Singapore question

[ReadingMama1214]

My daughter is 4 (turning 5 in December). I'm looking at math for next year. I've looked at MEP, but would prefer something more like Singapore. She can add/subtract 1-10, count to 30, recognizes 1-10 solidly and can write them as well (a few aren't perfect). She does pretty well with patterns and comparing. I'm looking at Singapore early bird and essentials but I am pretty lost as to which to get. I like the color of essentials, but it seems a little easier.

 

We have discussed time and money in daily life, but not in a formal way.

 

Which Singapore program would be best for a PreK/K year and what do I absolutely need for each? Do I need the teachers manual?

[craftyerin]

We used Essentials because it only required the one book (well, one per semester). Neither is easier than the other. Their content is the same. I found this blog post helpful when I was making my decision http://www.blueskiesacademy.com/2011/03/singapore-earlybird-versus-essential-math/ 

[ReadingMama1214]

We used Essentials because it only required the one book (well, one per semester). Neither is easier than the other. Their content is the same. I found this blog post helpful when I was making my decision http://www.blueskiesacademy.com/2011/03/singapore-earlybird-versus-essential-math/

Do I need a manipulatives kit or anything? I did see that linked article on another post here and it does help.

[ExcitedMama]

You might want to consider doing 1st grade instead and just go slow. I did Singapore Essentials with DS and thought it was just easy busy work. Nothing was actually explained. I'd rather have actually taught him something instead of just going through a workbook. I think Mathematical Reasoning that we also did was better. Math In Focus 1 has been great. Step by step examples, color pictures and manipulatives recommended.

[ReadingMama1214]

You might want to consider doing 1st grade instead and just go slow. I did Singapore Essentials with DS and thought it was just easy busy work. Nothing was actually explained. I'd rather have actually taught him something instead of just going through a workbook. I think Mathematical Reasoning that we also did was better. Math In Focus 1 has been great. Step by step examples, color pictures and manipulatives recommended.

I saw math in focus as well. It seems expensive. How much is it for a year?

[ExcitedMama]

MiF is pricey but I'm getting it free through my virtual Charter school so I have all the books including the teacher's manual which you could skip or buy used. The teacher's manual has very little that's not in the textbook for the student. I'm very math phobic and was really worried about teaching Singapore math so MiF makes me feel better about teaching it. It would also depend on how quickly you went through it. I think it would be easy to stretch 1a over a year by going slowly which would reduce your cost for a year.

[ReadingMama1214]

I may do Essentials. It looks like she would love it and could work through it at her own pace

 

Would it be too much to do essentials while she's also in a 3hr/day pre-k program? We already do phonics at home (At her request). Her PreK program is mainly play based.

[ExcitedMama]

Essentials is very simple. I think A is usually recommended here starting at 4. There are topic groups so the book isn't laid out as easy to harder instead it's more like here's addition, here's shapes, here's ordinal numbers, etc. the pages have simple stuff like coloring. It would be very easy to do 1-2 pages a day and more when the child wanted. 1-2 pages could be done easily in 5 minutes.

[ThursdayNext]

We did the same thing with my son, who turned 5 in January.

Book A of essentials was so easy, it seemed too easy almost. But, he was learning to sit and do a workbook, write all the numbers, follow directions. Once we started book B he is really learning things. I didn't let him fly through Essentials A, but maybe I should have. We could easily take more time with book B, doing math games and activities. If I could do it again, I would spend 1/4 of the year on book A, and 3/4 on book B plus games.

 

From my experience with Singapore 1a & b, most 4 year olds would not be ready for the amount of work.

 

It should be no trouble to do Essentials as well as 3 day preschool.

[ReadingMama1214]

We did the same thing with my son, who turned 5 in January.

Book A of essentials was so easy, it seemed too easy almost. But, he was learning to sit and do a workbook, write all the numbers, follow directions. Once we started book B he is really learning things. I didn't let him fly through Essentials A, but maybe I should have. We could easily take more time with book B, doing math games and activities. If I could do it again, I would spend 1/4 of the year on book A, and 3/4 on book B plus games.

 

From my experience with Singapore 1a & b, most 4 year olds would not be ready for the amount of work..

 

It should be no trouble to do Essentials as well as 3 day preschool.

Thanks! I think I will start watching for a good deal on them and probably start this summer. We do have a Montessori math app so she has been introduced to Number bonds, but I do want her introduced to the concepts in A

Edited April 11, 2016 by ReadingMama1214

[TinyTribe]

Thanks! I think I will start watching for a good deal on them and probably start this summer. We do have a Montessori math app so she has been introduced to Number bonds, but I do want her introduced to the concepts in A

 

Would you mind sharing which Montessori math app you have been using for number bonds? Thank you in advance!

