Don’t skip the thought bubbles in the Singapore math textbook.
If you are using Singapore math, it can be a bit confusing sometimes to know what to emphasize. Typically there is one main concept for each day of plans. So, how do you decipher what that concept is? Here is one tip that we at Heart of Dakota have found helpful: Don’t skip the thought bubbles in the Singapore math textbook.
The “word bubbles” or “thinking bubbles” in each textbook lesson are very important. They are drawn next to children in the textbook to show what they are envisioning. The children are sharing the thinking process your child is to go through as he/she solves the problems in the lesson. Many times this process is a bit different than the way you learned to do problems like these.
The Singapore method of thinking is found within the word bubbles.
It is worth the extra time it takes to decipher the process the thinking bubble is showing. This is because the Singapore method is “talked through” in the thinking bubble. So, read these aloud as you go over the textbook lesson with your child. Help your child discover the process being described in the bubble, and then apply it in the lesson’s problems.
If you haven’t been paying attention to these in the textbook, now is a good time to start!
So, if you haven’t been paying attention to the word or thought bubbles in the textbook up until now, you may want to start. I didn’t notice how important these were until we went up higher and higher in the Singapore Primary math levels. When my next little ones started Singapore though, I emphasized these from the beginning! Try it and see what a difference it makes over time.
Blessings,
Carrie
