Singapore math questions

[Mom2Five]

I am going to be ordering Singapore math books. I've always been interested in them, but I guess with all the editions and things it was just confusing and I never ordered them.

I have decided on the US editions. I'm looking at possibly ordering 1A, 2B, and 3B. Would I need the teachers edition or just the textbook and workbook?

What about all these other workbooks? I read there was one for word problems and then an extra practice book.

Are there any manipulatives I would need to order to have on hand?

Also, I want to make sure I have this correct. If they pass the placement test for 3B, that means I would order 4A, right?

[PineFarmMom]

I have never done placement tests so I'm not sure about that. We started from the beginning and progressed through.

 

I purchase the home instructors guide, the textbook, and the workbook. I have bought the challenging word problems and the extra practice and intensive practice for a few books but we haven't made a practice of using them. We do use the extra practice or intensive practice as review through the summer sometimes, but we don't do every page. There are mental math pages in the back of the Home Instructors Guide that are helpful.

 

I think the program can be done without the home instructors guide but I do like having it on hand. It helps when I am unable to grasp teaching the singapore way.

 

I really think all of the supplemental books will depend on your preferences and your own children's needs. Some people wouldn't do the program without them and think they are part of the program while others consider them extra.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Texas T

[beka87]

You'll want the teacher's guide, textbook, and workbook.  I think Extra Practice is nice to have on hand for the times your child needs the extra drill and practice, but it's not necessary.  Neither is Intensive Practice or Challenging Word Problems.  Intensive Practice is more challenging than the regular workbook - puzzles, etc.  Great if you think your child would enjoy it.  If you feel any of them could use extra practice solving word problems, grab CWP.  I like to use that at one grade level lower than where my daughter is as a review.  Generally, counting blocks of some kind are a good manipulative to have around, but their website does list recommended manipulatives to have for each grade.  Hope that helps!

[EKS]

Agreeing with Texas T--the home instructor's guide is important, particularly for a first time Singapore user.  In order to get the most out of the program, you need to teach the "Singapore way" but many times people just assume that the power of the Singapore program is in the problems (and it does have good word problems), but really the power is in the process of teaching kids how to think about numbers and arithmetic.  Anyway, using the HIG will help you understand how to teach the program properly.  Another book that is good for this is Elementary Mathematics for Teachers.

 

As for the other workbooks, you only need the extra practice book if your student needs more practice.  We used the old edition of the Challenging Word Problems books and I found them to be excellent.  I have since used the new edition with a tutoring student, and they had lost their magic--some of the problems are good, but not all.  We didn't like the Intensive Practice book, but I know a lot of families who do.  It is a good supplement if your student needs more challenge than the workbook provides.

 

[Alice]

We love Singapore. How you use it will likely depend on your kids. My oldest is very good at Math and finds it fairly intuitive. I never used the Workbook for him and only used the Intensive Practice book and the Challenging Word Problems book. We used CWP one level behind where he was. My middle son hates math (he hates all school so it isn't Singapore, it's just anything that isn't Legos or playing outside). I use the Workbook more for him because he needs more practice. We also use the Intensive Practice books with him but I pick and choose which problems for him to do. My daughter will likely be more like her older brother. 

 

All that to say....I'd get the HIG, Textbook and Workbook to start. Then see. If your kid needs more review (which Singapore doesn't have a lot of) then you might need the Extra Practice books. If you have a kid who likes math and wants more challenge and finds the Textbook problems easy or boring then you might want to add in the Intensive Practice books or CWP. 

 

One other nice thing about the HIG is that they have mental math pages in the back that you can use for review. It took me awhile to find those. :) 

[EthylPie]

We have used singapore with MUS, and like the PP, you can teach these without the TG. I didn't even use the text book or TG for 1 & 2, but will probably use it more in grade 3. The TG presents several different methods of getting your students to think mathematically, which becomes more important as you progress, but like I said I haven't used them for 1 and 2.

 

You can find a ton of textbooks on eBay so that tells me others haven't found them too important either.

 

YOu should be aware that Singapore can be rather advanced, some have needed to go back 1\2 a grade depending on their student.

 

Just curious why you are ordering the first half of 1st grade and the second half of 2nd and 3rd? It usually goes 1a,1b, 2a,2b, etc.

 

I've used a mixture of the Standards and US editions, and there's not that much difference, but the US ed is cheaper.

 

I have the CWP, and I find they truly are challenging and I haven't found the time to work them in yet. Maybe this summer.....

