Singapore Homeschooling Math Curriculum Review
by Nancy
Singapore Homeschooling Math Review
Singapore Math has proven to be a great homeschooling math curriculum for our boys, ages 8 and 9, who are both advanced (currently in 5th grade). Singapore 5th grade is more like public school 6th grade level. (We just finished a unit on simultaneous equations, and none of our homeschooling friends have done that sort of thing in 5th grade.) My boys appreciate the logic behind the math- everything is explained well enough for them to grasp, and often more than one way of solving a problem is covered. They really learn how to think, and I've been pleased with how well they can take the concepts they've learned and apply them to different situations. Using math in the real world! Who knew? The lessons are usually short, and assume some knowledge on the part of the teacher. If you're not mathematically minded you'll need the teacher's manual. We have not bought a teacher's book yet, but I can see that I will need it for next year as I am getting to the limits of what I can remember from junior high. Singapore does use an incremental approach, which sometimes means hitting on a topic but not thoroughly covering it. This can leave kids feeling frustrated. We supplement occasionally with extra problems on the white board, or free printables from the internet. I should mention that rote memorization is not stressed- make sure you have your kids memorize their times tables! It's vital, but the book never really instructs you to do it. For grades 1-3, we combined Singapore with Miquon. (We love math!) Those old-fashioned worksheets were a great complement to Singapore. My kids have such a firm foundation in math, thanks to both of these homeschooling math programs. Excellent review of Singapore homeschooling math curriculum, Nancy. Thanks for sharing your experience, as well as some helpful tips for other parents who are using Singapore, or considering this curriculum for their child. Blessings, Heather :) Read more homeschool math curriculum reviews. Would you like to leave a comment, or write your own homeschool curriculum review? Use the links below... |
