Singapore Primary Math Home Instructor's Guide???

[mamaduke]

Edited by administrator to add: Because the old thread that was brought up with this post was one that involved a very confusing previous discussion by a mom who was accidentally using a different level of Singapore books than those that match the plans in our HOD guides (which was wound within another discussion about the Instructor's Guides), I have separated this new question from the old thread to avoid confusion all over again. I have left the new question below.

I know this is an old post, but I'm trying to figure out what to do about the HIG. It is such an extra expense at $16 or so for each workbook. I tend to think I would like it and the arguments here in favor of the HIG are very solid to me. I am just starting Beyond with my ds7 and I found out I have the wrong books. I bought the textbooks 1A/1B instead of the workbooks. So now I don't know if the textbooks would be useful to me in anyway, even down the road with my Littles for some reason. I obviously will have to buy the workbooks but starting looking at the Home Instruction Guide and got interested especially because it will tell me how to use the textbooks. There are no instructions on the pages unlike in Earlybird that had the instructions on the bottom. I was unprepared for the change. I expected the math workbook to be similar to Earlybird, but I guess that is not the case.

So here I am ........ starting 2nd grade with no workbook reinforcement, yet.

I'm wondering more about the Home guide offered by Singapore and if others besides those on this archived post have liked it. I'm also in my 40s and have no idea if I'm old school or not, but I certainly did learn borrowing and carrying. Makes me wonder what I'm getting into. How different will this math be?

Input?

Thank you and blessings to all you dear homeschoolers. I love it.

[Carrie]

I think it's important to clarify that the Home Instructor's Guides were written by Sonlight and were not a part of the original Singapore program, so this shows that as far as the Home Instructor's Guides go they are not a required part of the Singapore program.

At HOD, we have written our own hands-on activities to go along with Singapore math for Earlybird K, Primary 1A/1B, and Primary 2A/2B. So, from our perspective at HOD the Home Instructor's Guides are not needed at those levels. We do carry the Home Instructor's Guides as an optional supplement in levels 5A/5B and 6A/6B for reference only whenever you may hit a rough spot in those particular levels. But, we do not advocate teaching your way through them, as it changes the design and flow of the program. So to retain the Singapore way of teaching math, we advise using the Singapore program as originally written without the Home Instructor's Guides.

We do realize some families may wish to use these guides and that is certainly your choice, but if you do desire to utilize the Home Instructor's Guides you will wish to discuss that further on Sonlight's forum, since they are the publisher of those particular guides. We'd encourage you to try the math the way it is written in HOD's guides first though.

As far as using the plans with Singapore Math 1A/1B in Beyond goes, you only need the Primary Mathematics U.S. Edition Workbooks 1A/1B to go along with the hands-on math plans in Beyond. Then the textbooks at that level are not needed, unless you wish to have them to refer to as you teach. The workbooks are very economical and go along with the hands-on math lessons written in Beyond. I would encourage you to try the math the way it's scheduled and planned in the HOD guide. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. I do realize that you have accidentally purchased the wrong Singapore books somehow, but the workbooks you'll need are available inexpensively on our website for $18 for the pair for an entire year's worth of math. So, this is not really an expensive mistake. If you purchased the texbooks from us, you may gladly return them if they are in new condition for a refund. Here's the link for the workbooks that you'll need instead: http://www.heartofdakota.com/BLHFHG-math.php

Blessings,
Carrie

[deltagal]

We do carry the Home Instructor's Guides as an optional supplement in levels 5A/5B and 6A/6B for reference only whenever you may hit a rough spot in those particular levels. But, we do not advocate teaching your way through them, as it changes the design and flow of the program. So to retain the Singapore way of teaching math, we advise using the Singapore program as originally written without the Home Instructor's Guides.

I profoundly agree with this statement. I find the HIG's a very cumbersome step to utilize. However, they DO have the solutions for all those rough spots. I guess Carrie will just have to put this on her to do list and create her own guide for the upper levels.

[mamaduke]

Thank you Carrie for this clarification. I guess I was doubting my abilities to teach math. I will take your advice and try it without the HIG and see how it goes. I certainly trust your judgment. Please forgive me for bringing up a topic already hammered to death, so it seems. LOL. and involving another publisher. I did not realize the later at the time, and I guess I just needed to work through my uncertainties and stressful day realizing I had the wrong books. It was nobody's mistake but my own. I bought them from a used curriculum source and just didn't notice the word textbook instead of workbook. The picture looked the same. Now I know better. So, I'll get the workbooks and move forward with this outstanding homeschool resource.

