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If you
are a returning customer, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you
for your continuous support. You have made it possible for us to continue to
evaluate new books, and to bring you the best.
Below is a guide
to help new users of SingaporeMath® decide where to start:
| Kindergarten |
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If your child is entering Kindergarten, you can
use the Earlybird Kindergarten A and B.
You only need to get the textbooks. You may also want to get the optional
readers and
activity books. For the readers, you need the set of 10 small
books, not the "big books" which are the same but are for the classroom.
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. |
| Grades 1-6 |
| Step 1 |
Understand which
of the math books we carry is the core curriculum.
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. |
| Step 2 |
Decide whether
you want to use the US
edition or the Standards
edition of Primary
Mathematics.
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. |
| Step 3 |
Decide which
level to get.
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. |
| Step 4 |
Purchase the
textbooks and workbooks for your student's level, and possibly
guides.
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. |
| Step 5 |
Decide whether
you want to purchase supplementary books or manipulatives as well.
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. |
| Grades 7-10 |
| Step 1 |
Decide whether
you want to use New Elementary Mathematics or Discovering
Mathematics.
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. |
| Step 2 |
Decide which level to
get.
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. |
| Step 3 |
Purchase the
textbooks for your student's level.
You may also what the optional
workbooks, and the Teacher's Manual and
Solutions Manual for New Elementary Mathematics or the Teacher's Guide for the textbook and Teacher's Edition for the workbook for Discovering Mathematics. |
| Grades 10-12 |
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If your student has done Algebra 2 in another
curriculum, s/he could do Discovering
Additional Mathematics. This textbook includes pre-calculus topics
and and some calculus. There is also available an optional workbook, a Teacher's Guide for the textbook, and a Teacher's Edition for the workbook with fully
worked solutions. Please read this FAQ
for more information.
In Singapore, Additional Mathematics is done over 2
years concurrently with regular Secondary 2 and 3 Mathematics by some students.
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. |
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