DC placed in 1A Singapore at 9 & almost 11 - SWITCH?

[tbarr12]

I just did a placement test with my ds 4th grade and dd 5th grade - and they both placed in 1A Singapore!!! I was appalled (although of course I didn't say that to them!) So, based on that, should I switch, or just keep trying to shore up their weak areas with the curricula I currently use (horizons and MUS, respectively)? I guess what I'm asking is, is Singapore really that wonderful that I should switch and put them all the way down at a 1st grade level? I have switched several times with them, and always feel like it's to their detriment. It almost seems that it would be better to have stuck with what I started out with, just for the continuity, as I know every curriculum does things slightly differently.

I'm willing to be convinced, if Singapore is really that wonderful. However, with having to bring them down to such a low level, I can't see how I could possibly get them even close to caught up within the next few years. But, as I said, I'm willing to be convinced.

I'm kind of freaking out - any advice would be appreciated!!!

Tracey

[Tree House Academy]

What level did you start testing them on? They only have to score 70% to move forward. I can't imagine that a 4th grader who is likely multiplying, dividing, adding, and subtracting would place in Singapore 1A. I have to think maybe something else happened there. Surely not...unless there is a learning disability that may have caused this? What level were they on in Horizons and MUS?

ETA: In the Singapore 3B test, I did allow my son to use a conversion chart for all the different measurements. I do not expect him to have memorized all of those. Some, yes (like hours, days, years and of course stuff like inches to feet, hours in a minute...but not cm to mm persay).

[inHistiming]

Well, I'm not going to be negative about Singapore. We only used it one year, so I really am not a good one to comment about that. However, we have also switched quite a bit with our older kids and I can tell you it was to their detriment...Both placed lower than I would have liked when taking the placement test. We ended up switching back to Saxon, and placing our ds 7 there to begin with and we're staying with it. I can definitely see a difference in my youngest, both in his grasp of concepts and his enjoyment of math...he thinks math is fun (it's his favorite subject) while my older two only tolerate it. So, my personal opinion would be to stick with what you have. Various curriculum do teach things in different ways and at different times, so your dc is bound to have 'gaps' from switching or will if he continues to switch...that's what I've seen with my older two. Just my 2 cents. Take what you can and discard the rest!

[tbarr12]

inHistiming - thank you very much for that response. It's helping to calm down my "freaking out."

And for the 1st poster - DS is on Horizons 3A (he's 4th grade age, but that's okay), dd is on MUS Delta.

After reading what inHistiming said, I'm inclined to stick with what I have. We've had a VERY rough week with Math - my son cries every day through Math, mostly because he's overwhelemd by the length of the worksheets. I usually do cut out what I can on those. I think I may just need to spend more time on them with Math, and commit to not moving on to the next concept until they understand what we've been doing. Some of the roughness could be just getting back into it.

I'm calming down now a little. My husband is getting very frustrated with all the switching I do, so that's probably another reason not to do it. thanks.

[inHistiming]

Tracey,

My dh also got very frustrated with me for switching....he is an engineer and math is VERY important to him. When we were planning to switch back I had him look over the texts and he made the final decision. It's actually a relief to know that unless we run into some MAJOR problems with understanding we do not have to look for math anymore, ever. Same with R&S for English...I love it and we will stick with it to the end....

I'm glad my opinion was able to help. Maybe slowing down for a bit and only doing half the problems each day would help too? Then ds might not be so overwhelmed by the number of problems but will still get all the practice he needs...just over 2 days instead of 1. Just a thought!

[Tree House Academy]

Tracey,

My dh also got very frustrated with me for switching....he is an engineer and math is VERY important to him. When we were planning to switch back I had him look over the texts and he made the final decision. It's actually a relief to know that unless we run into some MAJOR problems with understanding we do not have to look for math anymore, ever. Same with R&S for English...I love it and we will stick with it to the end....

I'm glad my opinion was able to help. Maybe slowing down for a bit and only doing half the problems each day would help too? Then ds might not be so overwhelmed by the number of problems but will still get all the practice he needs...just over 2 days instead of 1. Just a thought!

I could have written that post myself. My dh is also an engineer and math is very important to him...and he also gets annoyed if I switch. LOL

OP, I am glad you have a decision that you feel comfortable with. I would think a child that can do Horizons 3 would not test into Singapore 1A - maybe there was just some "fluke" or the kids didn't try their best or something. Horizons is not "easy" or anything and it is about a grade level ahead!

[annaz]

You have to remember that when you switch math programs they utilize different words and thought processes to get where they're at. It may not be that they don't know the answer, but don't understand what they're asking. Especially when you switch between "our" math and math that is used overseas. I found that the other math is more abstract early on. So don't panic as it may not be that they don't know the answer.

Horizons is about a grade level ahead. In the early years, Saxon seems behind. We use BJU which I personally think is in between. So if it's not broke, don't fix it. Math is a hard change to make. The lingo between Saxon and BJU was even pretty different. The difference between Saxon and Singapore (at least early on) is huge in the way they have kids thinking.