[ReadingMama1214]

Would you mind sharing which Montessori math app you have been using for number bonds? Thank you in advance!

Sure! It's Archimedes Roost

http://archimedesroost.com

[Spy Car]

IMO an approach where you learn the fundamental skills that are critical to success with Singapore mat, like number-bonds, greater than/less than (and my how much), finding the missing addend (aka if you know the "whole" and you know one "part, what's the other part?) and things like this, are best learned via hands-om means using things like Cuisenaire Rods in a Miquon-like manner.

 

Education Unboxed has videos inspired by this sort of learning. 

 

Modeling numbers (Hundreds, Tens, and Units with C Rods and Base-1o "flats" (100 values) makes number values comprehensible.

 

IMO the Singapore kindergarten has too much "counting", which is counter-productive to seeing grouping, and too much one-to-one correspondence.

 

Miquon, some MEP, some RS ideas, and Primary Mathematics done as slowly as necessary are a better way to go IMO than the Singapore K materials.

 

Bill

[Sarah0000]

I've never seen the Singapore K books, but we did what Spy Car described and went into Singapore 1 without a problem. The Greg Tang picture books make an excellent addition as well. Start with Math Fables and Math Fables Too.

[Porridge]

We have the Singapore K books. They are busy work.  Didn't work for either of my children. I would save your money, engage in hands-on math, and jump into Singapore 1 (or higher!) when your child is ready for workbook type material. We did mostly hands on math with DS and when we finally got around to cracking the Singapore 1 books, we found he was functioning at the end of 1B.  He's still not really a sit-down-and-work-at-the-table kind of kid, so we're back to hands on games for now. I think that by the time he's ready for worksheets, he might be in Singapore 2.

 

By hands on math, I mean we did a lot of Right Start card games, cuisenaire rods (we don't have those but we do have something similar), playing with toy clocks, playing with toy money, making up songs about math, Right Start abacus, Greg Tang books, Sir Cumference books, etc...  I'd been through RS-A with my DD so I didn't have to refer to a teacher's manual to teach the concepts.

 

Oh, the one workbook he likes is Balance Math (Critical Thinking Company), which he was able to do after a steady diet of Right Start card games.

[4KookieKids]

IMO an approach where you learn the fundamental skills that are critical to success with Singapore mat, like number-bonds, greater than/less than (and my how much), finding the missing addend (aka if you know the "whole" and you know one "part, what's the other part?) and things like this, are best learned via hands-om means using things like Cuisenaire Rods in a Miquon-like manner.

 

Education Unboxed has videos inspired by this sort of learning. 

 

Modeling numbers (Hundreds, Tens, and Units with C Rods and Base-1o "flats" (100 values) makes number values comprehensible.

 

IMO the Singapore kindergarten has too much "counting", which is counter-productive to seeing grouping, and too much one-to-one correspondence.

 

Miquon, some MEP, some RS ideas, and Primary Mathematics done as slowly as necessary are a better way to go IMO than the Singapore K materials.

 

Bill

 

Thanks for this. I have 2 kids who are using PM, but they started with 1A around the age of 5ish and I was content with that since I'm in no rush to get them doing bookwork. Now I have a 3.5 yo who really begs to do "real" school work, and she's been "studying" the 1A book, but I don't really feel she's ready to start 1A and so was consider getting her the  K book, but I really don't want to focus to much on counting. We'll just stick with our C-rods and reading 1A for fun, I guess. I'm not sure I have the ooomph to do much more than that with a younger toddler and two elem age kids yet...  :)

[SoCal_Bear]

Consider doing the Kitchen Table Math. Everyone can play the games together. AOPS recommends these books.

[Milknhoney]

I used the Early Bird workbook with my son. He really liked it - it is colorful and has lots of pictures to cut out and glue. The only problem was that we blasted through it so quickly and then I didn't know what to do. If I had it to do over again, I'd have paced myself slower and filled in the gaps with lots of math lit like the Stuart Murphy books. 

 

When it was my daughter's turn for K, I just used the first Miquon book because I had it. We moved slowly and filled it in with lots of lit. She did enjoy using the rods and counters (poker chips). Singapore doesn't require too many manipulatives because the ideas are expressed so well in pictures, so it was good that she got some experience with the rods in the beginning.