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Ladies,

As many of you know, there are a lot of terrific things about the Singapore Primary Math program U.S. Edition 1A-6B. Yet, one of the difficulties of this excellent program is that it stops after 6B and switches to a new writer and new format!

Our original plan was to continue on with Singapore math until high school, by using the Discovering Math 1A/1B and 2A/2B series (which was sort of close to the original Singapore Primary series). We had our second oldest son do Discovering Math 1A/1B prior to beginning Foerster's Algebra (which worked well, although it was still a very challenging change). However, by the time my sister's son was headed into Discovering Math 1A/1B, the program had undergone a complete revision to align it with the Standards edition more closely (and was renamed Discovering Math 7A/7B). At that time the new Answer Key was riddled with problems and the program moved much further away from the way it had originally been written. After many frustrations that my sister had in using the revised program with her son, and comparing the changes that had been made, we decided to no longer recommend that particular program.

Since then, the Discovering Math series has been entirely discontinued (partially due to trademark issues) and a new series, even further away from the original Sinapore series, has replaced it for grades 7-8. The new program is called Dimensions Math and has definitely been redesigned even further to correlate with the common core and to be more school oriented. For our purposes, this made the middle school options from Singapore no longer a good fit.

In the mean time, while waiting for the Singapore math series to sort itself out and finally land on a program for grades 7-8, we were aware that there was a hole that needed to be filled for some families coming out of Singapore 6A/6B (whose kiddos were not ready due to maturity or age to go directly into Algebra). So, we have spent much time over the last couple of years searching for a solution to that hole.

We looked at pretty much everything that was available for grades 7-8 in a search to find something that would bridge the gap well between Singapore primary math and high school level Algebra. In that search, we were not coming up with a program that we were pleased to recommend to our customers, until now!

Now, we are thrilled to recommend, and to carry in our Heart of Dakota store, a new series called Principles of Mathematics. This series will only be written for use in grades 7-8. It is designed to teach, review, and cement skills and concepts needed for success in Algebra. It is written directly to the student and contains both text and daily assignment practice. Students write within the student book to complete assignments. The grade 7 program is available this year with the grade 8 program available in 2016. The author of the program has taught this particular course many times, so she has had years to fine-tune it before its publication. The bonus is that while including solid instruction and clear problem sets, it also includes a Biblical worldview component for math!

Link to see inside the Student Text: http://www.masterbooks.com/downloads/dl ... tudent.pdf
Link to see inside the Student Workbook: http://www.masterbooks.com/downloads/dl ... rkbook.pdf

Here is the description from the publisher:
* Discover how math applies to science, art, music, daily life, and more!
* Apply what you’re learning outside a textbook, and see God’s handiwork in math.
* Focus is on multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, ratios, percentages, shapes, basic geometry, and more!

Math is a real-life tool that points us to God and helps us explore His creation, yet it often comes across as dry facts and meaningless rules. Here at last is a curriculum that has a biblical worldview integrated throughout the text and problems, not just added as an afterthought. Students don’t just learn how to manipulate numbers on paper, but starting with arithmetic and laying the groundwork for geometry and algebra (covered in year 2), this curriculum both firms up the foundational concepts and prepares students for upper-level math in a logical, step-by-step way that helps students understand concepts, build problem-solving skills, and see how different aspects of math connect.

As if all of this wasn't enough, Katherine weaves into the lessons the human history of math and shows the Sovereignty of God even when the most brilliant of minds and civilizations failed to see it. Students will be intrigued by how math has profoundly affected history.

Have you ever had a student ask why they have to study math, as if they can't see how they will ever use it in real life? After taking this course, students will wonder no more! They will understand how math applies to them and why they must study this important subject. They will see how it applies in every day life such as balancing a checkbook, history, science, art, and music. They will see the Hand of God in math and how that relates to their own life. If you are looking for a "living math" course, this is it!

A description of this math course would not be complete without mentioning the author's conversational style when teaching math concepts. She presents math in a way that lends understanding to the "why's" in addition to the "how's" in a way that opens up the concept and completes the process of true understanding. This course leaves many of us wondering, "Where was this course when I was learning math?"

Daily Schedules are included to complete the course in either one full year or in one semester. The student worksheets, quizzes & tests, and answer keys are all included in a bound, 3-hole punched, perforate format that keeps everything organized and flexible. Katherine Loop's Principles of Mathematics Biblical Worldview Curriculum is a first of its kind. It takes math to a whole new level.

