Which book: Challenging Word Problems or Process Skills? (Singapore)

[jmarchman]

HI all,

 

I'm looking at supplementing our MUS with either Singapore's Challenging Word Problems or Process Skills in Problem Solving.  What are the differences between the two?  Should I do both?

 

Thanks!

Jennifer

[sbgrace]

I do both, but the slower worker focuses mainly on Process Skills. His twin does Process Skills followed by the CWP a year behind his current grade.

 

The Process Skills books provide excellent instruction. They show you how to work the problems, and provide completely worked out solutions to the practice problems as well. The CWP books have more problems over-all. It does provide worked out samples for each problem, though they generally don't encompass all the problems you are expected to work in the section. Most of the solutions are simply answer, with no explanation. The worked out samples don't provide as much instruction, or the thinking behind the instruction, compared to the Process Skills book. The two books cover very similar material though.

 

Basically, the Process Skills book actually teaches, and does it well. The CWP are good for practice, but not instruction imo. If I had to pick one, I would pick Process Skills, work the problems on a whiteboard, and go through the book twice perhaps.

[Alessandra]

I do both, but the slower worker focuses mainly on Process Skills. His twin does Process Skills followed by the CWP a year behind his current grade.

 

The Process Skills books provide excellent instruction. They show you how to work the problems, and provide completely worked out solutions to the practice problems as well. The CWP books have more problems over-all. It does provide worked out samples for each problem, though they generally don't encompass all the problems you are expected to work in the section. Most of the solutions are simply answer, with no explanation. The worked out samples don't provide as much instruction, or the thinking behind the instruction, compared to the Process Skills book. The two books cover very similar material though.

 

Basically, the Process Skills book actually teaches, and does it well. The CWP are good for practice, but not instruction imo. If I had to pick one, I would pick Process Skills, work the problems on a whiteboard, and go through the book twice perhaps.

I agree completely. Process Skills breaks down problems into steps. I like PS for a student who needs some support, and CWP for the math kids who pick up concepts easily.

[Farrar]

Exactly what Sbgrace said.

 

They're both good, I guess, but I got frustrated with the lack of instruction in the CWP. I really like the way Process Skills lays out and explicitly teaches the strategies. I think the problems are a bit better written. The CWP is a little harder, but my feeling is that it's more trickier than harder at times. There are some weird wordings in there and we haven't had that issue with the Process Skills series.

[jmarchman]

Thanks so much!  This is very helpful!!

 

I think I'll go with Process Skills.  I have one child in MUS Alpha (addition/sub), one in Gamma (multiplication) and one in Epsilon (fractions).  Anyone know what grade level I should get of Process Skills for each?

 

Jennifer

[sweetpea3829]

Completely agree with sb.  

 

Both...the Process skills really does provide better instruction, but not quite enough practice.  While CWP provides that extra practice without the stellar instruction.  

[FairProspects]

Exactly what Sbgrace said.

 

They're both good, I guess, but I got frustrated with the lack of instruction in the CWP. I really like the way Process Skills lays out and explicitly teaches the strategies. I think the problems are a bit better written. The CWP is a little harder, but my feeling is that it's more trickier than harder at times. There are some weird wordings in there and we haven't had that issue with the Process Skills series.

 

Exactly this. We like Process Skills so much better. I have dyslexics and with the CWP they would spend so much time tricked by the words and trying to process the words that they had very little mental energy left for the math. With Process Skills they actually focus on math rather than the words.

[Farrar]

Obviously get the first grade one for your Alpha level kid. For the others, I'm not sure. I think I'd just go by grade level or go a grade level below.

[Aras]

Process Skills really helped my dd. She was really behind in her math skills when we left ps and refused to do any word problems. After working in the Process Skills books she doesn't cry over them anymore. I think it really gave her some tools to identify different types of problems and how to approach their solution. We did the CWP for a while too; the problems in the Practice section were ok, but the problems in the Challenge section was just too much for her. In the end I realized there was a limit to the amount of frustration, time, and money that I wanted to throw at math, so we just do the Process Skills books.

[sbgrace]

Thanks so much!  This is very helpful!!

 

I think I'll go with Process Skills.  I have one child in MUS Alpha (addition/sub), one in Gamma (multiplication) and one in Epsilon (fractions).  Anyone know what grade level I should get of Process Skills for each?

 

Jennifer

 

The youngest would be in the first book. I would think about starting in level 1 or 2 with all the kids though. This is assuming they haven't had experience with the Singapore/bar model method of problem solving.

 

At the beginning the problems can be easily solved without it. But I told my son (who started later) that it was about learning the bar model process. In other words, he was practicing the bar model set up, not the math. These models will be useful later, when the problems themselves are more complex. But I think it's better not to start complex without the background knowledge.

 

The books are short enough that the older kids will be able to move quickly to their grade level.

 

Maybe you could purchase one each of several grades, and fill in any needed background with the older kids while you use the actual books with the younger one. The later books do have short reviews of previous concepts.

 

Level 1 is all addition and subtraction. There is some multiplication and division in level 2, and more of it in level 3. You will see a bit of fractions in level 4, and more in level 5. I think it would be very hard to jump in at level 5. The books really are short enough to back up some.

[sweetpea3829]

The youngest would be in the first book. I would think about starting in level 1 or 2 with all the kids though. This is assuming they haven't had experience with the Singapore/bar model method of problem solving.

 

At the beginning the problems can be easily solved without it. But I told my son (who started later) that it was about learning the bar model process. In other words, he was practicing the bar model set up, not the math. These models will be useful later, when the problems themselves are more complex. But I think it's better not to start complex without the background knowledge.

 

The books are short enough that the older kids will be able to move quickly to their grade level.

 

Maybe you could purchase one each of several grades, and fill in any needed background with the older kids while you use the actual books with the younger one. The later books do have short reviews of previous concepts.

 

Level 1 is all addition and subtraction. There is some multiplication and division in level 2, and more of it in level 3. You will see a bit of fractions in level 4, and more in level 5. I think it would be very hard to jump in at level 5. The books really are short enough to back up some.

 

I would probably start a year behind grade level.  This way, the "math" skills are solid and the student CAN focus on the models.

 

The downside to this can be dependent on your student's attitude.  My son was (continues to be) frustrated by having to make bar models for problems he could easily work mentally.  But that's very much his personality style.  

 

I don't recall from level 2 in Process Skills but..in level 3, the beginning of the book quickly reviews the models that would have been learned in earlier levels.  

[kiwik]

Are these the ones for mental math? They are the only ones I can find called process skills but it doesn't sound right.

[Farrar]

Are these the ones for mental math? They are the only ones I can find called process skills but it doesn't sound right.

 

They're word problem books. Process Skills in Problem Solving from FAN-Math.

http://www.rainbowresource.com/searchspring.php?q=process+skills+in+problem+solving

 

(Side note... whoa, the RR site changed...)

[kiwik]

Thanks. I have been playing round and decided Christian Book is most economic once postage to NZ is included provided I buy more than one. When I have more money I think I will buy books 1 to 3 for ds5 and ds7.

 

Edited due to crazy autocorrect.