heartofdakota.com

8 year old dd is finishing up Abeka math 2 right now. We plan to switch over to Singapore when we start HOD this summer. I looked at the placement tests and am still trying to figure out what level she would be in. If we finish up the Abeka 2, it looks like she will cover a lot of what was in the 2A test. But I wonder if she will be solid enough in what is covered there.

Has anyone else switched from Abeka to Singapore? did you find it to be close in grade level, or is Abeka typically behind?

I don't know how Abeka compares with regular programs, but Singapore is usually at least 1/2 year ahead of the typical math curriculum and quite often a whole year ahead. I would have your daughter take the placement test for 2A without any help and see how she does. If she does really well with it then you could have her take the 2B placement test. I think the placement tests would be the best way to figure out which guide to start her in.

Yep - do the placement tests. We switched from Saxon 2 to Singapore 2A. Technically, my son got more than 80% on the 2A test which would have placed him in 2B. But, I could see a few areas that we hadn't covered thoroughly so I got 2A just to hit those spots. What I found was that he really needed to go through all of 2A. He could do the computation part of math easily, but he was used to predictably worded story problems that didn't require near the thinking that the problems in Singapore do! Going through all of 2A made it so that he didn't get the "math is too hard" mindset going. The actual math part of 2A was on the easy side for him, but the thinking he needed to build was spot on.

Kathleen

KeriJ,

The ladies are right that the placement test is truly the best way to determine what level of Singapore will best fit your child. It's so true that kiddos take different things from the same level of a math program, so it will likely differ from child to child where a child coming out of Abeka 2 would fit in Singapore Primary Mathematics. When giving the placement test not to give much guidance or clarify directions. The test is meant to truly tell you what the child can do on his/her own in math. Link to test: http://www.singaporemath.com/Placement_Test_s/86.htm

I'd probably begin with the 2A test of Primary Mathematics and see how she does. If she passes, progress on to 2B. If she doesn't pass, place her in 2A.

Blessings,
Carrie