Quick Singapore Math Question

[[email protected]]

I want to order Earlybird Mathematics for DS. The company website says that all I need is the textbook but I see some mommies here just do the activity books. What should I order and why?

Anyone have experience with the activities in Family Math for Young Children or any suggestions for math games for kids?

Thanks,

Christine W

[Rainbows&Roses]

I ordered Singapore based on recommendations here and don't like it. I ordered both the text and activity books and probably could have just used the activity books. Honestly, I think they were both a waste of money though.

[[email protected]]

What don't you like about it? What would you recommend instead?

DS is 4 and is a typical boy in that he's building all the time and wants to count everything. DH taught him about hundreds and thousands last night and the concept stuck. He's really eager to learn more math and is asking when daddy will get home so he can do more math.

[egoldber]

I didn't use Singapore until 2A/2B. For those, I just bought the workbook and she was fine with that. I did the same thing for 3A/3B and I probably should have bought the text. For 4A/4B I just bought the textbook and workbook.

[ett]

I ordered Singapore based on recommendations here and don't like it. I ordered both the text and activity books and probably could have just used the activity books. Honestly, I think they were both a waste of money though.

I'm also wondering what you don't like about it since I've only heard positive things about it on this board.

[brittone2]

For early bird we never wanted or used a text. I have the text for Primary 1A/1B and pretty much only use the workbooks.

eta: early bird was IMO very, very basic and we could have skipped it or used something else and still jumped in with primary 1a/1b.

[[email protected]]

For early bird we never wanted or used a text. I have the text for Primary 1A/1B and pretty much only use the workbooks.

eta: early bird was IMO very, very basic and we could have skipped it or used something else and still jumped in with primary 1a/1b.

Hmm, my local Borders has the Primary 1A/1B workbooks in stock. Maybe I should check them out before ordering the Pre-K books online. Are there any other good math activities that you use with your kids?

Thanks,

CHristine W

[brittone2]

We use a little Miquon too. Only on occasion.

Overall, we do a lot of math play more than workbooks. Cuisinaire rods, base 10 set, tangrams, pattern blocks, unifix cubes, games. Counting money and working on telling time.

DH's university library had some great books put out by the Cuisinaire company from back in the mid 90s. I of course can't find them anywhere but haven't overturned every stone either. Each book had a topic like K-3 Cuisinaire rods, K-3 pattern blocks, K-3 geoboards, etc. that gave great hands on activities exploring math concepts. We do use Singapore, but we spend more time doing a lot of math play with manipulatives.

I have not used it but Math U See is a curriculum that a lot of HSers like and I believe it use a lot of manipulatives if you think DC might like that. I think they send a free dvd explaining the program if you are interested.

eta: we've built on singapore in other hands-on ways. For example, they introduce reading a graph in primary 1a/1b. We've done fun things like take a fun pack of m&ms and graph the distribution of colors. Lots of hands on play to demonstrate the concepts in action, kwim?

[vonfirmath]

Miquon -- Orange, Red, and the Laboratory pages) is what I am currently looking at -- well, getting cuisenaire rods for my kid and Miquon for me to read and the Ideas for Primary Students books for more ideas for things to do with the cuisenaire rods.

[schrocat]

Hmm, my local Borders has the Primary 1A/1B workbooks in stock. Maybe I should check them out before ordering the Pre-K books online. Are there any other good math activities that you use with your kids?

Thanks,

CHristine W

I don't think these are the same workbooks as the ones with the textbook. The textbook/workbook combination that's marketed as Singapore Math is what Singapore schools used to use in the 80s and 90s. They use different textbooks and workbooks there now.

Earlybird Math looks like what we call an assessment book (or workbook). I've looked at it. Found a copy in the clearance section of a bookshop that specializes in selling assessment books in Singapore. It's really simple stuff in there. You'd probably find everything you need starting with 1A.

I'll be using a math curriculum from Singapore called My Pals Are Here.

Another math curriculum to look into is Right Start Math which uses alot of manipulatives and games. I'm thinking of ordering that for my kid so that we can play with it.