Math Works 6 Teacher Guide 1ED

In homeschooling circles, Singapore Math is practically synonymous with the idea of a strong, fast-paced curriculum with an emphasis on mental math, problem solving and thinking skills. This series, along with the Discovering Mathematics series, are examples of a broadening of the Singapore Math courses available to American students. Math Works follows the latest syllabus provided by the Ministry of Education in Singapore (Primary Math, U.S. Edition follows an earlier syllabus). It is designed to meet the learning needs of pupils in the "Foundation Mathematics Programme" which means that it incorporates re-teaching and review of concepts covered at earlier levels of Primary Math. In other words, if you have a student for whom PM is moving too quickly and who needs additional and easier coursework in some areas - particularly fractions, decimals, measurement, and data analysis - before moving on to more advanced concepts of percentage, ratio (both introduced in the PM 5) and algebra (introduced in PM 6), then this series will likely be a good fit.

Coursebooks (full-color) feature simple and clear explanations with numerous worked examples and guided work that provides selected teaching points and questions to help students develop conceptual understanding before moving on to the drill and practice activities found in the Activity Books (black/white). Pictorial concrete illustrations of manipulatives and periodic Game Stations (suggestions for reinforcing games) keep the student actively involved with the instruction. Teacher Guides provide teaching ideas and differentiated instruction along with the guided practice prompts mentioned earlier. Wraparounds with reduced copies of Coursebook pages, these guides have a chapter by chapter organization with lesson plans showing how many sessions to spend on each section and specific pages for integration of the Coursebook with the Activity Books, as well as all answer keys. Blackline masters for Looking Back (self-assessment) worksheets, game templates, manipulatives and visuals, along with bulletin board ideas are provided at the end of the book.

It should be noted that this series has not been adapted to U.S. terminology (I'm not sure I will ever get used to "learnt") and does not include U.S. standard measurement units. It also permits and encourages a much higher degree of calculator usage as allowed by the later Singapore syllabus. Some topics covered in PM - notably ratio and introductory algebra - are not covered in this series and with other topics the coverage involves less difficult problems. Coursebooks vary in length from 100 - 150 pgs; 5A & 5B Activity Books are about 100 pgs (each part); 6A & 6B Activity Books are 60-90 pgs (each part); Teacher's Guides are about 300 pgs (5A/5B) and about 200 pgs (6A/6B); all are pb. ~ Janice

Countries around the world first became interested in Singapore’s math curriculum when results of the Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) were published in 1995. Conducted by the International Study Center at Boston College, achievement tests in both math and science were administered to students in over 40 countries. Students from Singapore ranked highly in mathematics achievement: 1st in the fourth, seventh, and eighth grade levels and 2nd at the third grade level. Results for the U.S. were disappointing: 10th in the third grade, 11th in the fourth grade, 23rd in the seventh grade, and 27th at the eighth grade level. In a follow-up study in 1999, Singapore again ranked 1st in eighth grade math achievement while U.S. eighth graders ranked 19th. Although a first place ranking does not necessarily imply the best program, something about Singapore’s math program was working.

“Singapore Approach Math” is a general term referring to a type of mathematical instruction (i.e. curriculum) developed from a syllabus designed by Singapore’s Ministry of Education in the 1980s. There were a number of revisions and the 3rd edition was the last edition used in Singapore. The good test scores were associated with this material and all of our Singapore Approach Math programs are based primarily on the 3rd edition although it is no longer available for sale. Components from different editions are not interchangeable but a student can move between the editions in-between levels.

Primary Math US (1-6) is an adaptation of the 3rd edition for use in the U.S. Although a small amount of content (division of fractions) from the 2nd edition was added back into the US edition, it is almost identical to the 3rd edition. The US edition adds sections for U.S. customary measurements and uses U.S. spelling and conventions. We expect this edition to be available indefinitely. ©2003

Primary Math S/E (Standards Edition) (K-6) was adapted to meet the pre-Common Core CA math standards. An additional amount of content (probability, data analysis, negative numbers, coordinate graphing) from the 2nd edition was added back in and topics were rearranged but it is similar to the US edition. Cumulative Reviews at the end of each Unit and practice sets within each unit were added. Textbooks are in color. ©2008 This edition will be phased out. Includes Earlybird Kindergarten Math.

Primary Math CC (Common Core) (K-5) is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and is another adaptation of the 3rd edition. Only minor changes were made to the scope and sequence. Unit Reviews are no longer cumulative and Practices were removed although some of the content was incorporated into the lessons. ©2014 Includes Earlybird Kindergarten Math CC. This edition will be available for the foreseeable future.

New Elementary Math (7-8) is a no-frills program based on an older Singaporian program and covering integrated algebra and geometry.It’s considered a sequel to the Primary Math programs.

Dimensions Math (7-8) is an updated and more colorful version that is now aligned to the CCSS. It’s also considered a sequel to the Primary Math programs.

Math in Focus (K-8) was developed by Great Source (a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) in conjunction with Marshall Cavendish (the original publisher in Singapore). Although the basic instructional sequences are similar and the content is very close to the SE, material added to the most recent editions brings it into alignment with CC. Math in Focus has a more American look and “feel.” ©2010, 2014