Anyone looked at these Japanese Math books?

[thowell]

http://www.globaledresources.com/products/books/mathematics-international/index.html

 

Looks really good and very inexpensive. Any reviews or thoughts?

[Arcadia]

Stripe and Nart have used them for the elementary levels.

[wapiti]

Here's an old thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/63631-has-anyone-used-this-japanese-math-program/

 

Others: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/439236-are-there-any-colorful-math-workbooks-that-teach-asian-style-math

 

Hopefully you'll get some updated thoughts!

[stripe]

I only bought level 1. I used 1a and it wasn't working for my son, but I have brought out 1b to use with my daughter. Here are some other threads including feedback from Ray who used some of them at one point. Jean in Newcastle used them in Japanese, and somewhere she posted her thoughts.

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/99748-japanese-math/

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/342600-can-we-discuss-this-japanese-math-series/

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/254451-where-can-i-see-english-examples-of-japanese-math/

[Spy Car]

We used the Level 1 Textbooks and Workbook "back when" after Stripe brought them to the Hives attention.

 

I liked them. But got a similar approach, with more teacher support, from Primary Mathematics (Singapore). Since you can't do it all, we did not continue. The printing was outstanding, too bad there are no more hard copies.

 

Bill

[Jean in Newcastle]

Yes, I have the Japanese ones. I think I bought them around 2000, so I don't know what edition they are.

[Nart]

I used the first grade book and workbooks with my son. He loved them! I also have Singapore HIG, textbook, workbook, IP and CWP. We alternated between the books. He didn't like Singapore but I was afraid of missing something. The first grade Japanese math kit (35 dollars) is fantastic and "hello kitty" cute with colorful plastic containers, awesome magnetic yellow and white squares that fit into a plastic frame that held ten of them and other goodies. The pictures were much better in Japanese Math books. I didnt think the SM pictures were as intuitive as the Japanese books in explaining a concept. My son loved to look closely at the details on the kids' faces in the books (ex. Kids holding up numbers on a card to a problem, and one kid in the back would be sweating while holding up the wrong answer). For first grade there is an activity guide that goes along with the book and kit.

The only problem is that now the textbook is only available in a downloadable PDF. I am not sure if the upper grades are in color but I wouldn't spend 24 dollars for a downloadable book that I would then have to print in color. I don't plan on buying second grade because the hard copy of the textbook isn't available and the workbook is now out of stock. I regret not buying hard copies of the other grades when I had the chance.

 

ETA: Here is a link to a PowerPoint slides that discuss developing number sense using Japanese Math.

 

http://globaledresources.com/resources/assets/042310-NCTM-Leer-and-Yoshida.pdf

There are lots of pages of the first grade textbook (slide 16 shows the boy sweating, slide 17 shows a boy angry at losing/ slide). The yellow squares that are grouped in tens in the book are the same as the yellow squares in the math kit so it easier to see concrete to pictorial.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I looked at Kinokuniya's website and they are all listed as out of stock.

[J9Mommy]

http://www.globaledr...onal/index.html

 

Looks really good and very inexpensive. Any reviews or thoughts?

 

I like these. Definitely book marked. We were using Singapore, but I dumped the core program right now. We still use the word problems, challenge, and mental math books. The core was just not working for my oldest, so he is now using the Key to Series. Oddly enough I use to live in Japan, but I went to an American school. Thanks for sharing !

[stripe]

There is another series that aligns with the Japanese national curriculum, from Gakkoh Tosho, but I am not sure if it's in print. From an old post of mine which I reposted at http://forums.welltr...h/#entry2563386

 

I found the other Japanese (link1) elementary text (link 2; no longer works) that has been translated into English, from Gakkoh Tosho; the images shown in that article are from the Gakkoh Tosho books, not from the Tokyo Shoseki series previously discussed in this thread. From the publisher, a one-page excerpt and a tiny amount of information:

http://www.gakuto.co...131e/index.html

 

 

All their ISBN numbers:

Grade 1: 4762509140

Grade 2A: 4762509159

Grade 2B: 4762509167

Grade 3A: 4762509175

Grade 3B: 4762509183

Grade 4A: 4762509191

Grade 4B: 4762509205

Grade 5A: 4762509213

Grade 5B: 4762509221

Grade 6A: 476250923X

Grade 6B: 4762509248

 

They are supposedly distributed by Kinokuniya. You can get stuff shipped from Japan from AmazonJP and honto.JP which has absorbed BK1.

I found them in Kinokuniya's catalog, but I had to search for Japanese books.

