Math Q's: BJU, R&S, Singapore

[wide eyes & laughter]

Please tell me what you like about: BJU math or R&S math or Singapore math. Bullet points are fine! Not asking for a lot of detail. I don't care about cost comparison or which are more teacher intensive here. I am interested in spiral/mastery/incremental; and strength of concepts taught and anything else that stands out to you along these lines.

Thanks so much for any help!

Cheryl:)

[Beth in Central TX]

Why I like R&S math:

Mastery approach with review
Each year builds on the last
Teacher lesson includes mental math, current lesson, & review items
Speed drills are available

[wide eyes & laughter]

nt

[SnowWhite]

What I like about BJU (and why I'm switching to that for grade 2):

* colorful
* mastery program (addresses a certain topic per chapter/unit) with review available
* uses manipulatives
* uses visual examples
* includes problem solving
* emphasis on conceptual learning vs. rote memorization
* traditional scope and sequence

What I liked about Singapore when I used it:

* mastery approach (one topic per chapter/unit)
* colorful textbook
* strong conceptual instruction vs. rote memorization
* visual examples/presentation
* problem solving skills are taught well

[wide eyes & laughter]

...manipulatives and traditional scope and sequence, right? Otherwise, the 2 programs (BJU & SM) are pretty comparable?

Thanks for your help, Jennifer!

Cheryl

[Beth in Central TX]

Hi Jennifer--it's funny, but when my boys were younger, I looked for a program that DIDN'T have color because it too distracting for them. I guess that's why there are so many programs out there.

[pianoplayer]

We switched from BJUP Math when our oldest was mid-elementary. My husband, a college math major and our resident math instructor, did not like the heavy emphasis BJUP placed on the early use of calculators, preferring that our kids learned to, with ease, think and calculate mentally. He wanted the kids to know their math facts "cold" and to not rely on manipulatives, pausing to count in their head, or other means of eventually arriving at the correct solution. (This meant drilling flash cards rather than simply completing student work pages.) BJUP seems to put a great deal of emphasis on estimation--overly so, in our opinion. He also felt that there were areas where the explanations of math concepts given in the elementary texts were very weak (or outright wrong) and could be confusing when the child reached more advanced math concepts. Frankly, we have wished that BJUP's math texts evidenced more input from their collegiate math professors and were not so heavily driven by education majors.

We ended up switching to Ray's Arithmetic and have been quite pleased with the results. However, were we to do it over again, we might well have chosen Singapore.

Hope this helps.

[Johanna]

Now, i like BJU math and i have been pleased. HOWEVER, what is up with all the estimation work....(front end/back end/rounding etc etc) ugh!
That has been so annoying!

[SnowWhite]

...manipulatives and traditional scope and sequence, right? Otherwise, the 2 programs (BJU & SM) are pretty comparable?

Thanks for your help, Jennifer!

Cheryl

Right, and also there are a greater number of practice problems in the regular lesson for BJU, IIRC, without adding a Reviews book. Plus the new 3rd edition (available for grades K-2, and will be 3rd in the summer) has a short review at the end of each lesson.

I should qualify my opinion by admitting to being an education major and not a math major, based on pianoplayer's post, LOL.

Oh, I've also not seen the SM Home Instructor's Manual, but I know BJU's TM is very comprehensive with activities and concept developing instruction.

[Mandy in TN]

Singapore

1. basal text
2. fun- you feel like it was written by people who not only understand math, but also like it!
3. broad conceptual scope

[pianoplayer]

Hey, SnowWhite, please know that I didn't mean my comment to be in any way offensive. :o Here's what we have observed in the BJUP curriculum and what I was trying to get at (perhaps poorly): education people seem to often be focused on pedagogy--how to teach skills in an orderly fashion, including interesting and appealing skill practice exercises, etc. Because of my hubby's math background, he teaches arithmetic with an eye not just to the methodology of the instruction, but to building a sound foundation of conceptual knowledge that will equip the kids for higher level thinking as they progress to more and more advanced math concepts.

Hope this helps clarify what I was intending to communicate!

[SnowWhite]

No offense taken at all! It made me giggle because my very reason for being so attracted to BJU math is that it looked like a series my Elem Ed math prof would have recommended.

I do realize the importance of students having their math facts "cold" and am currently supplementing my MCP with "Math Minute" drills to that end. Practice does make perfect, and even as piano students practice scales, successful math students practice facts, IMHO.

[Closeacademy]

Why I like Singapore Math:

Appeals to the visual learner
Clear
You can see the forest as well as the trees.
It teaches the material and gets out of the way.
No scripts.
It is just math.
It is fun.
:)