Singapore users...

[Jzsnow]

I am looking into singapore for my k/1st grader. THe website completely overwhelms me. So much to choose from!!

 

What is a must? Which manipulatives do I need? I'm not sure why they sell them in pieces when I'll need a whole set?

 

Any help would be appreciated!

Jessica

[Cassy]

We use mainly RightStart, but supplement with Singapore, so most of our manipulatives are from RightStart. For K/1st we've mainly use the Alabacus, tally sticks, tiles, geared clock, place value cards (and, of course, the RS cards for games). The only books we buy for Singapore are the Text Book and Workbooks, although I'm told the Home Instructor's Guide gives a lot of useful information on use of manipulatives.

 

(DS11 uses just Singapore [6a at the moment] and we use the Text Book, Work Book and Home Instructor's Guide).

[boscopup]

I use textbook, workbook, and HIG for my kid doing grade 1 Singapore. Next year, I'll add in IP and CWP (he's a K'er, so I'm not wanting to overwhelm him at the moment, but at the same time, he's ready for regular 1st grade math).

 

For my 3rd grader, I use textbook, workbook, HIG, IP, and CWP.

 

The only manipulative I'm using with my K'er is Cuisenaire Rods. I don't use manipulatives with my older child (he doesn't usually need them), but he didn't do Singapore in grade 1.

[higginszoo]

I started 1A with the textbook, the workbook, and then I went to the craft store and got a bag of buttons and a bag of craft sticks that we used as manipulatives.

[JenniferLynn]

I only used craft sticks with my dd in 1a and 1B this year. She used the abacus and Go To the Dump from RS for making 10s. I wish I had used C rods and am starting to now with my preschoolers who will start Essentials in the fall.

[BinahYeteirah]

I am also using the home instructor's guides, textbooks, and workbooks for my first grader. My pre-Ker has just started doing Essential Math book A (which seems completely appropriate for pre-K to me, although book B includes concepts I would leave for K or 1st even, depending on the child). I added in the Challenging Word Problems 2 book with my oldest daughter when she started level 2B.

 

As far as manipulatives, I really like having most of the suggested manipulatives, but I think you can make do with only a minimal number of them if you make your own cards and get creative with some other the other items by using what you have around the house. The home instructor guides have cards and other manipulatives that you can copy from the back of the book to use during the suggested activities. Some manipulatives that most people seem to buy include a base 10 set, a balance, and unifix blocks or Cuisenaire rods (not both).

[NittanyJen]

Don't overwhelm yourself.

 

The text and workbook are essential. If you don't know how to 'teach Singapore' the HIG is probably wise. For a first grader, I wouldn't go nuts with extra books. C-Rods are fantastic. Just about anything else you can make yourself or acquire gradually if you need it later. We love a big pile of pencils (or Legos, or buttons or Lincoln logs....). Your kitchen measuring cups will come in handy eventually. I don't know how much Singapore charges, but back to school time is coming, and you can probably find a basic teaching clock with dry erase analog space under it for $2 in an office supply store or Kmart that works perfectly for telling time, skip counting and multiples of 5, and quarter and third and half fraction exercises, plus keep it for later for introducing angles, radian measures, and pi. Not a bad $2 to spend :001_smile:

[justLisa]

I use the TB, WB, and CWP after grade 1, starting one year behind.

[LillyMama]

For the K books last year, we used the Standards books. I didn't bother with the teacher's manual (my kids already knew how to add and subtract, so we were really just using the books to get used to the Singapory terminology and method.) For 1st, we're using the Standards textbooks and workbooks, I don't have the teacher's or parent's guides- I think it's pretty self-explanatory for this grade.

 

As for manipulatives- I didn't buy any. I had unifix cubes already, but I frankly used them maybe 4 times in all of the K books. I haven't used them yet and we're halfway through 1stA. Anything I used the cubes for, I could have used beans and bowls, or legos, etc.

 

I did buy the story books. Meh. We've used them, but they certainly weren't necessary. Sometimes I just used them to fill some needed math times (our district tracks by hours) and reading practice.

 

Honestly, I wouldn't buy anything but the kid's books. You can find what you need for the rest of the stuff around your house.

[Five More Minutes]

I use the Standards Edition, because the HIG has the reputation of being much, much better. I see as "core" for each level the HIG, textbook, and workbook. Then I add in other books to tailor the program for my daughters. If it helps, I recently blogged about Singapore and the combination of books that we use for different levels and learners.

 

For manipulatives, the ones I've used most (daily) have been cuisenaire rods and base 10 flats. There are others that come in handy (a laminated 100 chart, a place value chart, some fun counters for when I don't have smarties on hand), but they aren't as essential.