Singapore 1A Help

[TraceyF]

I have a DD, almost 6.5, using LHFHG with 1st grade options and Singapore math (and really enjoying it). Because she had done A Beka K, I started her in August with Singapore KB in based on what I had read about Singapore math. She did great and I am really glad we took the time to do the KB book. She is now on Unit 6 (about week 11) of 1A. She has done well all along and understands the concepts presented.

So, here is where I need help: The HIG states that before beginning Unit 6, Week 11 (of 1A), she should have all her math facts, addition and subtraction, through 10 memorized. She does NOT have them all memorized and probably won't in the near future. We work on them each day, but progress is slow. From looking at the HIG, it seems that the reason they need them memorized is that they begin teaching the "8+5=10+3" concept. She can count up, count back, etc. but most often does not just recall from memory.

I don't know how important this is. Seems kinda important

I am not sure how to proceed. Do I:
1. Stop with 1A and spend all of our math time on math facts?
2. Keep on at a slower pace and continue to practice math facts?
3. Find some other math practice for her while she works on math facts?
4. Other suggestions?

I guess I should have started working on the math facts while she was doing KB, or had her go at a much slower pace

Any help or advice would be much appreciated!

[MelInKansas]

Hmmm. I have never had the HIG. My kids have not memorized math facts at that point. Addition facts just kind of came but I never stopped at any point to see that they had them memorized. My understanding was that Singapore does not emphasize facts or say they need to be mastered at a certain point, though there is repetition enough to get them for most children, especially if you do the activities.

Then again, most people do work on facts and have tools, online games, etc that they use for that. I think I am in the minority in not really working on them at all. I think I even saw Carrie or someone say that they drill math facts with their kids in the summer in those years.

However, I don't think they would say you have to have them mastered at that point in order to go on. I would just go on, maybe add in some practice with that if you see your child struggling with working all the problems out one by one.

[Nealewill]

I agree, I wouldn't work on your facts. Non of my kids really memorized their "facts." They understood and through repetition, they naturally remembered and memorized that way. There was no drill and kill here at our house.

[StephanieU]

We aren't using Singapore, but my daughter is in Horizons 2B now and we are just starting to focus on memorizing her addition facts. It is to the point that not knowing them is REALLY slowing her down with adding large numbers (like 4,567+3,425). I definitely wouldn't just stop to memorize facts. I would think at that point your child should know the 0+ and 1+ families, but the others counting on fingers is fine. When you are in 2A and 2B, that is when I would focus a tiny bit more on memorization, again just to remove some of the frustration. That is when multiplication is really started too, so it makes sense to memorize addition before 3rd grade math.

[countrymom]

I don't know what the HIG is ( ), but we are now in 4A with one child and 1B with the other child and I can tell you we have NOT drilled math facts and are doing fine. I really want my children to understand math, not just memorize. When my oldest began multiplication I debated if I should start drilling, but when we hit the 4's for the first time and he was able to write the answer to 4 x 6 with very little hesitation I asked him how he knew the answer. His reply sealed my decision, "6 + 6 is 12 and 12 + 12 is 24." At that point I decided I was not going to substitute higher level reasoning with memorization because it was obvious he fully understood multiplication. There is a section where there is a chart the students are to go over (multiplication) and I can't remember what the book suggests, but at that point I had my oldest make flash cards for the multiplication sets he didn't know yet. He still doesn't have some of his addition facts memorized, but he has enough that he can proceed quickly enough. I would just keep going and you will find that although it takes time, your child will slowly grasp the facts. I do know that some children eventually need some extra practice and my youngest will probably be one of those. Still, I don't plan on doing anything extra until the end of 2B, beginning of 3A.

[MomtoJGJE]

Yeah we only started drilling any facts last year... it was multiplication with my then 5th grader, just to get it faster. She definitely didn't NEED it, but we have to do yearly testing and her math speed was bringing her math score down some. We have never drilled addition or subtraction.

I've also never used the HIG, just the hands on activities from the guide. I'd honestly suggest for you to get the Beyond guide to have the hands on activities that go with the workbooks.

[TraceyF]

Thanks so much for the responses! It is really nice to have input from those who have gone before! Kind help and encouragement from this message board is one of the many reasons we are enjoying HOD so much this year. What a blessing!

It sounds like the consensus is to keep going and not worry.

I have re-read the HIG(Home Instructors Guide) and wanted to share what I was seeing for those who don't have it and explain why I have been trying to work on math facts. (I only purchased the HIG because I didn't have the Beyond guide and wanted some daily guidance because it was my first experience with Singapore.) Unit 3, Part 2,(Week 4), says most students will already know addition within 5, and +1 but students should be memorizing the facts by doing mental math (in the appendix of the HIG), flash cards, and card/computer games. Unit 3, Part 3, (Week 4 also) says to add facts through 10 and practice with the same strategies. It references "daily fact practice" repeatedly through the guide. All of this, of course, with the understanding that the concept is most important, not just strict memorization.

[MelInKansas]

The hands on activities in the guide really add a lot of good practice, and it will not be "rote" practice like flashcards but it is usually very fun. Many of the 1A/1B activities include food (or suggest using food).

My girl who is doing the Kindergarten B book already has a lot of things memorized and I know my DD who just started 2A has many addition facts though I wouldn't say she has them all through 9's. She is best with those that add up to 10 or less.

Carrie has taken a different approach with the early years of math and I think it is very fun and really strengthens the learning for those who need more hands-on or struggle with concepts.

[queenireneof3]

Hello!

Math has been the reason for most of my posts! I have one ds (8yo) who just finished 1b today and my dd (6) is 9 weeks into 1a.

I also worried about my ds memorizing facts and was given good advice to relax and allow the singapore method to work. I am surprised that the HIG would even mention that memorization is necessary as it does not seem to be emphasized at all in the text or workbooks.

I have not stressed memorization either and my son has naturally memorized many of the facts already or is able to do them in his head fairly quickly. Both he and my daughter use an abacus for adding and subtracting when their brains can't figure it out alone and that helps them to see what they are doing. It used to stress me out that they weren't memorizing, but now I know that if they can look at the problem and solve it with the abacus, they know what they are doing whether it is memorized or not. Their ability to do problems in their heads is growing.

I like the idea of working on math computer games during the summer to aid in quickly recalling the facts!

[my3sons]

None of our dc have had their facts memorized at that point, and all of them score very well in math on their state standardized tests. So, no worries!!! The facts will come, and if they don't, adding in flashcards or another method of practice is fine (I'd wait until 2A or 2B though for that as usually time and repetition helps them know their facts anyway.) However, I will also really encourage you to do the Beyond hands-on activities alongside the Workbooks. They helped our dc learn their facts well, and without them, I am unsure if the outcome would have been as successful. As far as the HIGs go, it helps to keep in mind that they were not written by Singapore Math, but rather by an outside curriculum called Sonlight. So, the suggestions in the HIG are not written by Singapore Math. We did not find it necessary to use the HIGs until around 5B. HOD begins carrying them in 5A, as that is about the time they'd suggest you may need them. I have used them as a reference only when our dc need extra help.

In Christ,
Julie