singapore in third grade

[jg_puppy]

I have notice while reading the third grade plans that several of you are using 3B and 4A with your third graders. I was just wondering what sequence you took to get there. Do you use the textbook and workbook only? I have a dd who will be in third next year and is nowhere near 3B and I am okay with that. I also have a son who just turned 5 and is much more math minded and I think will likely need a difference sequence than my dd. I wouldn't be totally surprised if he caught up with her at some point since he loves math and my dd doesn't.

 

Jan

[Myrtle]

Some years ago I counted up all the problem sets in the book and all the problem sets in the workbook, including tests, and I did this across all grade levels and the most that any grade level had was 145 problem sets and the least was 90. Therefore, if all you do is one problem set per day, and you work through the summers you will get very far ahead.

 

My oldest son with a tested IQ of only slightly above average f(but dyslexic, writing issues, ADHD ) finished the series more or less in the 5th and my now second grader with a receptive language delay has finished 2nd grade (just did a blog entry on what we're doing now between 2nd and 3rd) and is ready for third grade math which I anticipate we will begin within the next four weeks and we'll continue in it throughout the summer. If he begins 3rd grade math in March, he should finish it around the end of this calendar year.

 

My youngest is nowhere near capable of working through a problem set per day. She is six and in the first grade and my records indicate that she began Singapore 1A in October of 2006! She's not even in 1B yet, since it took an eternity for her to remember her number facts. If everything proceeds at this rate perhaps she'll finish P6 when she's 20 ;-)

 

Since the lessons are arranged topically it's easy to see that you don't have to do absolutely every last problem in every single problem set. For example, my seven year old is more than familiar with place value which is taught at the beginning of 3A and I'll probably spend one day discussing the lesson and the next I'll give him the test without any problem sets at all.

[Heather in VA]

I wouldn't worry about where your student is right now. Think of it this way - with Singapore when you finish 6B you are ready for Algebra. So if you don't finish that until 6th or 7th grade you are still doing fine. Take your time and really learn it.

[Mama Lynx]

We generally did a problem set a day, and worked over the summer. My oldest finished through 6B by the end of 5th grade, and that's *with* taking an entire year on 3A. 3A is tough for my kids. It takes a very long time for us to get through. After that, the books fly right by. (Until we get to the area of circles in 6B ;-)

[jg_puppy]

I am not worried about my 2nd grader. She is where she is. I know she could be farther along if we had spent more time on Singapore. I just was mainly curious about the progression for my son.

 

I have been thinking about having shorter days but more of them by schooling in the summer. I think that would work better for my kids.

 

Jan

[Jenny in Atl]

I agree with Heather. My oldest dd stayed right within the SM "grade" levels, at times struggling with the work, until just recently, when she seemed to have a burst of understanding (now doing NEM1 in 6th grade). My youngest is another story, she is doing 3b in 2nd grade, and seems to be flying through it. Fi just learns faster and who knows where she will be in a few years. I'm just hanging on to her coat tails, waiting to see where this leads.

 

I hate how we try to box kids into a grade or level. They all learn differently and at different times. I know we have to follow "standards" but at times they cause us and our kids pain unnecessarily.

[Guest Lorna]

I agree with Heather. My oldest dd stayed right within the SM "grade" levels, at times struggling with the work, until just recently, when she seemed to have a burst of understanding (now doing NEM1 in 6th grade). My youngest is another story, she is doing 3b in 2nd grade, and seems to be flying through it. Fi just learns faster and who knows where she will be in a few years. I'm just hanging on to her coat tails, waiting to see where this leads.

 

I hate how we try to box kids into a grade or level. They all learn differently and at different times. I know we have to follow "standards" but at times they cause us and our kids pain unnecessarily.

I totally agree with this. Maths is cumulative and really needs to slow down and speed up according to the child.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

For K we just used the 1A set. That put us in 1B/2A for 1st, 2B/3A for 2, etc. We do use the IP and CWP supplements as well. My oldest needed to slow down in the 2B/3A series last year, so we stopped halfway through 3A. This year for 3rd we'll most likely stop at the end of 3B. My second DD had to slow down in 1B to really get comfortable with addition and subtraction within 100. She may or may not make it all the way through 2A for 1st grade. We could have stayed on track by working through the summer, but honestly my 2 LA loving girls need a break from math in the summer or they would burn out.

[Debbie in London]

As a newbie, I'm probably not very qualified to answer any questions but I guess I'm not going to let that stop me. :) I think you just let your DS progress at his own pace and don't worry if he doesn't stay with the "grade" level. DS6 is a budding actuary like Daddy and just finished 3A. He's had his moments when he buzzed along, moments when he slowed down and moments when he stalled and didn't want to do anything at all. This morning he was disappointed when I had him doing 3A IP instead of starting 3B because he said he wanted to catch up to DS11. Now if I could just get him to hold his pencil correctly. :)

 

Debbie

[jg_puppy]

Thanks for the responses. I have no plans on pushing either of my kids through a level if they are not ready. I guess sometimes I am unsure about the pacing of the kids. I don't want to go to fast, but I also don't want to hold them back either. I am still trying to find that balance with my dd and I am realizing that I need to start thinking about my ds as well.

 

Jan

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Actually, a child doing 3B and 4A in 3rd grade is advanced. Generally, because kids in the USA start school at least six months younger than the kids in Singapore, a 3rd grader here would be doing 2B and 3A in 3rd grade.

 

Both of my kids got behind in their Singapore levels (dd in 2A, ds in 3A), but both just caught up with themselves. My 4th grader just started 4A, and my 6th grader just started 6A. We're right on track according to the folks at Singapore Math.

[siloam]

I have notice while reading the third grade plans that several of you are using 3B and 4A with your third graders. I was just wondering what sequence you took to get there. Do you use the textbook and workbook only? I have a dd who will be in third next year and is nowhere near 3B and I am okay with that. I also have a son who just turned 5 and is much more math minded and I think will likely need a difference sequence than my dd. I wouldn't be totally surprised if he caught up with her at some point since he loves math and my dd doesn't.

 

Jan

 

Not here! My oldest did 2B and 3A for 3rd grade, and is doing 3B and 4A for 4th. We do both the Intensive Practice and Challenging Word Problems as well.

 

If you look at the Singapore Math website doing 3A and 3B for 3rd grade is considered advanced, and doing 2B and 3A is considered an average student. I can't imagine doing 3B and 4A. That is over a year ahead. But none of my kids have shown my aptitude for math yet. I think having them that advanced would make sure they hated math. Right now they don't love math, but they don't mind it and they think they are good at it....which they are but have not show the giftedness I have. I skipped half my college Calculus class and still got an A because it makes sense to me-don't ask me how, it is a God thing. On the other hand English...verbs, nouns, adverbs, adjectives...oh the headache. That is a different matter. I had to read Roots (yes that HUGE book) for extra credit in order to pass my Senior English class with a B.

 

I am with those who just follow the child's pace. When my kids hit a wall I sit down and work every problem with them till they can do it on their own. I suppose using this method I could have them move ahead, but I don't.

 

Heather