Here is the second grade book

http://www.kinokuniy...m=9784762509162

But if you type

ï¼­ï½ï½”ｈｅï½ï½ï½”ｉｃｓ　ｆï½ï½’　ｅｌｅï½ï½…ｎｔï½ï½’ｙ　ｓｃｈï½ï½ï½Œ

into the search box, searching for Japanese books (not English!), you will find them all.

They list all of them as being out of stock, and they will check availability with the publisher. So who knows.

I found them in honto's (for example the 2nd grade), but I am suspicious if they can actually fulfill the order, and they look OOP at AmazonJP.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Just so you know, there are a couple of educational publishing companies in Japan. Schools can choose between them for what text they want to use. But the actual curriculum sequence is set by the Ministry of education and is standardized. So whether you use publisher A or B, you will still have the exact same content on lesson 31 (for example) even though the way they present it may be very different. Does that make sense? This allows Japanese kids to transfer to any school in Japan (which happens a lot) and not miss a beat in the content they've covered.

[stripe]

Just so you know, there are a couple of educational publishing companies in Japan. Schools can choose between them for what text they want to use. But the actual curriculum sequence is set by the Ministry of education and is standardized. So whether you use publisher A or B, you will still have the exact same content on lesson 31 (for example) even though the way they present it may be very different. Does that make sense? This allows Japanese kids to transfer to any school in Japan (which happens a lot) and not miss a beat in the content they've covered.

 

Indeed, and that is why for years I posted about the other series that had been translated into English, but my posts are clearly becoming more confusing, so thank you so much for saying this so clearly. Anyhow it looks like both the one sold by Global Ed Resources and the Gakkoh Tosho series are both unobtainable in print.

[marylandhsmom]

Can you teach from the downloadable textbook without an IG, Nart and anyone else who has used this program?

[Jean in Newcastle]

At the lower levels an IG isn't necessary. Sometimes I had to guess at a game from a picture, though. I stopped at about 3rd grade so I can't say for the higher grades (even though I had the books).

[marylandhsmom]

Thank you, Jean! You wouldn't be selling any of your books, by any chance, would you? :D

[Jean in Newcastle]

Thank you, Jean! You wouldn't be selling any of your books, by any chance, would you? :D

 

My books are actually written in Japanese. The straight math problems wouldn't be an issue but word problems might be a bit more difficult! A friend bought them for me when she was in Japan a few years ago. In Japan, the textbooks are not provided by the school. You go down to the local book store and buy the books they've told you to buy. The books are thin and not expensive - two thin books for the year divided by semester. They are the student workbooks only because the teachers teach the rest directly in class. So a Japanese student would actually get more than is provided just in the work books, which is why I had to be a bit of a detective to see what games and manipulatives they used to teach the concept in class - which they then practiced in the workbooks.

[stripe]

Can you teach from the downloadable textbook without an IG, Nart and anyone else who has used this program?

 

I felt I was missing something important. But that was me.

 

I highly recommend the website of Tad Watanabe.

http://science.kennesaw.edu/~twatanab/

[Jean in Newcastle]

Very cool, Stripe.

[Okeychowie]

Just to let you all know I emailed the company and was told that there are still workbooks and math kits for puchase, but so few that they are not offered online.  Their system is a bit old fashioned.  You have to mail them a list of what you want and a check with the total price plus 10% for shipping.  I would email the to be sure they have the grade level you are interested in.  I know as of last week they still have grade one workbooks and the math kit available for purchase this way.  No hardcopy text books though.

[Hunter]

I understand there is little teacher support for this curriculum, but are there no answer keys?

[stripe]

Workbook answers are here: http://www.globaledresources.com/resources.html

[Hunter]

I'll stop asking my questions about this curriculum, in my general eBook thread, and ask them here.

 

The workbooks are for the old series of textbooks, but quite compatible with the 2011 textbooks?

 

There are no workbooks for 7-9?

 

There are no keys for the textbooks, just workbooks?

[Hunter]

I think there are only answers for the Kyoiku Dojinsha workbooks, which are sold as print pages (as I understand it) for grades 1-6, not for the Tokyo Shoseki texts, which go to grade 9, and are being sold as PDFs. So, in other words, no.

 

I am emphasizing this because they sell two different products - a (PDF) textbook, for which there is no separate answer key document at any grade level, and a (print) workbook.

Here is their brochure about the gr 7-9 texts

http://www.globaledresources.com/products/assets/MathInternational0313_s.pdf

 

Also, it was my recollection that those who have called the company and spoken with employees there found the experience pleasant and helpful.

