Math conundrum - Jump math vs Singapore

[Celia]

I need advice.

 

Currently my ds is doing RightStart C. He's doing okay with it, but not wonderfully, and I think part of the reason is that the person who is currently teaching him math finds it's methods hard to teach. He did awesome with it while I was teaching him, so I don't know what exactly is holding him back.

 

While I expect that he'll be taught at home for a long while, we will have different people other than myself teaching him, so I need to use a program that a hired assistant can come and use that is easy to pick up and teach pretty well. Because of some attention issues he has, he won't be working independantly for quite some time.

 

My choices right now are between Jump Math and Singapore. I'm tending towards Singapore, partially because the books look more engaging, but also because as I'm reviewing the Jump Math books at the level he'd be going into, they seem a bit easy. Although they do meet what's required in our province, and are right at grade level.

 

Singapore, on the other hand, looks like it has covered some things in grade 2 that RS hasn't, and I only have 2A, so we'll have to backtrack a bit to catch up. But my biggest concern with choosing Singapore, is, I'm wondering if it's difficult for a tutor, who's specialty isn't math, would have trouble teaching it if it was unfamiliar to them. Also, I'm wondering which would be a more natural transition for my son to make from RightStart.

 

Thoughts?

[serendipitous journey]

May I ask why those two options? Off the top of my head it seems like Saxon would be a better choice than Singapore for a child taught by multiple tutors, b/c not only is the work laid out for you, it doesn't seem to rely so heavily on the tutor being specially educated. And the program itself includes generous fact review, which is one weak point of straight-up Singapore. To really teach Singapore the way it is intended requires familiarity with the HIG, it seems to me (we have used Singapore sporadically), and ability to flexibly apply the HIG concepts to the student. That said, the HIG does include a full daily schedule, including sections of the text, the workbook, and the pertinent pages of the HIG, so it certainly could be handed to someone willing to pre-read and apply the HIG, and you could supplement with regular Sprints (one of the Singapore supplement choices) for fact mastery.

 

I am not familiar with Jump Start at all, though, so maybe that is your best choice.

[mumto2]

I am not familiar with your other math choices but Singapore I know. It would be very hard for multiple teachers to do a good job. The methods are not what the average person/tutor will expect. The home instructors guides are easy to use and detailed, but I cannot imagine teaching some of the lessons without being familiar with the previous one. This is going to make it hard for different tutors to simply walk in and teach.

 

Something like Saxon will be easier for the tutors. It is going to be what they are familiar with. Basic spiral method. Clear instructions. Easy.

 

Another thought would be something like Math u see because of the Dvds. Then the work would be presented consistently and the tutors could watch too. That would bring them up to speed each time they are teaching math. I don't know if that program would meet your province's requirements but the Dvds would be nice.

[boscopup]

I am not familiar with your other math choices but Singapore I know. It would be very hard for multiple teachers to do a good job. The methods are not what the average person/tutor will expect. The home instructors guides are easy to use and detailed, but I cannot imagine teaching some of the lessons without being familiar with the previous one. This is going to make it hard for different tutors to simply walk in and teach.

 

:iagree: If it were just you teaching him, Singapore would be an excellent choice. HIGs are pretty easy to teach from, BUT... if someone with no Singapore knowledge were to pick up in the middle of the HIG and start teaching a lesson without having used all the lessons prior, they might get confused by the mental math being encouraged and such, especially if they aren't mathy themselves.

 

Saxon or CLE would both be easier for someone to pick up and teach. I'm not familiar with Jump math, except from the samples I've looked at (and yeah, it didn't look like something I'd want to use with a child NOT needing remediation).

 

What about Math in Focus? Same Singapore method, but it might be easier to pick up and go. Maybe someone using it could chime in on that. I haven't used it, but have seen the samples (they have full books viewable on the website).

[Crimson Wife]

I love Singapore, but if I were relying on a tutor with no special interest in math, I'd go with Math Mammoth because it is based on the Asian way of teaching math like Singapore but all the explanations are right in the worktext.

 

I thought Jump Math was intended to be a remedial program, so I would not use it with a child who does not need one.

[wapiti]

I love Singapore, but if I were relying on a tutor with no special interest in math, I'd go with Math Mammoth because it is based on the Asian way of teaching math like Singapore but all the explanations are right in the worktext.

 

:iagree: MM is open-and-go with no teacher manual, written directly to the student, and teaches Asian-style, conceptual math, organized as mastery.

[Marie131]

I haven't used Singapore Math, but we did use jump math for about 2 months at the beginning of grade 1 and then completely abandonned it. I found it difficult to teach. It wasn't open and go, first I had to print out the TM pages which are only online, then I had to gather manipulatives which I didn't always have from around the house, the activities didn't seem to have much to do w/ the workpages and the workbook was painfully boring. It's to bad your tutor is struggling with RS because I find it much easier to use. We love it here.

[besroma]

I am not familiar with your other math choices but Singapore I know. It would be very hard for multiple teachers to do a good job. The methods are not what the average person/tutor will expect. The home instructors guides are easy to use and detailed, but I cannot imagine teaching some of the lessons without being familiar with the previous one. This is going to make it hard for different tutors to simply walk in and teach.

 

Something like Saxon will be easier for the tutors. It is going to be what they are familiar with. Basic spiral method. Clear instructions. Easy.

 

:iagree: