questions about singapore

This is where new posts begin. All questions or discussions about any of Heart of Dakota's curriculums start here. If you wish to share a one-time post about your family's experience with our curriculum, you may post under the specific curriculum title (found beneath this "Main Board" heading).
Post Reply
mamato3boys
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2014 6:13 pm

questions about singapore

Post by mamato3boys » Fri Jul 04, 2014 9:27 am

I will be homeschooling my 10 year old fifth grader for the first time this next school year. So I am a newbie. I have a question about the Singapore math. My son is very bright, but when he took the Singapore placement test he tested in 3b. Isn't that 3rd grade level?

Thanks,
Shelby

nena3927
Posts: 114
Joined: Sun Jun 09, 2013 10:10 pm

Re: questions about singapore

Post by nena3927 » Fri Jul 04, 2014 10:16 am

Singapore is more advanced and also follows a different scope and sequence compared with several other math programs. 3b and 4a is actually considered 4th grade according to the Singapore website. I would definitely start him in 3b if that is where he places and you can move as quickly or as slowly as you need to through the books. Also once your child has finished 6b, they can generally move into Algebra. So as long as he gets through 6b by 8th grade, he will be right on schedule.
~Nena
Blessed Wife and Mother of 3 :)
DS (7) Beyond
DD (5) Beyond
DS (4) Loving R&S Preschool Workbooks

Tidbits of Learning
Posts: 303
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2011 9:18 am

Re: questions about singapore

Post by Tidbits of Learning » Sat Jul 05, 2014 9:06 am

As someone who has came in with older kids, I would not switch to Singapore in 5th grade unless you can get through 6a/6b before you are planning to do Algebra with your ds. If your ds is bright with math, you may want to stick with something similar to what he has used in school. I know that I wish we would have went that route with my dd's in the beginning instead of going so far back with Singapore to learn the Singapore method when they were ready for 4th grade math at the time and instead we went back to Singapore 2b and we spent quite a bit of time spinning our wheels with math. The girls finally moved forward when we stopped Singapore and just placed them in grade level math.
The closer you are to middle school, the more I would suggest not going backwards into primary math. For us, I realized that typically 6th grade was pre-algebra, algebra, and geometry concepts. If your ds already knows how to do the four basic math operations well but not the Singapore way, then I would suggest looking for something more similar to what he is using in school.
Do you know what math the school uses and how his grades are in math using that math?
2020-2021
dd20, dd19 Grown and Flown :D
ds18-12th grade at hybrid school
ds14-8th grade MTMM President's Study and Science

my3sons
Posts: 10698
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: questions about singapore

Post by my3sons » Sun Jul 06, 2014 8:30 am

Singapore is quite advanced. Our ds went pretty much directly from 6B to Foerster's Algebra 1 (which can be counted as a 'with honors' course in Algebra 1). :D Since your ds is only 10 yo and in 5th grade, you could follow this sequence...
5th grade: 3B, 4A
6th grade: 4B, 5A
7th grade: 5B, 6A
8th grade: 6B, one semester of Pre-Algebra (such as Richard Fishers's)
9th grade: Foerster's Algebra 1

This would work fine! If you are wanting him to finish the sequence a semester earlier, you could simply do math 5 days a week instead of 4 days a week and make up that semester. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

jenn in nc
Posts: 165
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 9:36 am

Re: questions about singapore

Post by jenn in nc » Wed Aug 27, 2014 4:57 am

my3sons wrote:Singapore is quite advanced. Our ds went pretty much directly from 6B to Foerster's Algebra 1 (which can be counted as a 'with honors' course in Algebra 1). :D Since your ds is only 10 yo and in 5th grade, you could follow this sequence...
5th grade: 3B, 4A
6th grade: 4B, 5A
7th grade: 5B, 6A
8th grade: 6B, one semester of Pre-Algebra (such as Richard Fishers's)
9th grade: Foerster's Algebra 1

This would work fine! If you are wanting him to finish the sequence a semester earlier, you could simply do math 5 days a week instead of 4 days a week and make up that semester. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie
This was very helpful to me as I'm looking at the possibility of switching one of mine over to Singapore. We've used MUS for years and our kids have generally done very well with it, but my current fifth grade girl seems to be my exception. Unlike her older brothers, she is struggling in MUS. Thank you for posting the above sequence! :)
Jenn, mom to 10

my3sons
Posts: 10698
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: questions about singapore

Post by my3sons » Wed Aug 27, 2014 4:20 pm

Thanks, Jenn!!! :D :D :D

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

Post Reply