I can't teach Singapore Math

[Perogi]

Because I don't understand Singapore Math! Even with the HIG.

[wapiti]

Is there a particular topic or aspect that is a problem? Are you looking for help understanding SM or help teaching it?

[SevenDaisies]

What level and version are you using?

[AimeeM]

After trying both the US edition and the Standards, we ditched it in favor of Math Mammoth :D

[Susie in MS]

YOU ARE NOT ALONE! We are only on 1A and hit a brick wall at the end of the book. Decided to *circle the airport* and re-do the whole thing. I got out my trusty Pink Pearl and erased the entire book for dd to redo. She did it all again and then BOOM! Hit that same wall in the same place again. I don't think we get along with math very well, but especially not Asian. Even if she has a hard time with math facts at least Dd understands Rod and Staff traditional math. And all of the hoopla about how one MUST learn Asian math if they want to get anywhere in life. Hooey! We are going back to R&S.

[blondeviolin]

I'm also wondering was version and level you're using. The Standard HIGs could not hold your hand more.

[lea1]

I'm also wondering was version and level you're using. The Standard HIGs could not hold your hand more.

 

The HIG does provide a lot of helpful information but it certainly could hold your hand more and others do. RightStart gives you a script and tells you exactly how to explain everything. CLE also tells you what to say and breaks it down quite well.

 

OP, don't feel bad. I had a hard time teaching Singapore also and I took four semesters of Calculus in college and generally 'get' math and like it quite a bit. Both Singapore and Math Mammoth did not provide enough review for my sons and Singapore moved to quickly.

 

I recently saw a thread asking how much review people were doing with MM, which was an eye opener to me. I taught it just as the curriculum laid it out and never provided anything else so I was not adding in my own review. My sons really needed review so I changed now to using CLE, which provides the review in the lessons. We have only just begun this week and we are skipping through the first book (101) quickly, reviewing the various concepts. We will likely be able to speed through most of the 1st grade material but I want to make sure we haven't missed any important concepts and that they are understanding it all.

 

So far it is going very well and my sons have said they really like this math program much better than anything else we have tried. I think they really needed the extra review and I feel much better having a bit of a script to follow, even though I don't always follow it exactly. Even though I generally 'get' math, I don't seem to explain it well without the script. Maybe after I have taught it a year or two I will have the hang of it and won't need the script any more. For now, I think (I hope) CLE is it for us and we can stick with it for a long time.

[Guest]

YOU ARE NOT ALONE! We are only on 1A and hit a brick wall at the end of the book. Decided to *circle the airport* and re-do the whole thing. I got out my trusty Pink Pearl and erased the entire book for dd to redo. She did it all again and then BOOM! Hit that same wall in the same place again. I don't think we get along with math very well, but especially not Asian. Even if she has a hard time with math facts at least Dd understands Rod and Staff traditional math. And all of the hoopla about how one MUST learn Asian math if they want to get anywhere in life. Hooey! We are going back to R&S.

 

We tried 1A twice and hit probably the same wall. We are SO happy with Saxon. We've done K-3 and my dd is starting it now, as well.

[twoxcell]

We tried 1A twice and hit probably the same wall. We are SO happy with Saxon. We've done K-3 and my dd is starting it now, as well.

I'm racking my brain here trying to figure out what wall one could possibly hit in SM 1a? It is a good thing there are so many different maths to choose from.;)

[Chelli]

In terms of teacher friendly I like Math In Focus. You might like that.

 

Although I wonder which version you are using. I thought the HIGs for PM were pretty lousy. Supposedly the Standards HIGs are better.

 

:iagree: I couldn't understand how to teach Singapore Standards with the HIG either. My dd hated Math Mammoth (too many problems on the page), so we went with Math in Focus. I don't even use the TM (too expensive), but the textbook is so well done that I finally understood how to teach Asian math, so I teach my dd out of that. We are both understanding and learning much better!

 

We've been through 1B, 2A, 2B, and starting 3A this year.

