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violingirl
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| Posted: April 16 2011 at 9:41am | IP Logged
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What do we need to get started with singapore?
DS will be first grade in the fall so we'll start with 1A.
There is the textbook, workbook, home instructor's guide, teacher's guide and tests...
Is it important to have both the textbook and the workbook? I have had a chance to actually look at the workbook, but not a textbook.
And do you use the instructor's guide? I feel pretty comfortable teaching first grade math and adding our own games unless there is something in the instructor's guide or teacher's guide we should really have to make the program successful.
Do you use the test book? I wasn't planning to test at this age, but maybe it's something we should consider?
Thank you!
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Erin
DS (2005) DS (2007) DD (2012)
Mama In Progress
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: April 16 2011 at 12:52pm | IP Logged
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The teacher's guide is for classroom use.. the home instructor's guide would be your at home teacher's guide.
I didn't get it for the early books.. hmmm I'm not sure I've used it for later books either but they do have things that help you understand what they're teaching and how it works and such.
I do get the text book as well as the work book. We don't always use it.. but they illustrate much nicer the work you're learning.. and sometimes you do *need* the information from the text to do the work book.
I didn't get a test book. There are reviews in the workbooks. I would suggest the answer book. Not because you can't easily figure out the answers but because it really is faster to skim down the answers than to figure each one.. and that becomes more pronounced the higher up you get and the first answer book is 1a-3b and I did find by 3b that it made a big difference so you might as well take advantage of it right off 
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Angel
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| Posted: April 16 2011 at 1:10pm | IP Logged
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Like Jodie, I didn't get the instructor's guide or a test book but did get the textbook. I add Montessori-ish activities for both presentation and independent work. I did 1 B or 2A (I can't remember which now) with my dd several years ago, and I have my twin 5.5 yos in 1A right now. I use the textbook (with its nice color pictures) to present, at the table or on the floor or the couch, wherever, and then the workbook is for more independent work. I often use the textbook right alongside the Montessori bead bars or blocks and wooden numbers and symbols for equations.
The twins really like that the textbook is in color. I'm not sure why that was important to them, but apparently it's just more appealing. Maybe it makes it seem more like a real book?
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Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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Denise in IL
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| Posted: April 16 2011 at 2:13pm | IP Logged
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Most important: Get the textbook. Work through the lessons orally, teaching mental math. When you get to 2-digit subtraction (in 1B, if I remember correctly), DO NOT teach your child to write it in columns on paper and subtract the "normal" way. That comes in 2nd grade -- first grade is all about mental math techniques, a very important foundation for understanding!
Optional: The workbook is optional, but since the most common complaint against Singapore math is "not enough practice", most people will want it. People whose children learn quickly will probably like the Intensive Practice workbook, which has more challenging problems. Challenging Word Problems is also good, but Intensive Practice has more variety, and I prefer it.
Optional: If you are not very mathy yourself, the Home Instructor's Guide will help you notice things you might not think to teach, and keep you from just teaching the way you learned math (such as teaching "borrowing" instead of mental math techniques for the subtraction problems in 1B). She explains the reasoning behind the Singapore textbook's approach to lessons, and also recommends mental math practice drills, assorted math games, and other activities.
Highly optional: I've never bought test books or answer books.
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In His grace, Denise
A veteran homeschooling mother of five, and still learning.
Visit my blog: Let's play math!
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mom2mpr
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| Posted: April 16 2011 at 7:35pm | IP Logged
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I am using US editions with ds and Standards with dd.
Ds has done Singapore US since 2A and is now finishing 6A. We use the text as explanation of the skill and workbook for added practice. I only use the home instructors guide (HIG) for things he isn't understanding. I find the US edition HIG's a little hard to use--but worthwhile to purchase. I think I skipped buying the HIG for 2A and then had a few questions in 2B and purchased them ever since.
Now, dd is in Standards and currently in 1B. We started with 1A. I also purchase the text, workbook and home instructors guide for her. I use the instructors guide for every lesson with her and enjoy the manipulative activities and we occasionally do the games. We then use the text and then usually the workbook. I find the standards instructor guides easier to read, with good suggestions, and the language to me, a not very math savy person, easier to understand.
I also agree with Denise that the instructor guide helps you think differently and not teach it the way you were taught. With US I didn't need to use it often as ds picked up the concepts from the text most of the time, and to be honest, I didn't "enjoy" reading the HIG for every lesson. I needed the text and workbook with me to understand what they were talking about and it seemed cumbersome. Standards is easier for me and I do read it before a lesson, usually  .
For ds I give him the placement test on the Singapore site for each book when he completes it. For dd I was trying to do the same thing, but the test was too long. There are plenty of opportunities for review in standards so I don't buy the test books.
Hope that helps some.
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Anne, married to dh 16 years!, ds,(97), Little One (02), and dd (02).
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Ramie
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| Posted: June 13 2011 at 11:54pm | IP Logged
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I always use the Home Instruction Guides (HIG). I am surprised so many people don't use them, as it never occurred to me NOT to. I guess I don't think outside of the box very well . My argument in favor of the Guide, aside from the fact that it explains the concepts to you, gives the answers, provides a coordinated scheme of work, and holds your hand through the process, is this: the strength of Singapore is that it moves from Concrete to Pictoral to Abstract. This is fleshed out in the HIG activities (concrete), the Textbook (pictoral), and the practice exercises in the text and workbook (abstract). When you use the HIG, you will present new concepts concretely FIRST, before you open the textbook. In this case, you are STARTING with the manipulatives, seeing the math in action first, and discussing the concept, and SECOND, moving on to the pictures in the textbooks. The bulk of our learning is done from the HIG discussion/activities, and I see the instructional portions of the text as reinforcement of the concepts. To me, the instructional portions of the textbooks resemble an outline of what is fleshed out in the HIG, and I consider the more in depth instruction in the HIG to be essential.
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Ramie
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| Posted: June 14 2011 at 12:00am | IP Logged
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Oh let me add, that I have been using it for 3 years, and will be teaching 5th, 3rd and K with it in the fall. I have used the test books so far. Tests are not a source of anxiety at our house, but rather another opportunity for review. If I were to cut one thing out of our schedule, it would either be the tests or the extra practice book. Singapore is not a spiral program, so it doesn't build review into the daily work. It does have a cumulative review and test at the end of each unit, and I like to take advantage of as much of this review material as I can. I'm not sure if I could get away without the tests though - it's just a matter of how much review you want.
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4Real Forums : Living and Loving Numbers
Topic: getting started with Singapore
