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Did you use Singapore US or Stds before AoPS?


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We did Standards with IP and CWP through 5, then we moved to AoPS algebra. 

It's going well but he's slow on a couple of chapters.

I started with the US edition of Singapore but switched to Standards in 2nd. I prefer Standards with the extra topics and the regular reviews.

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My two youngest used the US Edition.  I have no idea what math program my oldest used in his Montessori school before moving to AoPS a couple of months into our first year of homeschooling.  All three were successful transitioning over to AoPS. I don't really think you can make a "bad" decision between your two choices.

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We did Standards with IP and CWP through 5, then we moved to AoPS algebra.

It's going well but he's slow on a couple of chapters.

I started with the US edition of Singapore but switched to Standards in 2nd. I prefer Standards with the extra topics and the regular reviews.

Do you mean you used SM 1 through 6 and CWP through 5 before AoPS Algebra, or did you go into Algebra from SM 5, bypassing preA?

 

I am asking because my kid really wants to be done with SM and we still have half the topics in 5B to finish. He zipped through Jousting Armadillos without a problem over the summer. I wonder if I should just let him start preA or insist on finishing SM 5B. We have also completed all of BA through 4B and will do 4C in the fall.

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Do you mean you used SM 1 through 6 and CWP through 5 before AoPS Algebra, or did you go into Algebra from SM 5, bypassing preA?

 

I am asking because my kid really wants to be done with SM and we still have half the topics in 5B to finish. He zipped through Jousting Armadillos without a problem over the summer. I wonder if I should just let him start preA or insist on finishing SM 5B. We have also completed all of BA through 4B and will do 4C in the fall.

  

We did SM 1A-5B entirely. All of CWP thru 5. IP mostly thru 5B.

SOME CWP 6 and IP 6A & B.

 

None of SM 6.

 

I got AoPS PreAlg, but then had ds take my beginning algebra at the cc with me (keeping up at home as if he were enrolled). He was able to handle that, so I put him directly in AoPS Intro Algebra. He's doing okay. He's slow on some topics, but I don't think PreAlg would have helped.

 

I would insist on finishing SM 5B, but then make an attempt at Intro Algebra.

If it doesn't go well, you can always go back to Prealg or Beast.

We did get Beast 4A and B when they came out, but he was already past that in SM, so it really was better for us to just stay with SM rather than adding in Beast.

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I would insist on finishing SM 5B, but then make an attempt at Intro Algebra.

If it doesn't go well, you can always go back to Prealg or Beast.

Why not do preA instead of 5B? Aops does a much better job than SM covering topics. I could see requiring both, but do you think preA would be redundant? Today he asked me why numbers raised to the power of zero equal one, so we sat with preA book reading over proofs. It was fun! Honestly I don't think he will be ready for algebra. He is still 9.

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Why not do preA instead of 5B? Aops does a much better job than SM covering topics. I could see requiring both, but do you think preA would be redundant? Today he asked me why numbers raised to the power of zero equal one, so we sat with preA book reading over proofs. It was fun! Honestly I don't think he will be ready for algebra. He is still 9.

We were already into 5B when I got the prealgebra text.

Since I teach math, it's been easy for me to go into more depth on any of the topics and boy has done fine skipping to algebra.

 

I haven't looked to see what topics might not be covered with the switch in 5B to prealgebra. I think once prealgebra has been completed, algebra won't be a problem with AoPS.

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Quite a few seem to move directly from 5b onto AOPS pre-algebra. We are using a different prealgebra curriculum but I keep trying to fill in other items we need to master after 5b and before we start it. I think I'm just going to do it.

ETA, we used the US version when afterschooling but switched to Standards when we started homeschooling. I prefer, and need, the standards homeschool instructor guide to the US one.

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My daughter used the Singapore US edition, then some of the Math Mammoth workbooks and then moved into AOPS Prealgebra.  She spent two years in that book and is now using Lial's Algebra I + LOF Beginning Algebra (which we are really enjoying, but is a lot easier than AOPS).

