Singapore Math IP and/or CWP

[Clarita]

I am currently using Singapore Primary Standards Edition for DS5. He is blowing through the textbook, workbook and HIG activities faster than I'd like. He is pretty quick to understand the concepts, but I'd like him to do a little more practice. 

 

Which would work better Intensive Practice or Challenging Word Problems? Does one work better with the standards edition vs the other one? Or just let him blow through the stuff?

[Porridge]

Both are excellent.

CWP has more space on the page - an uncluttered format. CWP is all word problems - there are easier word problems in the first part of each section, then a second section with more challenging problems. 

IP has some CWP type word problems at the end of each section. In the early parts of each section, they have a lot of drill type practice problems (not word problems).  Some of the drill is pretty easy, but the drill gets more challenging as the section progresses. If you want some additional drill, and some challenging word problems, go with IP. If you just want word problems, go with CWP.

[mathmarm]

I recommend FAN Math Process Skills in Problem Solving. This series actually teaches how to set up Bar Models and goes section by section.

I recommend using Process Skills in Problem Solving first, because Challenging Word Problems just expects that you know how to set up the bar-model.

I'm content to let my kids blow through material up through Arithmetic of whole numbers and fractions.

[SoCal_Bear]

I used both. I used CWP a couple of sections behind where I was in TB and WB and just worked through a page at a time. I didn't use Fan Math because I was comfortable teaching my son how to set up bar modeling and he is highly gifted in math and intuits things easily. Bar modeling was not difficult for me to intuit how to set it up. I think that it doesn't show up in the SM TB math books until level 3 books? I could be wrong in my memory but I think that is where it first shows up. Anyways, the Fan Math books are great if you need explicit step by step instruction. I am not certain yet if my daughter will need it or not. 

For IP, I use that 1/2 level behind as review to go deeper. So for example, I would do 2A TB/WB and then I would do IP1B. Basically I would just work through a section in 2A and go over to IP and work through a section in that then go back to 2A. I would add in a CWP problems everyday if they were the first section of the CWP problems. If it was the more challenging ones then I might just only do 1 problem if the day's math assignment was long. I always just went with how long his stamina was. I wasn't concerned with getting it all done by a certain date. 

Another thing I did was run Beast Academy a full level behind Singapore Math as well.

I really liked using Glen Ellison's Hard Math for Elementary which is best when a gifted student reaches around 4th grade level math.

Edited June 18, 2022 by calbear

[Clarita]

I decided to get IP and see how it goes. He's only in 1A so I feel like daily life can fulfill the word problems aspect of the lessons. 

[Porridge]

Yes! So many ways to learn math in real life at that age. Baking projects! Have fun 🙂

 

 

[Staceyshoe]

We love both CWP and IP.  I love how easy it is to customize Singapore.  Maybe get one of each for the next level and see whether you want to move forward with either or both.  If he is going through curriculum quickly, adding both of these books is probably doable.  The beautiful thing is that it is not more of the same -- there is a beautiful depth and problem-solving logic that is added through these resources.

[Malam]

You could also replace the workbook entirely with the IP book, save for some differences in sequencing

[Clarita]

Oh yes we ended up getting just the Intensive Practice. I bring it out if he needs a little more practice and sometimes I give him the word problems just so he has a little practice doing word problems.

I do love Singapore and how much I can customize and how they teach the math really works for my kids and me.