I moved your answer over here. Thanks! Okay, so they are different series, but the Japanese scope and sequence is so rigidly set, that any curriculum matches up lesson for lesson, right? I missed that they were actually different series.

 

I'm going to have to e-mail or call the company. These look awesome on the iPad.

[stripe]

I moved your answer over here. Thanks! Okay, so they are different series, but the Japanese scope and sequence is so rigidly set, that any curriculum matches up lesson for lesson, right?

My understanding is that the curriculum is pretty rigid, and the workbook and text are from different publishers, so I think so.

[Hunter]

Searching online hasn't led to much.

 

The yearly plans look nice.

 

I really would like to use the same curriculum for 7-9 as 1-6. I really don't want to go deep into high school maths, but I do want to touch on them. These are awfully appealing for an eReader option.

 

Maybe I should work through the 1-6 and if I still am enamored with it, then worry about 7-9. Maybe I could find someone else to compare answers with me. It could be a fun project to create an answer key. Maybe.

[Hunter]

UGH! The workbooks are hardcopy, right? It's just the textbooks that are pdf?

[stripe]

UGH! The workbooks are hardcopy, right? It's just the textbooks that are pdf?

Yes

[Jean in Newcastle]

Yes, the curriculum is set for the entire country by the Japanese Ministry of Education.  Once in lower secondary school (7 - 9th grade) classes are taught in a lecture method in the schools.  That doesn't mean that you have to teach it that way of course, but that is how it is set up to be used in the Japanese schools.  

[Hunter]

I'm finding it interesting to read the Japanese scope and sequence and to compare it to Singapore. It seems a lot shorter and easier to understand and teach.

http://www.globaledresources.com/products/assets/Teaching%20Guide%20Elementary.pdf

 

It certainly is accelerated by USA standards. My gifted little boy would have loved this, but my late bloomer would have been like a deer in headlights.

[Hunter]

An article on Japanese math textbooks

 

Japanese Math Textbooks: Less Is More

http://www.thedailyriff.com/2010/07/japanese-math-textbooks-less-is-more.php

 

Perhaps the first reaction one gets when looking at Japanese math textbooks is that they are thin, lightweight paperbacks with colorful cartoon illustrations. The total number of pages ranges from 120 to 210 per grade level. ... This embodies the Japanese philosophy of teaching a few important math topics per year in depth instead of what is typically done in the U.S. -- teaching many topics per year superficially. ...

 

Another characteristic of Japanese elementary math textbooks is that they are designed so teachers can teach the subject without having any special knowledge. Elementary school teachers in Japan typically teach every subject (except gym, art, music, etc.) so they are generalists, not specialists.

[Hunter]

Japan Fattens Textbooks

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-09-06-japan-thicker-textbooks_N.htm

 

So the workbooks are from before the revision, and the textbooks are from after the revision?

[Hunter]

Japanese vs American problem solving lessons

http://www.criced.tsukuba.ac.jp/math/sympo_2006/takahashi.pdf

 

Although Japanese structured problem solving has been influenced by U.S. research on problem solving, it is not the same as the problem solving approach used in the U.S. In the U.S., problem solving is often viewed as an approach to develop problem-solving skills and strategies. As a result, U.S. mathematics lessons employing the problem solving approach are usually focused on the process of solving a problem and not necessary focused on developing mathematical concepts and skills. These problem-solving lessons often end when each student comes up with a solution to the problem.

 

In Japan, on the other hand, problem solving is often viewed as a powerful approach for developing mathematical concepts and skills. Thus, Japanese teachers use problem solving not only for lessons that focus on developing problem-solving skills and strategies but also throughout the curriculum in order to develop mathematical concepts, skills, and procedures.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Japan Fattens Textbooks

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-09-06-japan-thicker-textbooks_N.htm

 

So the workbooks are from before the revision, and the textbooks are from after the revision?

This is interesting.  For what it's worth, the textbooks and workbooks from 40 years ago (when I looked at my friend's homework!) was pretty much the same thickness as what they have now.  It wasn't so much the size of the text but what was covered and the depth of what was covered that has changed a bit.  Japanese math education counts on parents signing their kids up for Abacus lessons after school, Math tutoring at places like Kumon etc.  And it counts on hours of homework in junior high and up.  Back when I was in Japan, there were still school half days on Saturdays too.  Some of that has changed in recent years but it sounds like they are wanting to get back to that.  

[Hunter]

I read somewhere that an "hour" of instruction is about 45 minutes. And in elementary school there are sometimes only 3 "hours" of instruction a week.

 

But then...there is...the homework.