Signapore placement

[MistyMountain]

I had ds take a placement test and he passed the test to exit 2A but I had to sit with him and explain a few things that he was not used to in the format. He has finished the content in MM Add and Subtract 3 and was halfway through multiplication this summer. He did not struggle with anything in the curriculum but he really disliked MM. I taught him a way to add and subtract 3 digit numbers this summer from left to right because that is what he prefers. He was a little shaky in the subtraction in the placement test after not doing it for months and working at a much lower level and for some of the word problems he just was not used to the style so he got those wrong. I think he would pick it up the subtraction again pretty fast but I think a condensed run through a 2A to get used to the method and word problems may be useful. He never did division but was able to do the easy problems in the placement test.

 

So is it useful to place low but then just go through the parts of the method they are not as familiar with and need work on?

[Lucy the Valiant]

 ^ We're a Singapore family, and that's what I'd do - give him the running start in 2A, perhaps with just the textbook, just to get a feel for how the book works and as a reminder of past operations. (We supplement Singapore with drill work at that age, too.)

 

 

[Ausmumof3]

My kids both hit a bump on 2a with Singapore because they were messing up the subtraction even though they learned how to do it earlier. I definitely wouldn't hit 3 without having subtraction fairly solid. Singapore moves fairly fast so you don't want to be hitting it already behind at all.

[Ausmumof3]

An alternative option would be to grab the level 2 extra practice book and run through that before launching into 3.

[MistyMountain]

I would not place him in 3 because looking over the 2B exit test he has not even been exposed to a lot of it. I am not sure about placing him in 2B. I think since he is unfamiliar with the word problems and a little out of practice with subtraction from doing math below his level at school the last few months it it can get him exposed to the new methods.

Edited December 6, 2016 by MistyMountain

[fralala]

I think he would pick it up the subtraction again pretty fast but I think a condensed run through a 2A to get used to the method and word problems may be useful. He never did division but was able to do the easy problems in the placement test.

 

So is it useful to place low but then just go through the parts of the method they are not as familiar with and need work on?

 

Yes, I think it wouldn't hurt to get either the textbook or the workbook (or extra practice) and just work through as needed for him. The teacher's guide for 2a also contains activities and games that really helped us reinforce the 3 digit addition and subtraction. After that he can likely breeze through the multiplication and division practice or skip it. But I think this would definitely be useful.