singapore starting in 6th?

[4callmemama]

I will begin homeschooling my 4 children in the summer. I'm completely torn between Horizons and Singapore maths. I'll have a K, 2nd, 3rd and 6th grader. I know that Singapore has a different scope and sequence than traditional styles (ie. public school). Has anyone here started their kids in the later years of elementary school in SM? I read that a lot of people use both to compliment each other. Any suggestions, thoughts, advice?

[Heartsjoy]

http://www.singaporemath.com/FAQ_Primary_Math_s/15.htm

 

Here is  a page with scope and sequence and placement tests.

 

This may sound like strange advice, but I would pick a highschool math series I wanted to use for the 6th grader and use whatever they recommended for 6, 7th and 8th.  It's easier to work backwards from a highschool plan, than to scramble to fit into one. 

 

Some highschool math programs will fit the scope and sequence of your school system or mandatory testing depending on what options you need to cover. 

 

One option would be to use something like Horizons for the 6th grader and then adding in some word problems from a Singapore Intensive Problems book probably a year to year and a half earlier than Horizons. example - 6th grade Horizons, look at the challenging sections of 4B Intensive Practice.

[Momling]

I think Singapore primary math has been awesome, but I haven't been all that excited sbout their middle school programs. I don't know anything about Horizon, but it gets good reviews here.

 

Assuming your 6th grader is at grade level, I would look at:

Math Mammoth 6, Saxon 7/6, Holt course 1 or Galore Park SYRWTL Maths 1. Any of those feed nicely into a pre-algebra course.

 

It's nice to stick with one publisher for elementary , but for middle school and high school math , many of us switch regularly - one publisher for prealgebra, another for algebra 1, etc...

[melmichigan]

Well back in the day when I brought my oldest DD home from PS the recommendation was not to start SM with kids that were already past 4th grade, so that DD never did SM.  Now there appear to be transition materials for MiF to address this at the PS level.  I would lean toward not, just from my own experience with the program.  Your DC may be able to do the math in 6th, but it would take some work to get them to think conceptually in the same way that a child who experience with SM would and to complete the materials the SM way.  That might be very frustrating for a child and not what I would want for the first year of homeschooling.  I would also work back from the high school plan.  Be sure to have you DC take the placement tests no matter what program you choose.

[Crimson Wife]

I would recommend getting the Math Mammoth grades 1-6 bundle when it comes back to HSBC next month and then giving the placement exams. You may need to pull some topics from lower grades after coming out of PS.

[kbutton]

We started Singapore in 3rd grade. My son was in a private school with very traditional (learn the algorithms) math. They didn't emphasize conceptual information all that much. He is doing well with Singapore. I think things get more intense with the 4th level of Singapore, which is where we are now. So, I think your youngers would be okay with Singapore whether or not your oldest would be. Definitely take the placement tests for whatever you do.

 

[4callmemama]

I kind of had that feeling....Maybe I can use SM for the youngers and find something different for my 6th grader. What's the favorite middle/high school math?

[Mommy2BeautifulGirls]

:lurk5:

[serendipitous journey]

I kind of had that feeling....Maybe I can use SM for the youngers and find something different for my 6th grader. What's the favorite middle/high school math?

 

If this question doesn't get addressed well here, try it on the Logic stage board -- that's just the right board for this, AND it moves a bit more slowly so your thread will be front-page for longer.  :) 

 

I myself think that the SM Discovering Maths is a strong middle-school program.  But it is not at all like SM primary: you won't have the home instructor guide support &c. 

 

For starting SM later 3rd or later you'll probably want to include the "Process Skills" (aka Fanmath) books that SM sells for each primary grade -- Rainbow Resource carries these, if you buy them via RR with your other SM books you prob. won't have to pay shipping.  These help enormously with some of the singapore-specific strategies and I cannot recommend them highly enough. 

 

[Elisabet1]

Unless I were planning to use their upper level maths, I would not start them in 6th. The scope and sequence is so different. I would just use Horizon's for the older child.

 

My 6th grader is using Horizon's. My 4th grader is using Singapore. My olders were like that too. But in the case of the olders, oldest did not like Singapore, so he used Horizons while younger used Singapore.