Singapore users: help and advice please!

[CCMom11]

I am currently using Horizons math as my main program and am supplementing with Singapore at a level or 2 behind Horizons. I have always loved Singapore but I've felt a little concerned about really committing to it because of the order it presents things and the lack of drill (negatives I have read about). I have tried different programs and I really feel I could teach any math program now because I have enough experience to teach things in more than one way. I have an 8 yo ds who is almost finished with Horizons 3 and a 7 yo dd who recently started Horizons 2. My 8 yo is very bright, but has in some ways been slowed down by maturity issues and fine motor issues. So, I have him on grade level for most things, but I think he is bored, especially with math. He has told me all year that he hates Horizons, but I've pushed him along because I knew it was thorough and it (for now) has required very little teaching from me. As the year has gone on, I have had to cross out and elminate more and more problems that he just didn't need to do. Now my 7 yo is telling me that Horizons is too easy for her. I realize a lot of what she is doing is just review, but it does seem to have too much drill on a lot of easy concepts. So here is the dilemma: While part of me would love to switch to Singapore, I'm concerned about the time for teaching. When I searched the forums, I read anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour is required. Is that teaching time or does that include the student's time to complete the lesson. I don't want to sound like I don't want to teach my children, but I have four children and we are trying to adopt 2 more. So, while Singapore may be a really great program, I can't spend an hour a day for each child for math.

So, my questions are:
1) How much teaching time, on average, is required for the PM levels?
2) I read that for students who need to be challenged, to just buy the textbook and the intensive practice book instead of the regular workbook. Has anyone done this?
3) Do you do flashcards or drill work when needed, or do you use the CD roms or extra practice books?
4) If I did the intensive practice book instead of the workbook, would adding the challenging word problems be too much?

I'm sorry for such a long message. I've even considerd moving my oldest into Teaching Textbooks because he could work independently. I just don't want to make him hate math and I know he enjoys doing Singapore. As always, I'm trying to do what's best for each child and find the best utilization of my time. TIA for any advice you can give me.

Suzanne

[Myrtle]

...lack of drill...

The CD is probably better at teaching concepts than drill per se.

With my kid that needed more practice I found it easy enough to use Saxon drill sheets and boght a couple of student books at different levels and ripped out the drill sheets. I don't time the kids though. I've also used Flashmaster and flashcards.

I spent maybe at most 10 minutes of instructional time on a topic and the kid does the rest. My older son required a lot of handholding to stay on task but that was more about him and not about the curriculum.

The most useful supplement I have found are the Challenging Word Problems. Even with my most unmathiest kid I have not found the "Extra Practice" work to be either sufficient or necessary to her problem which is simply that she needed more "drill"

The most teacher intensive phase for me was when they couldn't read their own word problems, and I have had my older son read instructions and word problems to a younger one.

[Linda...inOwasso]

Hi Suzanne,

Did you see my recent post regarding dd7, Horizons Math & Singapore? Lol, very similar to yours!! My dd is finishing up Horizons 2 and we have been supplementing with Singapore PM workbook only (almost finished with 2a). She has grown to hate Horizons this year and absolutely loves Singapore. So, I am thinking about letting go of Horizons altogether.

My plan is to use Singapore PM Textbook, Intensive Practice & Challenging Word Problems. I'll give her a lesson of IP & CWP per day and though I don't think we'll need the Textbook, I'll have it just in case. Even now, she really never needs my help or instruction with anything in Singapore -- she can figure out on her own what she's supposed to do, however I usually have to explain something in Horizons.

I'm wondering the same thing as you in terms of drill. I guess we will just continue practicing mult/div facts until she has them down cold. She has her add/sub down and I don't know if people normally keep drilling those or not?!

HTH!! Good luck :)

[CCMom11]

Myrtle - thanks for the info on teaching time and drill!

Linda - I did read your post! I thought it was so funny that we were having similar problems. For drill, I have been using wrap-ups and Flashmaster, which my kids love. I will do select flashcards a few times a week. If I did what Horizons says to do in the teacher's manual, we would spend 30 minutes per day on flashcards alone!

As a side note, are you guys planning to switch to the new Standards edition or continue with the US editions?

[Testimony]

It is a different approach to math. I am not a fan of flashcards. It is because they get lost. It is hard to keep track of them. Drills, I can create my own. I use my own clock to teach time, but Singapore does eventually teach it just not in the same order as American texts do.

Here is a terrific article about LA schools using Singapore Math now:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-math9mar09,0,1449785.story

Blessings,
Karen
www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

[CCMom11]

Do you use the Home Instructor's Guide, textbook or both?

[Linda...inOwasso]

Suzanne,

I didn't even know there was a new Standard edition. I've already purchased 3a & 3b IP & textbooks for next year so I guess we'll be sticking with the U.S. edition. :) I'll have to look into Flashmaster. I tried Learning Wrap-ups and dd's broke it the first week we had it! So, apparently my little princesses are just too rough!

[Pencil Pusher]

I use Singapore--text & workbook. Haven't tried their other stuff. It does take us between 30 min & an hour, but that incl. ds's independent work time, & that depends on dawdling. I really, really believe that we could *always* finish in under 30 min otherwise.

I think Singapore is super-fast, but that may be because we were doing Saxon before. For drill, ds does assigned levels on Math Shark in the AM. I've made a record sheet for him to write down his times.

I *love* Singapore. It teaches math the way that I do it, & I've never encountered that before! Fwiw, I'm a lit person, but math is my fav subject to teach right now.

Will Singapore be best for everyone? Def not. But it's cheaper than most other prog's., so it's easy to try.

Now I can't remember your original question. Have I answered it? I've been interrupted by dc at least 5 times, lol.

[Strawberry Queen]

I've just done SM for 2 years. Dd is in 2b. I usually teach a new concept to her for about 5min or so. She is usually able to do the work herself, unless she's having trouble understanding a concept. This has happened twice this year- regrouping, and mental math-adding subtracting with hundreds in your head.

I supplement with math copywork for math facts, or I just get her to do 3 or 4 extra problems on the whiteboard when she needs more review. I had to do this with regrouping, as she forgot how to do it over the Christmas break.:thumbdown:

I have the CWP from 1 but I actually never use it. I will with dd #2. I'll buy CWP 3 for the coming year. They're really good, and it's harder to think up word problems on the fly.

I think my dd understands how they explain things, and she doesn't hate math, so we'll stick with it for now.:thumbup:

[CCMom11]

:)