Blessings,
Carrie

This is a huge blessing to see! I know math has been such a hot topic on the message boards lately and it is always an ever growing interest in my house as my kids get older. I spent quite a bit of time researching what I would do for when my kids finish Singapore but weren't quite ready for High School Algebra. My mind is now at ease!

I do have one question though. Many families (mine included) won't necessarily be finished with Singapore 6A & B by the time we finish 6th grade. And I did read in the student text that this program is written for students between the grade 6 through 8. Under pre-requisites it states:

Are There Any Prerequisites?
Year 1: Students should have a basic knowledge of arithmetic (basic arithmetic will be reviewed, but at a fast pace and while teaching problem-solving skills and a biblical worldview of math) and sufficient mental development to think through the concepts and examples given. Typically, anyone in 6th grade or higher should be prepared to begin.

So I guess my question is, do kids need to finish 6A & B before starting this? I saw that you mentioned it would be recommended for 7th and 8th grade. It seems like Singapore 5A&B introduce new concepts and then it seems like the goal of 6A&B is to solidify the concepts learned in level 4 and 5. I am guessing that finishing 5A & B would be necessary. But what about 6A & 6B? As I looked through the books, it looks like 6A & B do have some new teaching, mainly some algebraic concepts but I am wondering if this new program you are recommending would be covering that information as well making it so that you could skip 6A & B if need be. I did see that you mentioned there could be an accelerated schedule that kids could follow where they would complete both books from this series in 1 year rather than 2. But then I am thinking this is specifically designed to be done for students who start the series in 8th grade rather than 7th. Even so, HOD is all about balance (which I LOVE) so then I am a worried that the kids will be spending twice as much time on math each day and worried that math will take over my day if one of those kids are mine. I am sure you have thought about that! But obviously that accelerated schedule isn't published yet since the second book isn't even available.

So I guess in the interest of balance, what are you thoughts about whether or not kids need to complete 6A&B before starting this? In a perfect world I am sure it is ideal. But for most of us, we are planning to use 6A & B for 7th grade at a minimum.

Also - when will this be available on the website to purchase?

These are great questions! Right now, since the second year of this math program is not out until 2016, I can only tell you my thoughts based on what I know and have seen of this program thus far.

My thinking is that students who finish Singapore 6A/6B in grade 6 (or earlier) could progress directly into Book I of this new math program. For families whose kiddos finish 6A/6B in grade 7, I am thinking that with the advanced scope of Singapore 6A/6B, they may potentially be able to move into the second year (or Book 2 of this program) and forego Book 1. While the author of the program states that the concepts in Book 1 should be covered prior to beginning Book 2, it is possible that kiddos who have gone through Singapore primary math may have covered the concepts in Book 1 well enough to go right into Book 2 after 6A/6B. We know that jumping forward has been possible with other programs when Singapore math students (who have completed Singapore Primary Math successfully) make a switch to other programs. So, we will know more once Book 2 of this new program is actually out. I have a student who will be in this very boat next school year (2016) as my own third son will be a 7th grader when he finishes Singapore 6A/6B, and by then the new Book 2 of this program will be out. So, I will definitely be able to assess better then whether it is possible to go directly into Book 2 from Singapore 6A/6B.

If this is not possible, then in looking at the combined math option of doing both Book 1 and Book 2 in one year is a possibility (such as in grade 8 ). However, from what I see... that option looks like a very heavy schedule in order to combine both programs into one year, making that an option that I am not very comfortable in recommending. I might only recommend that option to high school students who need to brush up on their skills prior to heading into Algebra.

This means that another possibility would be that students who exit Singapore 6A/6B in grade 7 might possibly be able to do only Book 1 in grade 8 and then progress directly into Algebra, without doing Book 2. This will be another option we will explore once Book 2 comes out. I would think it would be possible though, as we already have some students come out of 6A/6B now and go right into Algebra without doing any other program in between.

One last possibility is that kiddos who are going into 7th grade and have completed 5A/5B could skip Singapore 6A/6B and go into 2 years of this new program doing Book 1 as a 7th grader and Book 2 as an 8th grader. I would shy away from this option for kiddos who are thriving in Singapore math, as 6A/6B contains much training in Algebraic thinking and challenging problem solving. However, for a child who seems to be struggling through Singapore 5A/5B, I would be inclined to recommend a switch to this new program after 5A/5B if that child is going into grade 7.

