HappyGrace Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 How is it working for you? Do you use the Home Instructor's Guides or what? My eyes glaze over with the simplest word problems, and I hear the Challenging Word Problems are doozies. Ds is pretty advanced in math and I think he'd love Singapore-I just don't know if I can teach it! He'd be starting right at Primary 1A. What have you done to enable yourself to teach Singapore if you are non-mathy? (BTW: We'd be using it as a supplement to CLE. It's important to me that he gets a more "traditional" math as a foundation.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I don't consider myself "mathy", and I use Singapore with my kids. I do have the Home Instructor Guides, they can be helpful I think if you need some help getting your thoughts together. I use them mostly for the answers (textbook and workbook), and when I'm planning I like to read through what they have on a given topic. I pick and choose what I use from it for teaching, though. I actually feel I have some advantage here because I feel confident if I can read through it and understand it, I can work with ds to help him understand. This is particularly the tack I take with the Challenging Word Problems. We tackle those together as a "family project", just as if we'd sit down to do a jigsaw puzzle together, kwim? I don't know, but I *hope* it's helpful for ds to see me working my way through these things just as he's doing. I have been stumped, and I post the question on here and invariably get several ideas how to go about solving it. I just tell ds that we need more help on this one and when I figure it out we sit down again and go over it. It hasn't been a problem. Hope this helps. Math is not my strong subject, and it isn't my oldest's strongest subject either, but I feel he is doing well with Singapore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omma Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 (edited) We couldn't do it here. I confess I am a Singapore flunkie at the level 2B. I really see the need to teach mental math, however, so I am trying out Math Mammoth now. The funny thing is, math was my favorite subject in school. I even joined a math club in high school. I really didn't realize just how set I am in my mathematical ways until I tried to teach Singapore (and MUS, too). So we went with a more traditional approach (Horizons) and now I am trying out some Math Mammoth to get in more of the how's and why's of math for my dc. Singapore is a great way to do that, but my 8 ds didn't care for it (perhaps,in part, because I had a hard time wrapping my brain around the method). It seems like I am in the great minority (most people rave about and love Singapore Math... and I can see why, as it is reasonably priced and covers mental math so well), but I am happy we are doing something else now. Oh, and I had tried getting a home instructor's guide for 2A. It is helpful, but seemed to be too much of an uphill battle for us to use it. Brenda Brenda Edited February 7, 2009 by Omma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawn of ns Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I find the idea that Singapore is for mathy folk a little weird. It's not the first time I've run into it but honestly, I never even got a grade 12 math credit and I LOVE Singapore Math. I think the key isn't whether you're mathy or not but how willing you are to learn from SM. Sometimes that's an area where those of us who haven't been good at math in the past have a slight advantage over those whose are skilled and have years of practice in certain methods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama25angels Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I'm using it! I use the HIG, read over the lesson, try to work a few of the problems that I think he may have trouble with and then teach him the lesson.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted February 7, 2009 Author Share Posted February 7, 2009 to the problems? Even the CWP? :crying: I see in the samples that it looks like maybe they give you some samples, and then let you go at it with more problems based on what you learned in the sample? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I'm not mathy and we do Singapore. The word problems throw me sometimes. Many times I will reverse engineer the problem before ds solves it to make sure I understand it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 Within the textbooks/workbooks themselves, the answers are not given. In the supplemental books (Challenging Word Problems, Intensive Practice, etc.) answers are in the back of the book; but as I recall offhand they don't always have the way they reached the answer, just the final answer. The Instructor Guides have several indices in the back, including one for answers to textbook problems and another for answers to workbook problems. They also have additional mental math exercises that I sometimes find helpful, and within the guides they give suggested simple games (like with a deck of cards) and things to help cement the concepts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alana in Canada Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 The Home Instructor's Guides are essential if you need to learn the math. I have said this so many times--but I was definitely NOT mathy! I couldn't add. Forget about multiplication--and everything involving fractions just meant cross multiplying, right? It is logical, so I knew this would be the best fit for us. Right now, we're doing fractions in 4A and I'm astonished how beautifully the concepts are sequenced. PS: SM now has a couple of programs. I assume we're all talking about the Primary Mathematics series (whether US edition or not). All answers for the text books and workbooks are in te HIG. We didn't actually introduce Intensive Practice until level 3--and then, only when extra is needed, and I