 

So recap: Workbooks definitely, TG becomes more important ( not necessary for 1&2), textbooks optional, I don't have experience using the extra practice b\c we already use another math program.

[Mom2Five]

Thank you for all the great responses!

 

Everytime I try to use the quote thing I usually end up messing it up, lol.

 

I am looking at ordering 1A for my 1st grader, 2B for my 3rd grader and either 3B or 4A for my 4th grader depending how she does on the placements tests.

[EKS]

We have used singapore with MUS, and like the PP, you can teach these without the TG. I didn't even use the text book or TG for 1 & 2, but will probably use it more in grade 3. The TG presents several different methods of getting your students to think mathematically, which becomes more important as you progress, but like I said I haven't used them for 1 and 2.

 

How do you teach the "Singapore way" if you don't use the textbook?  The workbook is just a collection of problems that can easily be done the traditional way.  Which isn't the point of using Singapore.

[Raifta]

We have used the TB and WB for all the grades (K-4) for DD, and she does the IP/CWP as review starting about halfway through the year with one and continuing til halfway through the following year (so she is doing Gr 3 CWP/IP from  halfway through Gr 3 to halfway through Gr 4).  I haven't found the HIG needed personally as the Singapore method is one I'm very comfortable with, but some find it very useful.

 

Also, DD does only about half the problems in the CWP/IP and then I use them with DS, who is using Math Mammoth rather than Singapore as his primary math program.  So even if you get the CWP/IP and don't use it at all or very much for for one kid, you might use it for another one.

[Seeking Squirrels]

We use the HIG, textbook, and workbook, standards edition. I have CWP and we use it occasionally about a half a year to a year behind. We're not consistent using that book, though I'd like to be. I do think the guide is necessary if you're not familiar with singapore methods. I discovered early on that the singapore way is what comes naturally to me and is how I often do math, but I still use the guide. We've used levels 1 & 2 so far.

 

I've heard that if your child struggles and needs more review, add Extra Practice. If your child is advanced and needs extra challenge, add Intensive Practice. We haven't done either.

[J-rap]

I didn't always order the TG with the lower levels, though I do remember that some of their math was done a little differently.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

How do you teach the "Singapore way" if you don't use the textbook?  The workbook is just a collection of problems that can easily be done the traditional way.  Which isn't the point of using Singapore.

 

I have the HIG, TB, and WB.  I would say I open the TB about three times per semester...  Usually to pull out some review problems.  

 

I found it cumbersome to pull this out for each lesson.  I am strong in math myself, have made a study of the "Asian Math" methods, and read the HIG when I'm not sure how best to present.  But the lesson itself?  I just make up some problems and do them with dc on the whiteboard.  

 

I would say if you are not comfortable with both the Asian way and making up your own problems, the TB is awesome as a ready-made problem bank and step-by-step problem guide.  But if you happen to be strong in this sort of math, you may find it either unnecessary or actually a hindrance.  I felt like it was an awkward third wheel, getting between me, dc, and the math to be learned.  :-)  

 

I do pull out the practice pages and review pages from the TB and use those sort of as tests to make sure we've mastered something and are ready to move on.  

[Coffeemama]

I've used Singapore for all three of my kids up to and including, for my oldest, their integrated 7A-8B. We used the HIG with textbook and workbook, some years we added in Challenging Word Problems, but not consistently.

 

Now my oldest is taking Derek Owen Geometry online and is doing very well. I credit Singapore with her strong background. I'm so glad I stayed with it all the way through. It is working very well for my family of three different learners.

[EKS]

I have the HIG, TB, and WB.  I would say I open the TB about three times per semester...  Usually to pull out some review problems.  

 

I found it cumbersome to pull this out for each lesson.  I am strong in math myself, have made a study of the "Asian Math" methods, and read the HIG when I'm not sure how best to present.  But the lesson itself?  I just make up some problems and do them with dc on the whiteboard.  

 

I would say if you are not comfortable with both the Asian way and making up your own problems, the TB is awesome as a ready-made problem bank and step-by-step problem guide.  But if you happen to be strong in this sort of math, you may find it either unnecessary or actually a hindrance.  I felt like it was an awkward third wheel, getting between me, dc, and the math to be learned.  :-)  

 

I do pull out the practice pages and review pages from the TB and use those sort of as tests to make sure we've mastered something and are ready to move on.  

 

But you *have* the textbook.  You can refer to it if you need to see the intent of the lesson.  

 

We actually used only the textbook when my son was accelerating through some of the levels.  It seemed to me that between the textbook and the workbook, when there was a difference, it was the textbook that had the more challenging problems (usually the last few in the set).