Last year, my family switched to Singapore Math.  At first, I didn't really know what made Singapore Math so special that people all over the world had heard about it, and even some American schools were using it.  In fact, all I knew was that kids in Singapore say that math is really tough, but also that they excel in math when it comes to standardized exams.

Well, the curriculum we were using just wasn't cutting it.  I had read reviews that claimed it was very slow-paced, and I had to concur.  I observed my kids falling farther and farther behind their grade level standards.  So, since Singapore was so famous for their math, I decided to give it a try.  (It doesn't hurt that by living in Singapore, I can pick up the local textbooks, and tons and tons of workbooks at my neighborhood bookstore at a very inexpensive price!)

After using Singapore Math for a little over a year now, I can say it is a great program!  What makes it different from other math programs?  There are a few factors that make Singapore Math stand out.

First, Singapore Math (I'm just going to call it SM from here on out) focuses on real life math.  That means it uses a lot of what Singaporeans call "problem sums" and what Americans call "story problems".  But these aren't just any story problems.  These are quite complex story problems.  In fact, when we first switched to SM, I couldn't figure out how to solve some of these problems without algebra, which primary school-aged kids aren't supposed to use yet.  What to do?

This dilemma of mine brings us to the next outstanding factor of SM: it uses a model approach.  I had to learn how to use the model approach right along with my kids, but, oh! was it helpful!  SM teaches the student how to draw a model to find the solution to a problem sum.  Somehow, this use of the model approach helps the student to take the written word and visualize it, making it easier to mentally picture the problem and thus, solve it.

And this brings me to my next point: somehow, even though I was really good in math in school (I got all A's, except in geometry, and took math right up through calculus and trigonometry in high school, which were the highest classes my high school offered.), somehow, a lot of what I learned was rote memory.  You know what I mean: you memorize addition facts, you memorize times tables, you memorize algebraic formulas and geometric formulas, etc.  But I didn't necessarily understand the full concepts behind the rote memorization--especially in higher mathematical formulas.  But SM makes you work with numbers and take them apart and put them back together again in a way that makes you understand the concepts in a much deeper way.  Sounds kind of stupid, but I feel like I really understand the world of numbers much better now.

Now, admittedly, SM truly is tough.  But, to help my kids adjust to this very different way of looking at math and at the world of numbers, I backtracked all the way back to the early primary school years (primary 1 and 2) just to give them time to learn how to use the model approach and how to deal with those complex problem sums. 

But, even though my then primary 5 daughter went all the way back to the primary 1B book, she was able to work at her own pace all the way through Primary 1, 2, and 3 texts last year.  And suddenly, she has a confidence with math that she never had before!  (Remember, I mentioned that my previous math curriculum was sadly lagging behind the grade-level standard, so I didn't expect her to get all the way up to primary 5 grade level.  She had far too many concepts that were new to her to move that quickly.) 

She has set a personal goal for herself to get up to grade level during the course of this year, and I don't doubt that she can do it!  Already, only 2 months into the school year (we start in January in Singapore) she is half-way through the Primary 4 book.  My son, then Primary 3, took quite well to the Singapore math.  He worked his way through Primary 1 and 2 last year, and is moving quite smoothly through the Primary 3 book this year.

If you are considering a math program, let me recommend Singapore Math.  It will really give your child an advantage in his or her comprehension of mathematics in the long run.

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Posted by Quebec

Thank you for the advice! I've often wondered what made Singapore Math different from the other math curriculum out there! I think my 11yr old could really benefit from trying out this program!

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