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We hadn't even gotten to multiplication yet, when a few months ago I asked her on a whim, how much is four 4's? She came back with 16 very quickly.
I asked her how she knew, and she said I'd taught her. I said, "I did, how?"
She replied, "You taught me that 4 + 4 = 8 and 8+ 8 = 16."
We have since done a bit of multiplication, but I'm still impressed. Seeing the program being used makes me realize even more how different it is, and how well designed it is. It doesn't look that different until you really scrutinize it, and its full worth doesn't come out until you have used it. It is even more apparent how well it works if you used a regular math program first.
I just bought all 6 years worth of Challenging Word Problems, as CassyT posted, they are being discontinued soon. I also bought next year's 2nd grade math.
After last summer's exodus of math facts from the brain, this summer we're doing Right Start math games a few times a week to keep the math facts from jumping out of the brain and running off somewhere. It is a fun way to review math facts, we're enjoying it so far!
4 comments:
We love Singapore, too. My oldest is still young (only 5 and a half), so we take it pretty casual. We did the first section of 1A (and the corresponding pages in all three of the supplements: CWP, Intensive Practice and Extra Practice), then took a few month break from formal math. Then she had her first standardized test last month to get her baseline before we start "real" schooling this year ... and scored about halfway through 2nd grade in math. (I actually suspect she would have much better, but the format of the test is such that once you get three wrong, you're out -- and the three that she got wrong were about money and telling time, two things we haven't covered yet at all.)
The tester even remarked at her math ability, that the questions required more than just the ability to parrot back the addition tables, that she was really able to apply her knowledge to unfamiliar problems.
I'd make a really witty and snarky comment about higher order thinking skills here right now, but, man, I'm tired. Time to go to bed. You'll just have to imagine it. I'm sure I'll have that esprit d'escalier moment right before I drop off to sleep.
(Yes, I bought up copies of all six years -- had to buy a new Grade 1 since we have been writing in this one, thinking I could just buy new ones for her little brother... We just started back up with Singapore again last week, and I'm continually impressed with the way they lay things out.)
That's great! I wish I would have started at that age. But, we're back on track now, she's just completed 1st grade.
Like you said, the way it is taught really makes them able to apply their knowledge to unfamiliar problems.
Thanks for the heads-up! I somehow missed the earlier post back in April. Singaporemath.com is out of the Level 3 book as is Rainbow Resource Center. However, I was able to find it in stock at Christian Book Distributors.
I bought mine from Sonlight, so they might still have them when everyone else runs out.
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