Singapore Math Inc

Some parents use the Essential Mathematics as their main curriculum. Both Earlybird Mathematics and Essential Mathematics can also be used in conjunction with each other, though it is recommended that you do the lesson in Earlybird Mathematics first before the corresponding ones in Essential Mathematics. Please read this FAQ for more information. 

The core Singapore Math® curriculum for grades 1-6 is called Primary Mathematics. There are two books that are used together, a textbook and a workbook. The textbook is used as a class activity book during the lesson, and the workbook is used for independent practice. The year is divided up into two parts, so there is a textbook and workbook A and a textbook and workbook B for each year. The rest of the grades 1-6 math books we carry are a variety of optional supplementary books, some of which are not specifically part of the core curriculum.

The Standards edition  is newer and contains most of the material from the US edition and also has some additional topics and more review.
Please read this FAQ for more information.

If your child is starting first grade, start with Primary Mathematics 1A and 1B.

If your child is starting 2nd to 6th grade, give him/her assessment tests to determine what level to start with. 

The assessment tests cover the material in that level. Since the Primary Mathematics curriculum will probably not follow the same sequence as the curriculum your child has been doing, and since there is little reteaching between levels, it is important to place your child accurately according to his/her understanding of mathematics, not by the number on the books. Therefore it is recommend that your child starts with the tests a grade or two behind his/her current grade level in order to start with easy material and then work up to whichever level s/he first starts having difficulty with the concepts, which is the level of Primary Mathematics s/he should start with. If this is lower than you anticipated, s/he will probably be able to move through the material quickly, only spending time on new concepts. If you need further assistance in interpreting the test results or placing your student after he or she has taken the placement tests, you can email the curriculum advisor.

A Home Instructor's Guide or Teacher's Guide is highly recommended. You do not need both. Not all teaching information is in the textbook. Note that the textbooks and workbooks do not contain answer keys. Answers are available in the guides. Please read this FAQ for more information on the guides.

You can purchase separate answer keys if you do not want to purchase a guide. Each edition has one answer key booklet for Primary Mathematics 1A-3B and another for Primary Mathematics 4A-6B. 

Suggested manipulatives are listed here. You can use these or substitute other manipulatives instead.

The Standards edition has an Extra Practice book for each grade level, and a Tests book for each A and B level, written specifically to accompany this edition. 

The US edition has an Extra Practice book for each grade level, and an Intensive Practice book for each A and B level, sequenced to follow the US edition. There is no test book for the US edition. 

The US edition Intensive Practice book can be used with the Standards edition core curriculum but the Standards edition Tests cannot be used with the US edition core curriculum. There is also a series called Challenging Word Problems and a series called Sprints that can be used with either edition. 

We have additional supplementary books were not designed to specifically accompany Primary Mathematics. They are simply extra math books that students or parents purchase in Singapore to give their children more practice. They do not tie in as closely with the core curriculum but do provide additional practice or review. 

Supplementary books  have answer keys in the back.

Please read this FAQ for more information on the the supplementary books.

If you don't know whether to get a supplementary book or which one to get, wait until you have been using the Primary Mathematics for a while and then decide based on your student's needs.

We have carried New Elmentary Mathematics the longest. Discovering Mathematics is a newer series from Singapore. Each of these integrate algebra, geometry, and introductory trigonometry, so there are not separate pre-algebra, algebra 1, geometry, and algebra 2 texts. There are 4 levels for each for grades 7-10.

The main component for each of these series is the textbook. Answers to most of the problems are at the back of the textbooks. The workbooks are optional and have exercises that review the entire chapter and answers in the back. New Elementary Mathematics has additional books with worked out solutions for the textbook for just the first two levels. Discovering Mathematics has additional books with fully worked solutions for both the textbook and workbook for all four levels. Discovering Mathematics includes some activities using Geometer's Sketcpad. Neither of these two series come with detailed lesson plans - teaching is in the textbook. 

Please read this FAQ for more information.

If your child is starting 7th grade, get the first level, unless s/he is lacking in a good foundation in mathematics, in which case you should follow the steps for placing your child in Primary Mathematics.

If your child has had pre-algebra in another curriculum, s/he may still need to start with the first level of the secondary math in order to cover some topics not in a US pre-algebra text.

Otherwise, you can have your student take the assessment tests. 

In junior college (grades 11-12) students in Singapore use College Mathematics. These are quite challenging. Answers are in the back but no solutions are available.