An article appeared in the Lowell Sun yesterday, and this article triggered more questions than answers in my mind. Among other things, the North Middlesex Regional School District found spotty improvements in math test scores. The article said: Brady and Muir discussed how the district’s use of so-called Singapore math is problematic. “We think Singapore math has taken us as far as it can,” Brady said. Muir added that Singapore math does not align with MCAS frameworks but that the district is looking at other textbook publishers. This raised some red flags for me. Singapore Math took them as far…
I came across this video from a Singapore tutor in my browsing today. It explains how to simplify an algebraic fraction problem. Interestingly, I solved a similar problem with my one of my algebra students last week. I like how this blogger breaks the steps down, but I would like her to explain more why the students made the mistake they made in the beginning. Question: do you know why? What is their misconception? Add a comment with your thoughts!
For some people and classrooms, it just isn’t feasible to purchase high-quality number bond flash cards like you can obtain through Crystal Springs Books. I came across a site where you can download your own, print them and cut them out. These are addition and subtraction cards appropriate for grades K-3. You can download them for free after registering at Teachers Pay Teachers. A caveat: While the free cards by William Hughes cover the basic principles of number bonding for addition and subtraction for numbers to 10, the Crystal Springs cards are better because they do not rely on just…
This homeschooling website has an article about Singapore Math that is short but informative. It tells a brief history of Singapore Math in the US, then goes into why it may or may not be the best choice for a homeschooling curriculum. Here is an extract from the article: The curriculum uses a true spiral approach, a method that is used less successfully in the United States. In the spiral approach, the curriculum assumes prior mastery of the subject in the previous grade and so does not review basic processes but moves on to a higher level in each subject.…
I’ve been reading blog posts about math like this one, in which a common theme is that we need to return to “basic” or “regular” math skills and dispense with the constructivist programs that were so popular in the last decade or two. I’ve read about people who are frustrated with the idea that children should have to reconstruct the math theorems that evolved over the last 2000 years or so, and it makes sense that they shouldn’t have to do this. Some people turn to Saxon Math, which I have taught, or Singapore Math, as the solutions that teach…
There is an interesting website devoted to reforming math education in Utah; it is utahsmathfuture.com. On it, among other text and video content, there are links to reports about a longitudinal study in a Massachusetts school district showing the improvement in test scores over the long term when the district adopted Singapore Math. The evidence is compelling, not only qualitatively but quantitatively. I have also provided the report for download here.
If you are a parent who is interested in how Singapore Math works, but you don’t have time to attend a training session or do a lot of reading about it, here is a resource for you. This school recorded a session in which their parents were taught how this program works and how to support their children. Part 1 of the videos is here; click the video to go to Youtube to view the other parts.
What is Singapore Math? This is a question I get a lot, from friends, people on the plane, pretty much anyone with whom I discuss what I teach. It’s a broad topic, but I’ll try to cover it in a nutshell here. Singapore Math is the curriculum for teaching math that was developed in Singapore. That’s the short answer. Then comes the longer answer to the question, “Why do we care about a curriculum that was developed in Asia?” Singapore, being a small island state with education among its top priorities, has developed a focused and effective curriculum for teaching…