SM Questions

[scampbell2003]

This has probably been asked before but I can't find the post on it. By what grade should your student finish 6b? Is finishing 6b necessary? What grade is your student to start Alegbra? How does Math work through the guides and grades?

Thanks!

[scampbell2003]

Does anyone know the answer to this? My dd is using 2a/2b in Bigger and this is her 3rd grade year. I want to make sure she is on track or see if she needs caught up. Also don't understand 6a/6b. Is that pre Alegbra?

[Mom2Monkeys]

6 does cover some pre alg but after 6 you could bypass any 7th gr program and go straight to pre alg. Some mathy kids go to algebra. Many programs review in 7th and start pre alg in 8. You are on grade level finishing 6b in 7th. I plan to go into singapore middle school maths too. So from the elem books will go to 7a (currently called discovering mathematics 1a). Doing 6a/b in 7th and prealg in 8th is on par.

[scampbell2003]

Thanks Tamara! So Pre Alegbra in 8th grade. I couldn't remember with pregnancy brain when I took algebra.

[netpea]

I'm not quite sure how it works out with Singapore Math but as far as math goes, Engineering minded folks should really get into Alegra in 8th grade. I didn't have that option in public school and had to wait until 9th grade and was behind when I got to college.

[pjdobro]

I think when pre-algebra and algebra is taught really varies according to school systems and general interests. When I was in school, pre-algebra was in 8th grade and algebra didn't start until 9th and that was for the advanced kids. Now in my school district here, they start algebra by 7th grade for the gifted students and regular students start algebra in 8th. So I think that really depends on where you are how they do things. It's perfectly fine to have your dc finish 6b in 7th and move onto the Discovering Mathematics in 8th. If you did that sequence after doing the 4 years of Discovering Mathematics, you would still have one more high school year to add an advanced math class like calculus. Here is a great post where Carrie talks about the progression of math through Singapore: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7945 I think your dc is right on track to have a really solid math foundation.

[tjneary99]

This is a good thread, as I have SM questions too. My daughter is beginning 5b soon, and she is in Preparing with extensions for 5th grade. I am wondering how to plan her math out for the next few years. I suppose we'll start algebra in 8th grade, but then what do we do in the next 2 years--do we spread out pre-algebra over 2 years and add in review? Also, is the HIG for 6a and 6b comprehensive? I have not used any of the HIG's until now...but a few I have seen in person have appeared rather basic in instruction. I certainly don't remember all of my pre-algebra, so I will need one. So two questions:
How would you schedule math for my daughter if you were me?
Do you think the HIG's are comprehensive or do they expect you to have a lot of background knowledge already?
Thanks for your thoughts:o)

[scampbell2003]

Thanks ladies! My Dd doesn't really like math but she is doing amazing and is very bright. She would much rather read a book:) But maybe math will be one of my boys interest. In that case I can see where you would want algebra in 8th grade. I am so thankful for you ladies!

[pjdobro]

tpneary99, I think you are right not track to have your dd begin algebra in 8th grade. If she completes 5a/5b this year in 5th grade, then next year she'll do 6A/6B in 6th grade. That will put her in the new Discovering Mathematics 7A/7B in seventh which is mostly pre-algebra. Then as Carrie discusses in her post when she does 8A/8B (formerly called 2A/2B) that will be a course worthy of Algebra 1 credit.

I haven't used the HIGs yet for the upper guides. I did get 3A and found I didn't need it so I haven't bothered with one since. I have heard that they are good about having all of the solutions for the problems worked out and Carrie recommends using them as a reference for some of the more difficult problems. I have to admit there has been a problem or two over the last year that I wish that I had the HIG for because I really had to scratch my head and think a while to figure out the solution without using algebra. The teachers notes and solutions for the Discovering Mathematics series look comprehensive. We haven't begun it yet though so I haven't had any real experience with it, but I have perused it, and it appears that the solutions for all of the problems are worked out in the teacher's guide. Hopefully someone that is using the HIGs for level 6 and who has been using the Discovering Mathematics teacher's guide already can comment on how it is going for them.

I did want to add that there is quite a bit of review built into Singapore Primary math in 5B, 6A, and 6B. We aren't seeing a lot of new concepts presented, just a little further depth in subjects that were previously presented. Also there are many more actual reviews in these books than in the previous levels. I'm sure this all serves the purpose of getting the dc really solid in all of the concepts before moving onto full blown pre-algebra and is helpful for most dc. I think if you have a dc that has grasped all of the concepts really well and you really feel the need to move into pre-algebra sooner because your dc is older, then it likely would be possible to by-pass 6a/6b and move into Discovering Mathematics 7a/7b. That is just my opinion at this point as we are finishing up 6b and are getting ready to move into Discovering Mathematics. I think my dc could have moved on sooner, but we haven't because my dc are still on the younger side and I decided not to rush the sequence. I could be way off in my thinking but after looking over the concepts that we've covered this last year and looking at Discovering Mathematics, I think it might be possible to make that jump. That could be helpful for those that might find they are a little further behind in the Singapore sequence and have a science/math inclined dc.