[Nart]

I'm racking my brain here trying to figure out what wall one could possibly hit in SM 1a? It is a good thing there are so many different maths to choose from.;)

 

I would guess Unit 6 - adding and subtracting with numbers over 10. There aren't enough problems in the textbook and workbook and the problems are all pictorial so you don't have to use mental math. I supplement with Japanese math and it does a much better job of showing how to make a ten while adding numbers to 20.

[justLisa]

I would guess Unit 6 - adding and subtracting with numbers over 10. There aren't enough problems in the textbook and workbook and the problems are all pictorial so you don't have to use mental math. I supplement with Japanese math and it does a much better job of showing how to make a ten while adding numbers to 20.

 

Exactly. There are many people who have posted about that.

 

I just moved forward and kept on reviewing with manipulatives as needed. Eventually they get it. But yeah, just using as is there is not much practice and that is a fairly complex concept to really understand at a young age for many kids. DD understood it when I pulled some pages from MM and used rods, but she was totally confused by the pictoral representation of the concept in the TB.

 

Overall it's a great program, but I have supplemented along the way. Heck I'm doing it now in 5

[Susie in MS]

I would guess Unit 6 - adding and subtracting with numbers over 10. There aren't enough problems in the textbook and workbook and the problems are all pictorial so you don't have to use mental math. I supplement with Japanese math and it does a much better job of showing how to make a ten while adding numbers to 20.

 

Bingo!

[EKS]

I found the book Elementary Mathematics for Teachers to be incredibly helpful.

[heritagelearningacademy]

We used Singapore 1A and 1B with my middle son. Then after that we switched. I realized I was the problem....my 40 year old mind did not want to relearn thinking that way and I decided I wasn't going to make it! LOL

 

My daughter is in K and using Kindergarten Essentials. She will do 1A and 1B but then we will move her on to something else as well.

[Bramble Patch Academy]

I read through 1A and 1B and sold it within a week, lol. It was not the style I learned with and I was not comfortable teaching it.

[SunnyDays]

Singapore is a very good math program. That said, it's not for everyone. :) If you don't like it, that doesn't mean that you're bad at math or that your children are doomed to mathematical mediocrity... despite what you may read on the internet. ;)

 

We tried, really hard, to implement Singapore. Twice, in fact. My son and I, though we both understand math very easily, just don't think they way it teaches. We're using MM now, and although it still isn't perfect for us, it's closer.

 

OP, do you want to keep trying to make Singapore work?? If so, I bet there are people who can give you great tips. If you really don't... then let it go without guilt, because there is probably something that will work better for you.

[thebacabunch]

Just an FYI: there are videos for how to teach Singapore. I know I saw a few on pinterest. I LOVE Singapore math. Maybe I am more mathy than I thought I was. I am learning things in a new way and mental math has been such an "aha!" thing for me.

[Perogi]

Oh boy! Sorry to put that out there and then disappear...I vented in my moment of frustration and then we've been out the rest of the day :)

 

I'm teaching my gr 4 dd using the US Edition 4A. We've done okay up until now, occasionally supplementing with Math Mammoth went I felt like dd needed some extra practice with a concept.

 

This year she's working on CWP level 3 and having difficulty about 50% of the time and we've just gotten into multiplying by a 2 digit number and I got frustrated and confused trying to teach her the lesson today. I feel like she's not really understanding what she's doing and that I'm not adequately explaining things. She used to be so strong in math and now I hate to see that she's struggling.

 

I like the idea of Singapore math but the practice of doing it isn't feeling so great. I use CLE with my gr 2 dd because Singapore absolutely does NOT work for her (she needs spiral instruction) but even still I worry that I've shortchanged her out of a conceptual understanding of math.

 

I'm not sure where I want to go from here. For now dh is going to teach the next few sections (he's better than I at math) and we'll at least try to finish out 4A and then I'll need to make a decision.

[Perogi]

In terms of teacher friendly I like Math In Focus. You might like that.

 

Although I wonder which version you are using. I thought the HIGs for PM were pretty lousy. Supposedly the Standards HIGs are better.

 

I may have to look into that. I haven't heard of Math in Focus.

[Perogi]

The HIG does provide a lot of helpful information but it certainly could hold your hand more and others do. RightStart gives you a script and tells you exactly how to explain everything. CLE also tells you what to say and breaks it down quite well.

