Why Singapore?

[Mumkins]

I've used Horizons, MUS and Saxon. Horizons moved too fast for my oldest, MUS didn't cover enough but my kids 'got it' and saxon my kids get most of the stuff, but facts are a little slower in understanding. We're just wrapping up saxon 2 in my 7 y.o. and we want to do teaching textbooks for her, but their 3 isn't out til Dec. So I'm looking into starting something else now. DS, who is 5, is about 10 weeks away from finishing saxon 1. I'm thinking of Horizons 1for him, even though he just did saxon 1 as Horizons is so fast and advanced. BUT I know Singapore is recommended here. So, my question is why is Singpore the recommended program over other programs? What kind of learners is it good for and not good for? Lastly, what are the pages like? DS wants Horizons cause they are fun and colouful. He's advanced in math and I think that's one of the reasons saxon bored him. The math held no intrest in him and the pages were boring anyway.

[Candice]

Mumkins,

This link should be helpful...


viewtopic.php?f=10&t=112

Candice

[pollo_la]

I'm sure that others will chime in here and post more. There have been several posts about this over the last month or so, so maybe someone could even post a direct link for you. ANyway, the jist of it is... Singapore is known for its mental math and higher level of thinking. If your son is advanced in math, chances are even better that he will really do well with Singapore. However, with the way Carrie has everything laid out (especially with the hands on activities for the lower levels) most kids can be successful. Singapore really helps kids to understand the "whys" of math. While some people feel that there is not enough practice with Singapore, you can always add in some flash cards for extra practice or something of that nature, but it would be VERY difficult to add in "higher levels of thinking" to a program that was lacking that!

[pollo_la]

Yep, someone already posted a link for you!

[Kathleen]

I also switched to Singapore math with my oldest this year from Saxon. He did fine with Saxon, but it wasn't really challenging him, and it took up a big hunk of our school day. I wanted something that would really teach him to think...and not take an hour to do! Our switch to Singapore has been exactly what I was looking for. It takes my son 20 min a day to math (or less occasionally). And, he's really thinking mathematically! We completed Saxon 2 with him last year, and moved into Singapore 2A. We started it a bit this summer. He technically "passed" that placement test, but I could see that there were things on there that we had not covered in Saxon. I'm glad that we started where we did because he was able to get used to thinking for the problems without having all new things on top of that. I found that Saxon worded their story problems very predictably, and consequently he didn't have to think much to do them. We are now 10 days fromm completing 2B and my ds loves math.

The link that Candice posted was a big help for me in understanding why Singapore. Knowing what I wanted to change in math for us showed me that Singapore would most likely be a good fit for us, and it has!
Kathleen

[my3sons]

So, my question is why is Singpore the recommended program over other programs? What kind of learners is it good for and not good for? Lastly, what are the pages like? DS wants Horizons cause they are fun and colouful. He's advanced in math and I think that's one of the reasons saxon bored him. The math held no intrest in him and the pages were boring anyway.

I agree with what's been said here already. Math is a subject that has a finite body of information to be learned, and Singapore does this in a clear, systematic way that encourages mental math. IMO, strong mental math is the goal. It is something needed every day, in every walk of life. These are the top things I appreciate about Singapore...
1. it teaches the "why" behind the "how" of math; it doesn't just drill - it teaches how to "think" mathematically
2. it is strong on mental math
3. it teaches pictorially, which helps dc visualize the mathematic operations they are doing
4. it is strong on problem solving
5. it is short, has no prep, and is consistent
6. it has a strong track record of dc testing well on standardized testing

We really like Singapore, but like any math program, it takes a bit to get into it. I think Singapore deserves a year's try. It will seem different at first, but that's because of all of the above points I listed. If you're going to give Singapore a try for a month, you probably won't really get a good read on how it will go long-term. One last thing, I am a firm believer in the "less is more" theory when it comes to math problems (as well as with things like cursive handwriting, etc.). If a child can show you they fully understand the math concept in 10-15 problems, why would I make him do 50 problems and have him start to rush to get through all those problems and start to have the habit of carelessness? Math should not take forever to do. Singapore looks deceivingly simple - it is not. It is more than difficult enough, but it does not overkill a skill. The HOD activities up through Singapore 2B are awesome, and I believe a necessary part to do with Singapore at the younger ages (that should be more hands-on). However, there is a time to give up the hands-on part of math, IMO, and it has been a good time to give it up at 3A. Finally, we've never added anything to Singapore other than we do flashcards in the summer. Our dc are completely different learners and both thriving with Singapore. That's the bottom line of why I love Singapore!

In Christ,
Julie