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For those of you teaching Level 2 or 3 do you feel it is necessary to use a teacher's guide? I am not sure if we are going to use Bigger or Preparing and I did not want to have to buy the Bigger guide just for the Math portion. Is the textbook and workbook sufficient enough? Thanks!

The schedule for 3 is in Bigger and Preparing. There are no activities planned once you get to 3.
I'm going to get the HIG in 3 just b/c I will feel more comfortable that way...I can read it to get an idea of how to approach the lesson b/c I was not taught this way. Level 2, you will really benefit from having the activities planned in the Bigger guide. It will cost you almost the same price to get the HIG's for 2A and B as it would just to get the Bigger guide. Not enough to make a difference, but the benefit is awesome!

We've not found it to be necessary to use the Home Instructor's guides for 3A/3B, and as Tamara already mentioned, the activities in 2A/2B that are within the Bigger Hearts guide replace the Textbook portion (and any need for a Home Instructor's guide) making the Bigger hands-on activities a worthwhile purchase.

At HOD, we hit the hands-on activities heavily in the Kindergarten, 1A/1B, and 2A/2B levels and then move into the more pictorial approach of the Singapore Textbook/Workbook combination once you get to 3A/3B on up. The pictorial presentation in the Singapore textbooks and workbooks is actually Singapore's strength. So, with our own kiddos we found 3A/3B to be just the right time to move away from hands-on and transition into the purely Singapore way.

You, of course, will know what's best for your own family, but I just wanted to share our experiences.

Blessings,
Carrie

We're in 3B and have not used the HIG yet. We did use all of HOD's hands-on lessons through 2B, and have just used the 3A/3B Textbook for instruction now. It's been going great! I am glad it doesn't take long and there is no prep either.

In Christ,
Julie