Praise God for this forum. I learn so much.

Truly,

[Tracee]

I don't want to make this post more confusing, but Singapore does have their own Home Instructor's Guide. This is one not put out by Sonlight, but by Singapore. It is here on their website (Link removed per board rules).

Noted by administrator: The Home Instructor's Guides on the Singapore website are the ones published by Sonlight. As part of Sonlight's partnership with Singapore math, the website carries the Sonlight Home Instructor's Guides.

[HappyMama]

[quote="Tracee"]I don't want to make this post more confusing, but Singapore does have their own Home Instructor's Guide. This is one not put out by Sonlight, but by Singapore. It is here on their website.

I've seen this too and it leaves me very confused, lol. I know that Carrie says that the HIG is not needed to effectively teach Sinpapore, but I've heard other people say the exact opposite.... that the HIG is absolutely necessary to teach Singapore the "Singapore way". I just don't know what to think! I would love to get this cleared up in my mind so I can have peace with our math program.

[deltagal]

I don't want to make this post more confusing, but Singapore does have their own Home Instructor's Guide. This is one not put out by Sonlight, but by Singapore. It is here on their website.

I've seen this too and it leaves me very confused, lol. I know that Carrie says that the HIG is not needed to effectively teach Sinpapore, but I've heard other people say the exact opposite.... that the HIG is absolutely necessary to teach Singapore the "Singapore way". I just don't know what to think! I would love to get this cleared up in my mind so I can have peace with our math program.

Hi Sara,

I know from frequenting Singapore boards that many people refer to the "Singapore way" as what is touted in the HIG guide, but keep in mind the person who hosts one of the primary Singapore boards is the author of the HIG. IMHO it is not necessarily THE "singapore way," but one carefully thought and planned method of teaching Singapore which is used abundantly here in the USA by homeschoolers.

[Tracee]

Ang, that does clear it up.

Tracy

[HappyMama]

I don't want to make this post more confusing, but Singapore does have their own Home Instructor's Guide. This is one not put out by Sonlight, but by Singapore. It is here on their website.

I've seen this too and it leaves me very confused, lol. I know that Carrie says that the HIG is not needed to effectively teach Sinpapore, but I've heard other people say the exact opposite.... that the HIG is absolutely necessary to teach Singapore the "Singapore way". I just don't know what to think! I would love to get this cleared up in my mind so I can have peace with our math program.

Hi Sara,

I know from frequenting Singapore boards that many people refer to the "Singapore way" as what is touted in the HIG guide, but keep in mind the person who hosts one of the primary Singapore boards is the author of the HIG. IMHO it is not necessarily THE "singapore way," but one carefully thought and planned method of teaching Singapore which is used abundantly here in the USA by homeschoolers.

Isn't the "Singapore way" using a concrete-pictorial-abstract approach? So for levels 3A/3B and up, without the HIG, aren't you missing the concrete component? I saw on the Singapore website that they don't intend for the textbook to be the student's first introduction to a new concept. Sorry, I guess I'm still a little confused by the whole thing.

[mamaduke]

When I think of concrete-pictorial-abstract, I think the concrete is using manipulatives. Something hands on like cheerios for counters or flashcards for numbers and that type of thing. Concrete is something you can touch. It sounds like the HIG has lots of concrete ideas and games, but so does Carrie. That's what she works into the Math Exploration box.

I hope this helps. I'm going to try 1a/1b without the HIG and see how it goes.

Blessings,

[HappyMama]

When I think of concrete-pictorial-abstract, I think the concrete is using manipulatives. Something hands on like cheerios for counters or flashcards for numbers and that type of thing. Concrete is something you can touch. It sounds like the HIG has lots of concrete ideas and games, but so does Carrie. That's what she works into the Math Exploration box.

I hope this helps. I'm going to try 1a/1b without the HIG and see how it goes.

Blessings,

Oh yes, that's how I view the concrete approach as well. I was referring to levels 3A/3B and up when the HOD activities stop and you aren't using the HIG. Should have made that more clear.