Does anyone use Singapore Maths New Elementary Math NEMS?

[San Marcos Classical]

My 6th grader is almost at the end of 6B. NEMS is the next book. I was wondering if anyone is using it for a student in 6th grade and how are they faring? Also, though I loved Geometry in school and took Calculus at University, I do not in any way consider myself strong in algebra. Does NEMS provide enough guidance for someone who hasn't done algebra in 20 years?:001_smile:

 

Thanks so much for your help with this!

Norine

[Jenny in Atl]

We used it last year, and I struggled to help dd complete it. It's doable but not easy. This year we are reviewing with Foerester's Algebra, and it makes more sense to me than NEM. I hope some others will chime in with their thoughts.

[AngieW in Texas]

I am strong in math and my two older girls are also, but I did not want to move on to NEM. I knew that it would require instruction in a way that Primary Mathematics had not.

 

My oldest went to ps after she finished 6B and did pre-algebra there. When she returned home, she did Jacobs Algebra and Jacobs Geometry. Now she is working through Kinetic Books Algebra II beta. I don't know what program she'll use for Precalculus.

 

My middle did aleks pre-algebra for one month and then worked through Math Smart Junior after 6B. She spent all of last year (7th grade) working through Jacobs Algebra and Kinetic Books Algebra. This summer she decided to drop Jacobs entirely, because she liked the instruction in Kinetic Books better. She should finish in December. Then she'll do Jacobs Geometry. After that she'll do Kinetic Books Algebra II. I'm hoping that Kinetic Books will have their Precalc and Calc ready by the time she's there.

[Lori D.]

Quite a few ladies on the high school board have used NEM, so I'd suggest posting this question on that board, too. : )

 

We used half of NEM1 after Singapore 6A/B. It is harder to use, as there are fewer support materials for the teacher. However it is an excellent program, and really teaches mathematical thinking and real life (and science!) problem solving that I have not seen in any other program. As I said, we used half of NEM1 with our older son, but then set it aside so we could spend a whole year doing Jacobs Algebra, and then a whole year doing Jacobs Geometry. This year, he is doing Abeka Consumer Math, and will be done with it long before the end of the school year, so he will be using parts of NEM2 as an algebra/geometry review at the end of the year, and for a review of more rigorous problem solving.

 

Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Nan in Mass]

I've posted quite a lot about the advantages and disadvantages. You can search for NEM and Nan in Mass. My older one did Singapore Primary Math 3-6, NEM1-3, and is now doing pre-calc at community college. My younger one did PM1-6, NEM1, and is now doing NEM2 (he is 14 and in 8th). One of the things l like about NEM is that it is meant for younger students. I didn't remember much of my own algebra, either, from 20 years ago, but I did ok with NEM. The solutions guide is very nice to have. I am glad we did Singapore. My older son was very confused about math after k-4 in public school, and wasn't math-bright in the first place. Singapore "fixed" him and gave him a good base for the practical math he needs. I think it would have been very difficult to explain how to do his science to him if we hadn't gone through Singapore, and without PM, I think it would have been very difficult to explain how to use the algebra to set up the word problems. I kept thinking I was probably crazy to stick with a difficult math program for a child that wasn't good at math, but it really explained how to use the math and didn't just let him get away with memorizing a few algorithms. An easier math program would have been false economy, like buying cheaper shoes that don't last.

HTH

-Nan

[siloam]

My 6th grader is almost at the end of 6B. NEMS is the next book. I was wondering if anyone is using it for a student in 6th grade and how are they faring? Also, though I loved Geometry in school and took Calculus at University, I do not in any way consider myself strong in algebra. Does NEMS provide enough guidance for someone who hasn't done algebra in 20 years?:001_smile:

 

Thanks so much for your help with this!

Norine

 

 

I don't know if it would factor into your decision but the gal who wrote the Home Instructor Guides for the Primary series and the Solutions Guides for NEM runs the Singapore Math forums, so you do have someone you can run to for help. :D

 

Heather

[Storm Bay]

Follow the nem tag near the bottom of the page, and you'll find some threads on NEM. There may be more, but I did a search for NEM & Nan in Mass, & found some good ones with posts by a number of different NEM users.

[Nan in Mass]

Yes, I'm not the only one. There also have been lots of posts by people who gave it a try and gave up because the first bit of the book is "review" of PM, the review consisting of very hard problems of a type you've seen before. In some ways, it is the hardest part of the book. When you move on to the new stuff, the problems are much easier. The algebra part is taught quickly and then you are expected to spend the rest of the year practising it while doing geometry. This strategy is good for people who need to be taught in a big-picture, applied sort of way, but doesn't work for everyone. You have to remember that you are expected to get a lot more problems wrong, too. It doesn't mean you shouldn't proceed to go forward.

-Nan

[Guest Lorna]

Our daughter has just turned 13 and is on NEM 2.

We have used NEM 1 and are now onto NEM 2.

We got off to a rather slow start with NEM1. I was insisting our daughter did every problem. Because many of them involved lengthy calculations, it took her some time to complete exercises. She always got the answers however and seemed to have few problems with the concepts. At about Chapter 10 I realised that I could assign every second question and she still understood the concepts. I did NEM 1 largely with her. NEM 2 she is managing well on her own. In some ways I think she is learning more by figuring things out for herself rather than me 'teaching' her. Occasionally she needs a little help getting back on track: a suggestion here and there.

It took a little getting used to at first and some of the questions can seem outrageously tricky :tongue_smilie:but we are learning simply to take those as bonus 'challenges' . I find it a very logical and very explained programme now - although I stamped my feet over it at first :glare:

I am partly keen to persist with it because it follows the UK syllabus closely, but most important to me was a programme that challenged our daughter as much as possible.

I am hoping our daughter will teach our son when he is on NEM :D

[San Marcos Classical]

I appreciate all of your help!! I think for now we are going to stick with NEMS and see where it takes us. Since he is just in 6th grade, we can always switch to something different if it truly doesn't work. I'm becoming more optimistic that it will work though...:)

 

Norine

[Mary in GA]

We too dropped NEM 1 for Foerster's. However, with dd in PM6 this year I intend to try it again next year. Actually, I'll probably end up using both. If I remember right NEM doesn't really do anything with proofs. And I don't think that's a really big deal depending on what dc think they may want to study later in college. Ds, who did the Foerster's series, has had one of his 2 calc profs so far actually test on proofs. However, the university that ds is going to transfer into has a required course titled The Logic of Proofs (UGH!)

 

Mary

[Nan in Mass]

You might want to look at doing some of the Keys to Algebra booklets before or along with NEM. At the beginning, I let NEM explain something, and then used the appropriate Keys to books to practise that concept. This helped solidify all those "little rules", like arthmetic with negative numbers. Later on, we didn't bother, but we did NEM1-3 for sure, and some of a few of the others.

-Nan