just introduced CWP in 3A and 4A. It's too much busy work for littlers. If they get the concept and can do a few excercises, they're doing well. You will need to supplement multiplication drill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivingUnderGrace Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 How is it working for you? Do you use the Home Instructor's Guides or what? What have you done to enable yourself to teach Singapore if you are non-mathy? I consider myself to be a total non-math mom. We are (so far) succesfully using Singapore math for 3 of my children in levels: 1B, 3A, and 6A. We have not used it for long, but I can say that it has been enjoyable, interesting, and I have learned a lot. Yes, I use the IG's...faithfully. :D What has enabled me? Even if the concept seems obvious I still teach using the IG, not always necessarily for the kid...but for *me*. I need to keep up so that when my child does encounter a problem later, I will at least have an idea of how to begin helping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandamom Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I was a non-math mom. In high school many years ago I barely passed Algebra I and II and even managed to graduate from college 2 times without taking any algebra in college. So, i started with 2A with my dss and i worked through the program with him. After a few years of going through the program i finally understood all the concepts i was missing before. Currently i'm now a math teacher (6th grade) and if it wasn't for Singapore i wouldn't be able to do my job. BTW, I never used any of the instructor guides nor supplemental materials but I think that using them will make it very easy to go through the program. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted February 7, 2009 Share Posted February 7, 2009 I was never mathy in school. I was english-y. LOL My dh is mathy. I decided to give Singapore a try and we absolutely LOVE it. Not only is my ds learning math...I AM TOO! :) Yes, I use the HIG, but in 3B I don't generally use all the suggestions she gives for practice. My oldest ds is definitely mathy and picks up on the concepts really fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted February 8, 2009 Author Share Posted February 8, 2009 Now, I was reading some old threads about the TG vs. the HIG. For Mrs. Non-Math (yours truly), if I just get the HIG, will that be all I need? I've read other things that says the TG has some worthwhile info in it too. I'm hoping to just get away with the HIG, and it seems that most people feel that's sufficient, correct? I like the idea of not adding in the IP and CWP til later, maybe level 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Novafan Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I'm okay with math at this level (1st and 3rd grade) and will probably be fine up until 7th or 8th grade. Then I may need some refreshers. So far we love Singapore. I've bought the IG's for each level, but I rarely need to use them. I like having them at the ready though . . . just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustGin Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 How is it working for you? Do you use the Home Instructor's Guides or what? My eyes glaze over with the simplest word problems, and I hear the Challenging Word Problems are doozies. Ds is pretty advanced in math and I think he'd love Singapore-I just don't know if I can teach it! He'd be starting right at Primary 1A. What have you done to enable yourself to teach Singapore if you are non-mathy? (BTW: We'd be using it as a supplement to CLE. It's important to me that he gets a more "traditional" math as a foundation.) I am definitely a non-mathy person, in fact I tell folks that I'm so right brained I should walk with a tilt to right. LOL We used SM through Level 4 and not only did my children get a super foundation but I credit SM with helping me overcome my belief that I was stupid at math! Because of the way SM teaches the why of math I learned things I know I missed in in my own school career. So in my humble opinion, SM is great for a non-mathy person to teach because you'll find yourself learning math right along with your student. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamagistra Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Some helps that I've used are The Essential Parents' Guide to Primary Mathematics and Elementary Mathematics for Teachers. The latter uses Singapore textbooks 3A-6A. Be encouraged! You can teach (and learn) this. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MountainViewMama Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 We are doing level 2A right now and I am not a math person but it is going okay. I use the HIG and I can't imagine doing it without. I follow it almost exactly. I also got the guides from MFW that they made themselves. They are pretty much just a checklist of things to do on each day if you don't have the HIG. They were $6.00 each I think. I use them too just because I like to check things off and see how far we have come and how far we have left to go. :bored: Thats just me though. :001_smile: Jen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 Mamagistra-thanks for posting the two incredible-looking teacher help books. I really think they will help me so much! JustGin-"tilting so far to the right"-:lol: I appreciate all the votes of confidence that this can be done-thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MgoBlue Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I'm not a mathy person but dd has no trouble with Singapore. DD does the story problems on her own basically & I'll check them. If she gets something wrong, we discuss it & correct it together. The rest of it she mostly does on her own. It's pretty incredible. Paula Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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