Would you skip over portions in Singapore Math?

[Janeway]

Would you skip over parts in Singapore Math or do everything? We just raced right through a book as my child seemed to already know it. Now I am worried he might miss out that he did not do all the reviews and practice problems. We just did the lesson portions and then the workbook. The workbook in full. And should I give him the chance to test out of future books? Or figure the extra practice is good for him? He used to be in brick and mortar school and I placed him where he belonged. He struggled over the first book we did. But once through that, he raced through the next one. It was clear he already knew everything in book 4B very well. But he did not know fractions. Now he has done the Keys to Fractions series. Should I let him try to test out of 5A? Or would you still have him do it? I was shocked to realize he already knew everything in 4B. He is not ahead for his age. He is 11. So it feels more like he is behind. But I don't want to skimp. But I also don't want to waste a bunch of time repeating what he knows.

[OneStepAtATime]

Key to Fractions really doesn't cover the why as much as it covers the algorithms so you might just have him do some of the problems in 5A including and especially the word problems.  See how his conceptual understanding is.  If he is getting it (not just the computation but the concepts) then maybe test until he hits snags.

[fdrinca]

Part of the reason we like Singapore is that the methodology of problem solving is so helpful. (Bar graphs, I'm talking to you!) If you're skipping over these aspects of the curriculum, then I'd think you were short-changing your child's potential to succeed with the Singapore program.

 

When DS started breezing through books, we added Challenging Word Problems. Again, I'm more focused on the development of problem-solving skills, rather than the memorization of algorithms, so this met our needs very well.

[Tranquility7]

Was 4A his first book (And thus the book he struggled with)? And then he flew through 4B?

We have been using SM since the beginning (we are currently in 5B) and I think often the pattern is that the A book teaches new concepts, but then the B book seems to apply those concepts to other contexts. For instance, you might learn how to add fractions in the A book, but then you apply the knowledge of adding fractions in the area of geometry or weight or measurement in the B book. I've never really analyzed it carefully, but that is how it seems to me. Thus it seems that we often have more new stuff to "learn" in the A book, whereas the B book sometimes seems easier because we are just applying what we previously learned.

 

I wouldn't skip anything in the textbook, stuff entirely, but here are some ideas:

- do textbook, do workbook

- do textbook, do only review sections in workbook, skip the rest of the workbook

- do textbook, skip workbook

- do textbook & CWP, skip workbook

 

I have a mathy kid and we always go through the textbook, but we frequently skip a lot of the problems in it. I make sure to go through how SM presents the problems and solutions, but if he gets it easily as I have him solve a couple of problems from each set, we just move on. I don't remember the last time I made him do all the textbook problems. Then we skip the textbook chapter reviews, too. Then after I'm totally finished with the textbook, I usually make him go through and do the workbook entirely independently, as fast as he wants (giving him a deadline but he always beats it). Sometimes we skip bits of the workbook if it is too repetitive, but usually it is fast work and he doesn't mind the review. And meanwhile we work through CWP of the previous year.

 

[sweetpea3829]

There have been times in Singapore where eldest DS had more or less glossed right past a section. Typically, this had occurred when we encounter a section in Singapore that he already covered in Beast. Or when he comes up to a section that I know he already has a good grasp of, because he encountered it in previous levels of Singapore and the current level is just expanding. For example, place value. He grasped place value in level 2, expanded upon that knowledge in 3 and really did not need to revisit it again in 4.

 

Always though, I go over the section with him quickly to make sure my assumption of his understanding is correct. I check to make sure there aren't any other things in that section he may not have already covered.

[Janeway]

Was 4A his first book (And thus the book he struggled with)? And then he flew through 4B?

We have been using SM since the beginning (we are currently in 5B) and I think often the pattern is that the A book teaches new concepts, but then the B book seems to apply those concepts to other contexts. For instance, you might learn how to add fractions in the A book, but then you apply the knowledge of adding fractions in the area of geometry or weight or measurement in the B book. I've never really analyzed it carefully, but that is how it seems to me. Thus it seems that we often have more new stuff to "learn" in the A book, whereas the B book sometimes seems easier because we are just applying what we previously learned.

 

I wouldn't skip anything in the textbook, stuff entirely, but here are some ideas:

- do textbook, do workbook

- do textbook, do only review sections in workbook, skip the rest of the workbook

- do textbook, skip workbook

- do textbook & CWP, skip workbook

 

I have a mathy kid and we always go through the textbook, but we frequently skip a lot of the problems in it. I make sure to go through how SM presents the problems and solutions, but if he gets it easily as I have him solve a couple of problems from each set, we just move on. I don't remember the last time I made him do all the textbook problems. Then we skip the textbook chapter reviews, too. Then after I'm totally finished with the textbook, I usually make him go through and do the workbook entirely independently, as fast as he wants (giving him a deadline but he always beats it). Sometimes we skip bits of the workbook if it is too repetitive, but usually it is fast work and he doesn't mind the review. And meanwhile we work through CWP of the previous year.

4A was fractions. 4B was decimals. I can see 5A is fractions again. 

 

The only parts we skipped where the review problems, not any of the lesson parts. So like review C problems and such. Then we have done the entire workbook. Or will have. Not completed yet. 

[desertflower]

I have skipped over portions of the workbook.  If I felt my son grasp a certain concept easily, I don't make him do all the problems.  I'm now considering skipping the workbook altogether and just do Intensive Practice, Challenging Word Problems and Processing Skills.  I think the workbook is too easy for my son. 

 

I would probably still do 5A, but IP instead of the WKBK.  Just because he is breezing through 4B does not necessarily mean that he'll breeze through 5A.  FYI, in case you don't know, I think level 6 is review. 

[kbutton]

I can't recommend the Intensive Practice books enough. And yes, I agree with the poster who noted that some books are more application and go by faster. We bog down in some books and fly through others. I would say the TB is in the middle for difficulty with the WB being easier and the IP being harder--some problems are like CWP problems. But it has a variety of skills, not just word problems. We love those books.