Singapore users....

[blessedx5]

at which level do you buy the Instructors guide? I know some say you don't really need it in the lower levels.

Thanks
Debbie

[Tree House Academy]

I actually buy them from 1A up. Mostly I do so because I like the extra activities and the mental math/suggestions in the schedule at the front of the book. I just prefer to have it close by incase I want to refer to it. :)

[Narrow Gate Academy]

We're working on level 4 here and haven't needed them yet. Looking at level 5, I don't believe I'll need them next year either. I think the Instructor guide's would be useful if you didn't understand how the textbook was trying to present a particular topic, which will vary from one Mom to the next. I personally find the textbooks straight forward, so I have no need for the IG. HTH

[Julianna]

I actually buy them from 1A up. Mostly I do so because I like the extra activities and the mental math/suggestions in the schedule at the front of the book. I just prefer to have it close by incase I want to refer to it. :)

:iagree:

Without the HIG, I would not have realized that by around week 6 of 1A, dd should have memorized all of the addition facts to 10. By the end of 1A, she should have been able to quickly calculate all + & - facts to 20. I didn't get that from the textbook or workbook. If money was super tight, I could certainly manage without the HIGs, but I like them.

[cbollin]

:iagree:

Without the HIG, I would not have realized that by around week 6 of 1A, dd should have memorized all of the addition facts to 10. By the end of 1A, she should have been able to quickly calculate all + & - facts to 20. I didn't get that from the textbook or workbook. If money was super tight, I could certainly manage without the HIGs, but I like them.

different opinion on that issue....
I never had the HIG for 1A. So, I didn't find that was a "should have" moment when teaching Singapore 1A.

My child still needed help with memory of all facts. I wouldn't worry too much if your child in 1A is still learning them in week 7 or even in book 1B. ;) You'll certainly have wanted to cover the facts and always be drilling facts/number bonds in Singapore. But if your child still needs more time, it's ok. It's not obvious from the text that you are supposed to drill each day. But it is assumed that it being done.


I've only used the HIG for 6A and 6B and even then it was more for quickness of a solutions manual for selected problems instead of more help for teaching.

-crystal

[plain jane]

We'll be moving into 3a in the fall and I plan to buy the HIG's for the reasons the PP's have mentioned.

[Closeacademy]

I've owned level 2 and 3 HIGs but got rid of them. I think I might need them for level 4. The texts explain most of it.:001_smile:

[tajott]

one child through 6B (she started back at 3B, after 6yrs in PS) and the next youngest was in 5A. That student is very mathy, so I didn't need them. By the time #3 child got to level 3B I had a really good handle on what to teach. So I've never used them


We're working on level 4 here and haven't needed them yet. Looking at level 5, I don't believe I'll need them next year either. I think the Instructor guide's would be useful if you didn't understand how the textbook was trying to present a particular topic, which will vary from one Mom to the next. I personally find the textbooks straight forward, so I have no need for the IG. HTH

[siloam]

at which level do you buy the Instructors guide? I know some say you don't really need it in the lower levels.

Thanks
Debbie

Debbie,

Needed them? No, but I buy them anyways and do use them, so they have been worth the money. I could have made due without them.

Heather

[HSDCY]

I started buying them when we hit level 4. Now that we are half way through level 6, I can't say I have had the need to use them heavily. But the answer key in the back of HIG just makes checking answers so much easier especially if you have multiple children.

[rainforest mama]

We're about to start 4B and I haven't needed them yet. At this point, I'm not sure if I'll buy them for 5A and 5B. The textbook is very straightforward, but it might be nice to have the answers in case I get stuck.

[matroyshka]

We're in 5B and I haven't missed them. I waffled about buying them for the first time this year, as I'd heard this is when you really started to need them, but I decided not to and I've still felt like this has been one of the easiest years to teach so far. YMMV.

There's also no need to buy them for the answers - you can buy answer booklets (there's one for levels 1-3 and a second for levels 4-6) for less than $7 each ($14 for 6 years), vs. something like $17 per book (2 books per level, or about $200 for 6 years) for the HIGs, if that's all you need.

I think it depends how "obvious" the teaching in the textbook is to you. It seems like some people find it very clear, and others don't and are really helped by the HIGs, and wouldn't do without them.