with it and do fine. It really depends on your comfort level with teaching math, how much practice your child needs, and how much other math-related work they do.

 

You can use curriculum compacting to go through the material faster. A good way to do this with SM is to use the practice sections as pretests; if he gets enough right to demonstrate mastery, consider skipping or skimming that section.

[Lulamae]

LCC = Latin Centered Curriculum

[Annic]

I don't think the guide was meant to remove flexibility, just provide material as suggestions. Some kids like games, so there are games for them. Some don't, so don't use them. Mine don't. Well, I don't. They have some enrichment material to make the IP or CWP a little easier, but don't do them if you don't need them. There is a suggested way of presenting the material concrete, but the student does not need the concrete, don't do that part. Mine did sometimes, but not other times. We did not use the mental math pages. It is just a guide. Not a lesson plan. No way you should do everything in it the way it is there. No guide can ever accommodate every type of child. I think it is aimed at the middle with some ideas for those on either end. Also to help with those teaching it the first time by giving what the child should know and where it is going. If you find you don't need it or use it, don't get the next one.

[kristinannie]

My recommendation is the Standards Edition Textbooks and Workbook, the SE Home Instructors Guide ( HIGs) , the US Edition Intensive Practice books and the CWP.

 

The HIGs are different than the Teachers Manual (and much less expensive). I would take the fact memorization guidelines in the Level One HIGs with a grain (or make it a boulder :D) of salt, but they are an otherwise good resource for parents new teaching this style of math.

 

Bill

 

 

:iagree:This is exactly what I got and we are loving it! Of course, we haven't used the IP or the CWP's yet because I am going to use them a little behind (based on recs from on here), but they are awesome!