Anyone ever accelerate Singapore Primary Mathematics?

[JRmommy]

My 8 year old is advanced in math, but we've been doing Singapore PM at his grade level.  He complains that it is too easy.  I know that it is.  Our state requires testing, and he tests a couple of grade levels ahead.  I like the idea of going deeper.  Would Beast Academy fit the bill?  If so, do we start at 3A?

[Runningmom80]

Are you doing grade 2? If so I think BA 3A would be a good fit. They have a placement test you can use to further explore whether it's right for your DS.

 

Plenty of us accelerate Singapore PM. Probably half the math threads on this board are about that topic. ;)

[Dmmetler]

Yes. We went from 1A-5B in under 2 years. Basically, we did the book lessons, did the IP challenge problems, and moved on, doing more only when she needed the extra practice. After that, we spent a year with Life of Fred and solidifying basic math, and then jumped to AOPS, where she finally slowed down :)

 

I do think that if BA had been out, it would have been a much better fit.

 

 

[Targhee]

BA is definitely more interesting in that it provides a variety of problem types and puzzle-ish problems. And it's more challenging - even 3A. I think accelerating PM is ok, be deepening it is even better. You could use a PM combo with BA. Have you tried using Singapore's Challenging Word Problems? Or the Zaccaro math books?

[Crimson Wife]

My oldest did SM textbook + IP + CWP from 3A through 8A before switching to Lial's Beginning Algebra.

 

My DS did SM textbook + IP + CWP up through 4B in combo with the harder problems in BA 3. Then this past spring things got crazy with my youngest child and I needed DS to do something more independent. So I switched him to some of the single-topic MM worktexts.  He did fractions 2, percents, and is now in ratios/proportions. I recently added back in Singapore IP 5. I plan to have him finish out MM with the integers and rational numbers worktexts and the Singapore IP books through 6B. Then I'm planning to give Art of Problem Solving Pre-Algebra a try.

[Kerileanne99]

Yes, but I admit my dd probably spends a lot more time on math than many kids out of sheer enjoyment. She is 5 and we are doing 5A/B concurrently at the moment because I am letting her jump around this summer. She has covered much of the material in them already through the Key to...series.

We started in 1A after RS B and she plowed through. We started using the Textbook, workbook, CWP and IP, but end up teaching with the textbook and CWP, quite a bit of IP problems for fun, and she completes the workbook on her own whenever she wants.

We also use Beast Academy. Typically 1-2 days per week, but I often just put Beast problems on the huge dry erase board and leave them to pique her interest.

 

I am struggling to figure out what to do this fall for her first 'official' Kindy year of homeschooling. I really want to let her just explore math now that she has the tools to do so much more...but *I* need something to vaguely follow with a new baby. She has said that she wants to go back and do every Beast problem "all by herself" for her math this year, lol. Very industrious:). It is a lot of fun and looks at math quite differently, so it may suit your needs!

[desertflower]

Imo yes and yes. That's what we are doing.

[Miss Marple]

Yes, we did, but mostly in the early levels (PM1-5).  We used textbooks, workbooks, and test papers so we didn't skip.  However, I let them move through as quickly as necessary until they encountered challenging material.  The subsequent levels seemed to offer more challenge...especially when moving into NEM.

 

This was years ago, though, before Beast Academy/AoPS.  It was the most rigorous program I could find for DS2.  Today, I'd do the same thing...find that point of challenge and definitely add in AoPS

[JRmommy]

Are you doing grade 2? If so I think BA 3A would be a good fit. They have a placement test you can use to further explore whether it's right for your DS.

 

Plenty of us accelerate Singapore PM. Probably half the math threads on this board are about that topic. ;)

 

We are finishing up Singapore PM 3B.  I just don't know how to accelerate it.  Do you just skip lessons?  Or should I have him do the review in every unit to make sure he knows how to do it?

[EKS]

Singapore math (PM) is easy to accelerate.  We used a few different speeds.  The fastest was where my son knew the material cold and could teach it to me.  For that, I had him tell me what he knew and had him do one or two of the most difficult problems in the textbook, and then we moved on.  The next speed down from this, which was our normal speed most of the time, was for material that was reasonably easy for him, but that he did need some instruction on.  For that, we did a quick lesson, and then he would do the problems in the textbook either orally or on the whiteboard.  There were a few topics that needed additional attention.  For these, I added the workbook, and for some that needed even more practice (like long division), I added one problem each day until he was solid on it in addition to whatever else we were working on.

 

I also had him do the CWP book (old edition) one level behind, which served as a review as well as practice with word problems.

[Gratia271]

My 8 year old is advanced in math, but we've been doing Singapore PM at his grade level.  He complains that it is too easy.  I know that it is.  Our state requires testing, and he tests a couple of grade levels ahead.  I like the idea of going deeper.  Would Beast Academy fit the bill?  If so, do we start at 3A?

