When
it comes to teaching mathematics to children, there
exist a number of schools of thoughts on what the
ideal curriculum ought to be.
There
are the conventional models of teaching math, there
are harder theory based models and there are the
more interesting practical hands-on models.
Among the models
that have received wide applaud for developing a
strong platform and understanding of basic math
that is suitable for propelling the child a long
way forward in the longer run, Singapore math is
an outstandingly good one.
What is Singapore
math?
Singapore math is
a method to teach mathematics to children based
upon the classical model of teaching mathematics
in Singapore.
The national curriculum
of Singapore has been great in producing students
who understand the basics of mathematics well, and
the model has been taken to formalize and internationalize
for wider applicability.
As a teacher or as
a parent of a homeschooling child, this is definitely
one of the models of teaching math that would appeal
to your intellect.
Remember that the
methods might appear to be innovative at times,
but the fundamental basis is time-tested and the
instructions have been around for a number of years.
And also, the instructions
and materials are written in English. A number of
schools in the USA have accepted this model as a
standard one and follow this. The state of California
had allotted some state funds for the teachers to
order Singapore math texts.
What are the
characteristics of Singapore math?
Singapore math has
some fundamental differences in approach compared
to the standard practice of teaching math. The curriculum
and study materials are designed to answer fundamental
questions of mathematics based upon logical explanations.
Unlike many of the mathematics teaching models that
are common in many countries including the USA that
stress upon rule memorization and expectation upon
students to reconstruct mathematical ideas from
hands-on experiments, this is a model that believes
in digging deep into roots of reason. The math understanding
model is designed at every stage such that the child
attempts to ask questions pertaining to fundamental
understanding of mathematics. They would start asking
"why" rather than trying to remember rules and the
intelligent design structure of the curriculum would
provide the student with the right answer with the
right time. No wonder Singapore math teaching model
is a favorite among almost every homeschooling parent
and teacher.
Singapore math
can be characterized by the following factors.
- Spiral approach:
Singapore math is
spiral in its structure. It assumes that something
that has been taught earlier does not need to be
taught again. In fact, when a topic is revised in
a subsequent year, the level of discussion starts
from the next level of what was taught previously.
This is contrary to the USA model, where the topic
restarts from scratch next year and then moves forward
eventually attaining the desired higher level.
- Sequence of
introduction of concepts:
Singapore math has
a unique way of introducing the students to novel
concepts. It is neither based upon remembering rules,
nor is it based upon hoping that the students would
be able to almost intelligently deduce formulae
simply going by their hands-on experiences that
they would be exposed to. The teaching method that
Singapore math model follows goes from concrete
via pictorial to abstract. The students would learn
decimal numbers in forms of addition and subtraction
in their second and third grades by concretely adding
and subtracting dollars and cents. Then in their
fourth grade they would be pictorially introduced
to the notion of decimals and their experiences
of adding and subtracting dollars would be used
for them to learn. At the next level they would
start to understand the fundamental theories of
how decimals work. Thus, within a few years they
will understand all the necessary theory, practical
applications and physical interpretation of their
concepts. They further learn to actually analyze
real situations mathematically in terms of the real
mathematical meaning of the situation and do not
rely upon intuitions or "clues" which is the buzzword
in the US-based mathematics teaching models.
- Intelligent
sequence of repetition of previous knowledge:
The amount of repetition
is minimal in Singapore mathematics. The way that
the entire course is designed targets that the student
does not need to go for repetition of what is already
learned. The progress is ensured in such a way that
much of whatever is learned at one stage is implicitly
used in the subsequent stages. This would make sure
that the student never loses touch with the fundamental
concepts, although the boring repetition is totally
eliminated. It keeps the students fresh and hungry
for learning further.
- Crisp focus
on understanding of core mathematical concepts free
from redundancies:
Singapore math is
well-known for focusing on the mathematical concepts.
Unlike many other models that teach math and end
up adding a lot of immaterial details and spices,
this model of math learning is strongly based upon
the solid concepts of core mathematics. The nature
of the study is exploratory, and the child asks
and gets answer to the fundamental "why" questions
rather than semi-grasping vague ideas without deep
knowledge.
Should you go
for it?
The verdict is that
Singapore math is one of the best models of learning
math for a child, be it in a conventional school
or be it in a homeschooling environment. The instructions
are loud and clear. The study material is fantastic.
As long as your child does not lack average intelligence,
this is one of the models that you would strongly
favor going for.
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