Lee Ann, I understand what you are saying about feeling behind coming out of high school. I went to a high school that didn't offer calculus in high school and many, probably most, of my peers came from high schools that did offer it. So many of them started math a year ahead of me in college. I didn't actually find it a problem though not starting calculus until college. I was still able to take all the basic classes that I needed and by the time I needed higher math for my other engineering classes, I had covered it in college. It would have been nice starting out college with a basic calculus class under my belt, but it worked out in the end. With that being said, I agree with you that its better for the science/engineer headed students to have a stronger math path in high school preferably having at least a year of calculus in high school which would mean typically beginning algebra in 8th grade. I think with the Singapore path and the way Carrie allocates it for credit, it would be possible to even begin true algebra in 8A/8B in ninth grade and still manage to finish calculus by doing the Advanced math class either along with 4A/4B or doing it all in one final year. I think either way, kiddos that have followed the Singapore math path are going have really solid math and problem solving skills so they will be well equipped for college.

[netpea]

Lee Ann, I understand what you are saying about feeling behind coming out of high school. I went to a high school that didn't offer calculus in high school and many, probably most, of my peers came from high schools that did offer it. So many of them started math a year ahead of me in college. I didn't actually find it a problem though not starting calculus until college. I was still able to take all the basic classes that I needed and by the time I needed higher math for my other engineering classes, I had covered it in college. It would have been nice starting out college with a basic calculus class under my belt, but it worked out in the end. With that being said, I agree with you that its better for the science/engineer headed students to have a stronger math path in high school preferably having at least a year of calculus in high school which would mean typically beginning algebra in 8th grade. I think with the Singapore path and the way Carrie allocates it for credit, it would be possible to even begin true algebra in 8A/8B in ninth grade and still manage to finish calculus by doing the Advanced math class either along with 4A/4B or doing it all in one final year. I think either way, kiddos that have followed the Singapore math path are going have really solid math and problem solving skills so they will be well equipped for college.

Sounds like you had a better experience than I did freshman year. We had to take Physics 101, Calculus 101, and Chemistry 101 the first quarter. I was expected to be able to calculus already in my physics class. I was told this is baby math and if you can't do it you can't be an engineer. I got a tutor to survive. The same University now has students hold off on Physics until they have had a quarter of calculus under their belts.

As an engineer, I LOVE Singapore Math, but haven't seen above 6A yet....

[pjdobro]

Sounds like you had a better experience than I did freshman year. We had to take Physics 101, Calculus 101, and Chemistry 101 the first quarter. I was expected to be able to calculus already in my physics class. I was told this is baby math and if you can't do it you can't be an engineer. I got a tutor to survive. The same University now has students hold off on Physics until they have had a quarter of calculus under their belts.

As an engineer, I LOVE Singapore Math, but haven't seen above 6A yet....

I'm trying my best to remember how that worked for me. If I remember correctly I started calculus in the fall and then didn't have physics until the spring semester. So I already had a semester of calculus under my belt before beginning physics. I don't recall using any calculus in my freshman chemistry class. That would have been really tough if they expected you to have calculus down in your physics class when you were just beginning calculus. I went to a large university my freshman year and physics was a killer class anyway, the one they used to flunk out a bunch of students to get the class size down. It would have been even worse though if I had been expected to do math I hadn't had yet. I'm glad you got a tutor and managed to survive. It sounds like that school has a better plan now. Too bad they waited to fix it until after you had to suffer through it.

[netpea]

I went to a large university my freshman year and physics was a killer class anyway, the one they used to flunk out a bunch of students to get the class size down.

Me too. I wanted to start at the community college but they didn't offer freshman physics.

I don't know what my kids will face when they hit college, but I want them prepared. I have been really happy with Singapore Math and I hope to have my daughter doing algebra in 8th grade so she has five full years of higher math.

[MomtoJGJE]

I went to a large university my freshman year and physics was a killer class anyway, the one they used to flunk out a bunch of students to get the class size down.

Me too. I wanted to start at the community college but they didn't offer freshman physics.

I don't know what my kids will face when they hit college, but I want them prepared. I have been really happy with Singapore Math and I hope to have my daughter doing algebra in 8th grade so she has five full years of higher math.

This. I have no idea if my kids will even choose college, but that's not my decision. But I AM going to have them as prepared for college as I can in case they choose that route. And for me that means they will be doing algebra at least in 8th if not in 7th. Especially for DD3 who is very engineering-minded.

But whatever classes/academics they have done before college aside, HOD does a great job of teaching kids how to think and how to learn. I was never taught that. I never made below a B in K-12. I flunked Chemistry my first semester of college. Part of it was the curve this teacher graded on and part of it was that I never knew how to do anything other than memorize. For reference I made a 99 overall average my junior year of high school in Chemistry.

[tjneary99]

Thank you for your thoughts--very helpful to me:o)