 

We accelerated quickly through SM levels and used their CWP throughout.  All three of my children enjoyed SM.  I have been using BA with my nephews this summer, and all three of my children said they would have loved doing BA instead of SM had it been available.  In terms of placement, I just started my nephews at 3A.  They progressed through parts quickly.  Not being experiencing with the pedagogy, we chose to start at the beginning. They really enjoy it.

 

[Runningmom80]

We are finishing up Singapore PM 3B.  I just don't know how to accelerate it.  Do you just skip lessons?  Or should I have him do the review in every unit to make sure he knows how to do it?

 

I think BA 3A is still a good fit, but I'm definitely no expert. 

 

How I accelerate is like dmmetler.  We do the book lessons and then the I.P.  I also have math mammoth, which ever series is by topic, and I pull that out sometimes for more practice.  I use the end of unit reviews sometimes too, like when there are units that are review-ish (addition with 4 numbers instead of 3, etc.)  We then go over anything I feel like he missed, but often we are able to skip lessons. Even for the new info, I combine lessons, we usually go through at least 2 a day, even when he's "challenged." 

 

I buy the HIG because I'm not mathy at all, and I find it very helpful.  I know some parents skip it, so YMMV.

 

It's really a lot of trial and error over here.  I know I used to look for "the answer" or "the right path" for acceleration, and unfortunately, it just doesn't exist.  (Not that I've found at least!)

[Crimson Wife]

I saved the end-of-chapter reviews to do 1 semester behind on Fridays.

[JRmommy]

BA is definitely more interesting in that it provides a variety of problem types and puzzle-ish problems. And it's more challenging - even 3A. I think accelerating PM is ok, be deepening it is even better. You could use a PM combo with BA. Have you tried using Singapore's Challenging Word Problems? Or the Zaccaro math books?

 

We did CWP 2 year, and it was too easy for him.  I also thought some of the problems were worded awkardly.  I haven't tried Zaccaro.  I want him to be challenged, but it still alludes me how to accelerate.  I just purchased Beast Academy 3A.  I'll add that to the line up with Singapore 4A.  The problem is because it is too easy, he doesn't like to do it.  I think for him it feels like busywork.  

[JRmommy]

I saved the end-of-chapter reviews to do 1 semester behind on Fridays.

 

I like this idea!

[JRmommy]

Singapore math (PM) is easy to accelerate.  We used a few different speeds.  The fastest was where my son knew the material cold and could teach it to me.  For that, I had him tell me what he knew and had him do one or two of the most difficult problems in the textbook, and then we moved on.  The next speed down from this, which was our normal speed most of the time, was for material that was reasonably easy for him, but that he did need some instruction on.  For that, we did a quick lesson, and then he would do the problems in the textbook either orally or on the whiteboard.  There were a few topics that needed additional attention.  For these, I added the workbook, and for some that needed even more practice (like long division), I added one problem each day until he was solid on it in addition to whatever else we were working on.

 

I also had him do the CWP book (old edition) one level behind, which served as a review as well as practice with word problems.

 

Thanks for this explanation.  At least it gives me an idea of how to actually accelerate it without feeling like he's missing on major concepts.  We just switched to Singapore 3A from Right Start C last August.  Honestly, I just became comfortable with teaching the Singapore way, and I am a mathy person with an engineering degree.  So, part of the issue was me getting comfortable with the curriculum.  

[strawberryjam]

We don't accelerate in Singapore. After a couple years of Singapore I realized there were gaps in my sons core math knowledge (even though he was consistently getting 95%+). He could probably understand advanced abstract math easily but I've avoided "going there" on purpose. So what we are doing now is actually doing Singapore along with CLE math. Two very different approaches to math but his gaps are being filled. He actually prefers CLE but I think the Singapore conceptual style and the world problems, etc. are important so we will keep them and continue coming back to them while working through CLE. I like CLE math cause it covers many more topics, has lots of built-in review, and is fairly independent. 

[Crimson Wife]

Which edition of Singapore did you use that you felt left out topics covered by CLE? I've only come across a handful of topics that I felt Singapore Standards edition left out (Roman numerals was one because we used the Can You Count in Greek? workbook to cover that).

[callapidder]

We don't accelerate in Singapore. After a couple years of Singapore I realized there were gaps in my sons core math knowledge (even though he was consistently getting 95%+). He could probably understand advanced abstract math easily but I've avoided "going there" on purpose. So what we are doing now is actually doing Singapore along with CLE math. Two very different approaches to math but his gaps are being filled. He actually prefers CLE but I think the Singapore conceptual style and the world problems, etc. are important so we will keep them and continue coming back to them while working through CLE. I like CLE math cause it covers many more topics, has lots of built-in review, and is fairly independent. 

 

Can you share a little more of how you blend CLE and Singapore? This will be our first year homeschooling (DS will be in 3rd grade), and I am thinking about possibly combining these two as well -- to keep the conceptual approach while making sure he gets enough review (spaced review, specifically) . 

 

Thanks!