Tell me more about Singapore Math

[meme]

Hi

My Grade 6 ds has done Right Start Math And Jump Math. I would like to start Singapore Math but would greatly appreciate some advice first.

 

1. Looking at the placement he would most likely start at 5B. So would this put him behind his grade level?

 

2. How long does each book take to complete?

 

3. what do you use after 6B?

 

4. Do I need the textbook, workbook and the instructor guide?

 

5. Which edition do we use esp since we're in Canada?

 

Thank you very much

[flyingaway]

My thoughts:

 

1. I wouldn't think of it as behind. Singapore covers things earlier than some other programs is my understanding.

 

2. We did an A and B per year along with two Intensive practice books.

 

3. I'm no help. We still haven't settled.

 

4. Yes, yes, maybe. I never used the IG much, but others have said they found it useful.

 

5. Sorry. I don't know.

[Steven]

Each book is one semester. So book 5 B would normally be the second half of 5th grade. We always followed the suggested weekly schedule in the Home Instructor's Guide, which is (I think) 18 weeks long. 

 

The books for 6 grade are a little different than the ones for grades 1 to 5, since 6 grade is a review year in Singapore. There is no Home Instructor's Guide for 6A and 6B (at least not in the Standards Edition, which we used). After trying to read as many posts on this as possible, I have concluded that the 6 grade book is essentially a "pre-algebra" consolidation of math skills. I think students go into Algebra after book 6B. The books offered by Singpore Math for 7th grade and above are a combined algebra/geometry course, that seem to be less popular than the grade school program. Most people seem to want separate algebra and geometry programs, since that is what U.S. schools have traditionally used. 

 

In any event, we are shifting to Art of Problem Solving Pre-Algrebra this year and plan to use AOPS Algebra for 7th grade. (If the style of that text doesn't fit my daughter, I will revert to Singapore for 6 and seek out a different Algebra text). Since you are so close to the end of the core Singapore series, I am not sure what advantage you would get from it. 

 

Normally, I buy the textbook, the workbook, and the HIG, as well as Intensive Practice. The HIG was probably most useful in the early grades to learn the Singapore method for presenting the material, and for learning the how to draw and use the diagrams that Singpore uses to solve problems. 

 

Regarding the edition to buy, we liked Standards (which was based on standards written by the state of California, which California has dropped in favor of Common Core standards). The U.S. edition is an adaption of the original Singapore book for the U.S. market (using U.S. measurements, currency, etc.). When we started, the publisher was pushing parents to use the Standards Edition, but they have announced their intention to ultimately stop publishing the Standards edition, effectively replacing it with the Common Core  Edition. Common Core seems to cover fewer topics than Standards. Did your placement test indicate what edition it was based on? There is a webpage at the Singapore Math website that compares what topics are covered by each edition. You might make your choice of editions based on what topics you need to cover. 

 

 

[The Governess]

He would not be behind. My dd went from 5b into pre-algebra easily. Singapore 6 includes a lot of pre-algebra also. You could do 5b and 6a this year and switch to a pre-algebra next year for 7th. If he is a strong math student you could also skip level 6 altogether and move on after 5b to Singapore's higher level curriculum or another pre-algebra.

[meme]

Thank you for the helpful replies.

[kbutton]

We use US Edition, not Standards. In the US Edition, the level 6 books fit what is described previously about the Standards edition in that it's a deeper repeat of 5th grade concepts. I don't know if you are considering the US Edition or not, but it's probably a good idea to use the comparison chart. 

 

Aside from the method itself, I think we've received the most value from the Intensive Practice series. It has questions similar to the Challenging Word Problems series, but it also has a lot of exercises that aren't word problems, but are more challenging that the textbook and workbook exercises. I feel like my son learns the most from the IP because it makes him see things in a broader way than the TB and WB presents. The IP extends and cements what he learns in the TB.

 

If your son wants more word problem practice, another option is to use the Process Skills in Problem Solving books. They have explicit teaching on how to do a variety of word problems. 

[aprilleigh]

I'm guessing parts of 5B would be review for your son, and 6A/6B also have a fair amount of review for the previous work. I suspect your son would have no problem completing all three (5B, 6A, 6B) in a single year. Just move quickly through the stuff he clearly already understands. A lot of people find 6A/6B doesn't take the entire year and combine it with a short pre-algebra class, so you shouldn't have any trouble combining it with 5B to catch the stuff he might have missed because of differences in when Singapore introduces some topics.

 

I found the instructor guides useful, but not strictly necessary. I'm very mathy, however, so your milage may vary. For me, they were primarily a useful resource for reinforcement and drill activities so I didn't have to either make up my own or go hunting for ideas. You will definitely need both the textbook and the workbook. If he needs extra practice, which is not unusual for Singapore because the number of problems provided in the workbook is limited, pick up the corresponding Extra Practice books. If he's strong in math and doesn't need extra practice, but could use a challenge instead, I'd recommend the Intensive Practice books (only available in U.S. Edition, but easily used with both the Standards and Common Core editions). You can also pick up the Challenging Word Problems books for a different kind of extra challenge (Standards edition is out of print, but the Common Core edition can be used with either - the main difference is the addition of new problems).

 

Can't help with post-6B choices since I haven't made my selections yet. I'm personally very STEM oriented and I'm a biology professor with a strong math background so I'm seriously considering options that most homeschoolers would never consider for junior high school.

 

No idea which edition would be better for Canada, but the difference between Standards Edition and Common Core Edition is minor. It's basically the same material, rearranged to fit two slightly difference sequences, with a few minor changes made here and there that would have no real impact on the student's ability to move into the next math program. The differences between these two edition and the U.S. Edition are much greater, but again, it's a strong program either way and even those differences won't have any real effect on moving into the next program. U.S. edition might be cheaper, particularly since it's been around longer and more people will be selling used books on Amazon and eBay.

[Bocky]

My older dd used 4A through 6B in 4th through 6th grades, then we switched away from Singapore for pre-algebra in 7th, because the advanced books didn't have enough support for me to teach as a not particularly mathy person, and didn't follow the typical US sequence of topics. Have you thought about what you would use for 7th grade and up? I hate to chop and change too much, so would hesitate to do Singapore for 6th unless I was planning to use it at least through 8th.

[meme]

Yes, I am actually thinking that maybe it is too late too change to singapore math at this stage. What a pity!