Singapore Math and drill work

[Tabitha]

Editing to ask: Does anyone use the book that Rainbow Resource has on how to use the Singapore Math program...called Singapore Model Method for Learning Mathematics? Just curious if you found it useful. I am thinking this might be helpful concerning the question I had below. I read a homeschoolers review on it once and it seemed to be a nice resource to have on hand.

* * * * *

I've only browsed Singapore at a friends house for the higher grades. I have used it for my first grader this year, alongside her Saxon 1.

Does Singapore adequately cover drill work? My friend has used both Saxon and Singapore side by side for all her children for about 5 years. She tells me that Singapore cannot stand alone due to it's lack of drill work. Her son last year, grade 5, was put back into Saxon for half the year after several months with Singapore since she said he was losing the drilling skills due to Singapore hitting only the mental aspect of math.

Is this something that needs to be worried about at this grade, or is there something she just was missing in her teaching of this math program. Does it do the drills just in a different way?

I am seriously leaning towards Teaching Textbooks for Gr. 5 Math. However, what I thought of doing was getting the Singapore 3 books to work through this summer. It should be easy enough for dd to do, and will also give us a feel for the program and get use to it.

If we did use Singapore for our math this coming school year, she'd be ready for their level 4.

I honestly hadn't looked much into Singapore due to my friends' comment...and my dd was needing more drill type of work. Her strength seems to be more in mental math, and having visuals in the instruction...and not so much just the text like what Saxon is (what we have been using this year).

Thanks.

[eazbnsmom]

Hi Tabitha,

I would check out these links:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3777&p=28042&hilit=drill#p28042

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3778

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3761#p27827

HTH

[my3sons]

Editing to ask: Does anyone use the book that Rainbow Resource has on how to use the Singapore Math program...called Singapore Model Method for Learning Mathematics? Just curious if you found it useful. I am thinking this might be helpful concerning the question I had below. I read a homeschoolers review on it once and it seemed to be a nice resource to have on hand.

* * * * *

I've only browsed Singapore at a friends house for the higher grades. I have used it for my first grader this year, alongside her Saxon 1.

Does Singapore adequately cover drill work? My friend has used both Saxon and Singapore side by side for all her children for about 5 years. She tells me that Singapore cannot stand alone due to it's lack of drill work. Her son last year, grade 5, was put back into Saxon for half the year after several months with Singapore since she said he was losing the drilling skills due to Singapore hitting only the mental aspect of math.

Is this something that needs to be worried about at this grade, or is there something she just was missing in her teaching of this math program. Does it do the drills just in a different way?

I am seriously leaning towards Teaching Textbooks for Gr. 5 Math. However, what I thought of doing was getting the Singapore 3 books to work through this summer. It should be easy enough for dd to do, and will also give us a feel for the program and get use to it.

If we did use Singapore for our math this coming school year, she'd be ready for their level 4.

I honestly hadn't looked much into Singapore due to my friends' comment...and my dd was needing more drill type of work. Her strength seems to be more in mental math, and having visuals in the instruction...and not so much just the text like what Saxon is (what we have been using this year).

Thanks.

We have loved Singapore! One of the reasons is that we have not found it necessary to drill along with Singapore. I had 7 years of drilling math facts back when I taught ps - 7 years drilling 30 students a year - using every possible type of drilling you can think of! I do NOT miss that at all! And, it was largely ineffective overall anyway. When Singapore is done with HOD hands-on activities through 2B, and then the textbook is used by the parent for instruction from 3A on, I think it is a winning, drill-free combination. I think it would be confusing to do 2 math programs and could actually undo the benefits of using Singapore solo. My ds has learned his math facts virtually drill free (I did have him do some flashcards one summer for a bit - otherwise, we've done nothing else). I can see my middle ds is learning his already too, and he's only in 1A/1B this year. When Singapore is taught the way it is intended to be taught, year after year, I think drill probably will not be necessary. The only thing I might do is run through the flashcards in the summer, and separate out the ones my ds doesn't know as quickly, and just work a bit on those each day. I probably won't do that until 2A/2B is done though. I think it is really key to teach the way Singapore is instructing to teach. I've jumped the gun a few times and inserted my own ideas for completing problems (step 1, step 2, step 3, etc.), only to find that I should have let well enough alone and let my ds learn it as Singapore taught it. They usually get to the steps anyway, but begin with mentally attacking a problem first. Their way has been better. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

[Carrie]

Singapore and Saxon are two programs that approach math in completely different ways. So, if your friend is desiring the drill-type approach that Saxon uses, then she will definitely not be comfortable with Singapore. The fruit of Singapore is honestly in its long-term use, so using it for a year or two here or there will not give the same effect.

Often the amount of drill that a parent is comfortable having (or not having) is quite dependent on the parent's teaching style and his/her own preconceptions about math. So, while your friend may need and desire a drill-type program to fit her style that isn't true for everyone.

Through over 20 years of teaching math to students (11 of them in public school and now 9 years at home with our own kiddos), I have changed my philosophy of math education quite a bit. I have come to believe that the infatuation with drill is a very U.S. based focus and that while other nations do make sure kiddos know their facts, they do not focus on drill and repetition like we do here in the U.S. Instead, other countries are focusing on mathematical thinking, higher level reasoning, and basic understanding of core skills. In the U.S. we have gone to a coverage mentality in that we cover everything, drill it all, and then cannot figure out why the kiddos cannot retain it all.

Some children will need more drill than others, however rather than giving all kiddos the same amount of drill, it's good to look at each student and decide what he/she truly requires in that area. Often when we add more drill what the child really needs is a better understanding of what he/she is doing and less repetition, which often leaves them just memorizing answers to pass a test. Fewer problems of a higher analytical quality win out at our house, which is why we are thoroughly enjoying Singapore.

One additional benefit of Singapore is that with its strength being in higher-level thinking and problem-solving, it already has the tough areas covered. If you desire to add drill that is the easiest thing to add to a program, but adding higher-level thinking and problem-solving is tougher to do.

Just some food for thought.

Blessings,
Carrie

[Tabitha]

Awesome, awesome ladies.

Thank you so much for your indepth explinations. Yes, I see now where a parents style and strengths can affect how a child might be taught when it's not their style or strength.

We'll be doing Singapore 3A/3B this summer...and I want that method book too, just to fully understand all the ins and outs of how this system works.

Long term, it's so easy to not see something that works over long term use vs. the immediate results we here in the US do seem to want.

Mastery and understanding is definitely our desire...not a robotic mind.

Perfect!

[kiloyd]

Just wanted to say, thanks for your post. I've been wondering about Singapor math and this helped answer my questions about it.

katherine