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I don't rhink it matters which you use. Just make sure you cover negative numbers before starting AoPS prealgebra. You can always use another resource if that topic is not in SM US.

We did this using Keys to Algebra the summer prior to beginning AoPS pre-A.

 

Also, my oldest son doing SM 6 added very little to his math knowledge.  He could have skipped it completely, which is what I did with son #2.  I just sold all of my SM 6 on ebay because we will not use that level again.  I'm a big SM fan, but I found a disconnect of sorts between level 6 and the rest of the program.

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We used Standards through 5B, then went into AoPS Prealgebra. Even with the negative numbers covered in Singapore (they didn't really cover anything my son hadn't learned in early elementary when we first talked about negative numbers), we still needed an extra resource to practice negative numbers at a more Prealgebra level. The Singapore coverage was pretty weak, IMO. I used Dolciani Prealgebra for that. AoPS went pretty quickly through it. It was thorough coverage, but not enough practice for my son to become automatic. I think that's an issue for him in general with AoPS... he does better learning the basics of a topic in a program that drills more, then go deeper in AoPS. That's why I plan to do Jacobs Algebra before AoPS Intro to Algebra. AoPS Prealgebra has so far mostly been review of topics he's done before and then go deeper, so he's been ok, but a few topics I've had to pull out Dolciani. Exponents was a biggie... Singapore taught them briefly, but didn't give enough practice with using them. So that was a topic where doing Dolciani followed by AoPS worked better for him.

 

So basically, I think US version would be fine. Either way, you may need to supplement with negative number practice if the AoPS presentation isn't enough for your kid. Singapore Standards just doesn't do that much with negative numbers.

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Standards 1-2, New Primary Maths 3-5b, Life of Fred PA, AOPS PA, AOPS algebra so far, plus lots of supplements and extras.

 

I accidentally ordered NPM from EBay without realizing it, and my DD really loved the more "Singapory" feel of the questions, illustrations, and examples. Based on using the IP with it, I think it's very close to the US edition except for measurement and currency conversions. I think skill-wise, she could have gone into AOPS, but she was very young and needed more time to develop skills in writing out problems, organizing a notebook, and so on, and LOF served as a good bridge.

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I used Standards through 5B then Aops Pre-algebra and now Introductory Algebra.

 

Of course some of the material from pre-algebra was repeated from years 4 and 5 of Singapore, but he wasn't ready to go from 5B right into algebra. I think the consolidation of arithmetic at a higher level plus some brand new topics was a good transition to algebra. And I think the format of the pre-algebra book was a difficult enough transition to make in the sixth grade, that it was nice to have a few chapters in there that seemed easier.

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It has always puzzled me that SM does not cover negative numbers in the US Edition. However, it was really not a problem to use Keys to algebra to cover the topic the summer prior to starting AoPS pre A. Keys is cheap and easy to use. It had drill out the wazoo. The approach was straightforward and clear. And I am not mathy.

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Thank you everyone! I have SM Stds levels 1-3. I also have US Edition levels 1 and 3. It would be easy for me to sell the US Edition of both, I'm more invested in Standards! Also, realizing I wouldn't HAVE to do level 6, I may as well stick to standards...

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I'm so glad to hear about all the people going from 5B Stds to AoPS Pre-A, as that's what I'm planning to do with my 5th grader. He is young, so I'm okay if it takes us a while to get through it, but he's definitely not ready for algebra. My dd had gone through 6B, did both of LoF Pre-Algebras over one semester (mostly review), then into Foerster's Algebra without incident. We found 6A and 6B to mostly be review. Standards edition does cover negative numbers and coordinate graphing, but I found that as they were both near the end of the books, there wasn't much review of them. This is why we're switching with ds after 5B. Also, he loves math, and is a good candidate for AoPS, which cannot be said for dd. I think it would drive her crazy!

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