 

OP, don't feel bad. I had a hard time teaching Singapore also and I took four semesters of Calculus in college and generally 'get' math and like it quite a bit. Both Singapore and Math Mammoth did not provide enough review for my sons and Singapore moved to quickly.

 

I recently saw a thread asking how much review people were doing with MM, which was an eye opener to me. I taught it just as the curriculum laid it out and never provided anything else so I was not adding in my own review. My sons really needed review so I changed now to using CLE, which provides the review in the lessons. We have only just begun this week and we are skipping through the first book (101) quickly, reviewing the various concepts. We will likely be able to speed through most of the 1st grade material but I want to make sure we haven't missed any important concepts and that they are understanding it all.

 

So far it is going very well and my sons have said they really like this math program much better than anything else we have tried. I think they really needed the extra review and I feel much better having a bit of a script to follow, even though I don't always follow it exactly. Even though I generally 'get' math, I don't seem to explain it well without the script. Maybe after I have taught it a year or two I will have the hang of it and won't need the script any more. For now, I think (I hope) CLE is it for us and we can stick with it for a long time.

 

I am liking CLE quite a bit for my 2nd grade dd. I haven't really gotten too far into needing to explain concepts to see how they do (we're just in 202). The bite sized sections and constant review definitely fit for her.

[Perogi]

I found the book Elementary Mathematics for Teachers to be incredibly helpful.

 

Thanks for the recommendation - I'll look into it.

[Perogi]

We used Singapore 1A and 1B with my middle son. Then after that we switched. I realized I was the problem....my 40 year old mind did not want to relearn thinking that way and I decided I wasn't going to make it! LOL

 

My daughter is in K and using Kindergarten Essentials. She will do 1A and 1B but then we will move her on to something else as well.

 

 

This is me too - I was not a good math student and had a hard enough time learning it the first time around!!!

[Perogi]

Singapore is a very good math program. That said, it's not for everyone. :) If you don't like it, that doesn't mean that you're bad at math or that your children are doomed to mathematical mediocrity... despite what you may read on the internet. ;)

 

We tried, really hard, to implement Singapore. Twice, in fact. My son and I, though we both understand math very easily, just don't think they way it teaches. We're using MM now, and although it still isn't perfect for us, it's closer.

 

OP, do you want to keep trying to make Singapore work?? If so, I bet there are people who can give you great tips. If you really don't... then let it go without guilt, because there is probably something that will work better for you.

 

I honestly don't know if I want to make it work or not. I'v struggled at various times with Singapore and have always figured out but I feel kind of done with it. I think because dd seems to be struggling now too.

 

My fear is banishing her to mathematical mediocrity, to be honest.

[Nart]

I would guess Unit 6 - adding and subtracting with numbers over 10. There aren't enough problems in the textbook and workbook and the problems are all pictorial so you don't have to use mental math. I supplement with Japanese math and it does a much better job of showing how to make a ten while adding numbers to 20.

 

Exactly. There are many people who have posted about that.

 

I just moved forward and kept on reviewing with manipulatives as needed. Eventually they get it. But yeah, just using as is there is not much practice and that is a fairly complex concept to really understand at a young age for many kids. DD understood it when I pulled some pages from MM and used rods, but she was totally confused by the pictoral representation of the concept in the TB.

 

Overall it's a great program, but I have supplemented along the way. Heck I'm doing it now in 5

 

I really like Singapore and plan on continuing but I think the pacing is off on certain sections. I get that every kid is different, but some Chapters in first grade are so easy and several lessons can be done in a day, while others like making a ten to add need way more lessons/pages. Adding using a ten is one lesson in the textbook and three very easy pictorial pages in the workbook. The home instructor guide recommends practicing the concept before moving on. It has taken my son three weeks to really master this concept of holding a number in his head and manipulating it. He could do it after a day with manipulatives but it took a lot of practice to do it all in his head. I searched previous posts and this is where lots of kids get bogged down so I know it is challenging for lots of kids. It is such a critical skill to learn to continue on in SM. I like that in Japanese math, which we use to supplement, the unit before is on adding and subtracting three numbers together so there is practice holding a number in your head and completing another calculation.

Edited October 4, 2012 by Nart