So, as you can see there will be varying ways that families can choose to use this new math program, depending on what math program their student is coming from, the age of their student, and the success that he or she is currently having in math. While all of this can sound confusing, I actually like the options this math program will offer students, as it has a better change of meeting their needs!

As far as purchasing the program, families can call and order it from us now as it is in our warehouse ready to ship. Our web designer is busy working on our latest guide packages and will not get this product added to our website for another week or so.

Blessings,
Carrie

These options are excellent and sound very flexible. My oldest is in Singapore 5A now so she has plenty of time.

And I will probably order it in the next month or so. I would love to read through it before I need it. This always gives me lots of peace of mind and I love ordering things a bit in advance. I will just wait until it is loaded onto the website before I order. Regardless of whether or not my oldest ends up using it or moving to book 2 after Singapore 6B, I know it won't be wasted since my younger two kids are on schedule to finish 6B by the end of 6th grade.

Thank you, thank you, for letting us know about this new math recommendation! If the message board had a like button, I would totally use it for your post ! Bless you, Carrie, as you continue to pour your heart and soul into the God-glorifying ministry of Heart of Dakota.

I do have one other question - Singapore takes us no more than 30 minutes a day still. Will this take more than 30 minutes a day? Or does book 5 (we just started but it is going well so far) and 6 end up taking longer eventually? I think I had seen on a schedule at some point that Singapore is estimated to take up to 45 min at some point but I can't remember.

Are the Master Books available yet on the HOD website?

Yes, it is. It is listed on the Rev to Rev page.

Ladies,

Thanks for your feedback! It is appreciated. As far as planning time-wise, at the 5A/5B and 6A/6B level of Singapore we typically allot 30-45 min. a day. It can vary a bit by day, as the ebb and flow of concepts makes a big difference in how long the assignments take. Other factors that will affect how long the math assignments take, of course, are the work-speed and accuracy of the student.

For the Principles of Mathematics series, I would plan on 45 min. being an average daily time allotment. We won't know for sure until we test it with our own little guy next year. But, even then, kiddos work at such different speeds that the time may differ by 15-20 min. daily depending on the child.

Blessings,
Carrie

I just want to add that I have personally reviewed this curriculum for Master Books and I am in love! My girls aren't up to this level yet, but I'm so pleased with this book. I've actually been working through it myself in order to beef up my own math skills. The book is so well written and easy to follow. I can't wait until my daughters have a chance to complete this curriculum!

Melissa, do you think you will have your children do 6A and B or stop after 5 and change then?

I would also love to know this. I am considering stopping after 5B so that my dd can do this for two years before Algebra. This is her second year in Singapore and she is doing much better with math. So I guess I am curious because she has already learned SO much with Singapore that I am torn as to what to do. I do really like Singapore but am wondering if I will like this just as much. I guess what will probably decide it for me is what the 2nd book likes. If I find I only need to do 1 of them before Algebra, I will probably do Singapore 6A & B next year and this the following year. But if I would be better of doing both of them before Algebra, I will probably do skip 6A & B and go with this. I just don't know LOL.

Sooooo..... I just read this whole thread and I'm still not sure what to do. My son just turned 14, we're in Rev To Rev and he's just finishing up Singapore 5B. I want him to be ready for Algebra next Fall, should I just go with 6A B or should I do the Principles of Math Book 1? It looks good, but then I don't really know a whole lot about math to know what to go with. I haven't bought 6A & B yet and need to get something ordered before we start back up in January. Help.

P.S. In case this might make a difference because the Principles book has worldbview in it, my son is not a believer yet. I'm wondering if this "might" be a better choice just because of that?

For what it is worth, Both Julie's oldest and Carrie's two oldest (I think) did not have the benefit of using the new book before algebra. How is he doing in Singapore? If Singapore seems like a good fit, I think I would personally use 6A & B before Algebra. There might be a few concepts that are new (exponents and negative numbers) but I think those things are not significant and could easily be learned as you are doing algebra.

Thank you so much to everyone for this information! My oldest is finishing Singapore 6B with Resurrection to Reformation. She will be 12 for the next school year. Math is really the only subject she excels in. Singapore has been wonderful for her and I am nervous about her not having it. She gets frustrated with too much review so I am wondering if you have any suggestions on Principles of Mathematics like which book to start with. Is the format /style is similar to Singapore? I guess I need to wait for an answer since the second book is just coming out. Just hoping to know something by the summer...