Singapore kids rank among the best in Math. In TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics & Science Study), Singapore has ranked number 1 or 2 in all the years that the TIMSS have been conducted since 1995. The United States has failed to make it in the top ten for all years except for the year 2011, where it was ranked 9th place.
So what makes Singapore Math different and better? Singapore has a visual approach to mathematics. The backbones of Singapore Math instruction are composed of three pieces: Number Sense, Mental Math & Model Drawing and problem solving is the focus of all mathematical learning. Singapore Math also makes good on its promise to teach concepts from concrete to pictorial to abstract. The concrete method allows the students to use physical objects to demonstrate the problem at hand, then move on to using pictorial representations of the problem. Only when a student has enough context to understand what numbers and symbols mean, do they move on to the abstract stage. This process allows for a child to build meaning to the learning of math skills and concepts rather than rote memorization of math formulas. Even though this method may seem to take longer at the beginning, it provides an in-depth foundation for students which ensures the students to move forward without having to re-learn the basic concepts.
Singapore math & its relation to the Common Core
Singapore’s pedagogy was central in the research and development process of the Common Core Standards . So there is no wonder that the common core standards adopted by 45 states so far parallels the big ideas in Singapore Math.
‘Achieve’, an independent, bipartisan, non-profit education reform organization has found that Singapore’s Math Syllabus aligns well with the Common Core State Standards. They conclude:
“Overall, the CCSS are well aligned to Singapore’s Mathematics Syllabus. Policymakers can be assured that in adopting the CCSS, they will be setting learning expectations for students that are similar to those set by Singapore in terms of rigor,coherence and focus.”
I teach Singapore Math in The Banyan Kids and I have found it to be very successful. I have had very young children do addition and subtraction well, but when asked as to what they are really doing when ‘adding’ or ‘subtracting’ they really don’t know. They have learned to use their fingers to count forwards or backwards without really understanding the structure and patterns behind what they are doing. This is an inefficient strategy because when the kids forget the ‘rules’ to add or subtract, they are not able to reconstruct them in their minds. Learning to compose and decompose numbers, understanding the relationship between numbers, having a solid foundation in number sense and place value understanding can result in exceptional math achievement by our children.
I hold certificates in teaching Singapore Math: Number Sense, Computational Strategies and Model Drawing