Kindergarten Math
I was pretty happy with how Myles has fared with Singapore Math that I have been using it with Brigid, too. She has really attached herself to it, preferring Math to phonics. I can't blame her; there are only ten characters to remember in math and 26 in phonics. She's developed a certain confidence with math, preferring I leave her alone to finish the worksheets. Something about math brings out the autodidact in her.
The other morning, though, something really struck me about how she was approaching her math problems. The page only had pictures of buttons and simple addition or subtraction problems underneath.
She started describing each problem as a word problem. "I lost three buttons on my shirt, so I fixed it with three buttons from the dish. There were six buttons. How many are left?" It wasn't the task on hand, but how she was working her way through them.
More after the jump
In Singapore Math, there is an emphasis on word problems after a lot of rote practice. In the earliest books, this is introduced partly by the kids looking at a picture and describing the scene in terms of possible word problems. There are five birds in the tree that are joined by two more. How many birds are there now? There are seven birds in the tree. I really appreciate this technique, especially since in the real world, we aren't faced with random arithmetic problems running at us in the street. We buy, sell, cut, repair, create, chop, share, combine, make change....all mathematical tasks that can be described in words. This particular Singapore technique has been incorporated into some Common Core curriculum and has come under fire in the usual places (just Google "subtraction stories common core"). I'm not about to decry or defend Common Core, but I have to say that some of the criticism is outrage for the sake of outrage.
If I were given to seethe over some part of Singapore Math, though, it would be all the cut-outs.
I try to skip them sometimes, but Brigid immediately notes the obvious absence of cut-outs. She's grown more capable with scissors, so I have been letting her cut the little things out herself.
I am very pleased Singapore Math seems to suit Brigid so far. I already have all the books, up to fifth grade, so it will be nice not to have to buy into a whole different approach at this point.
The other morning, though, something really struck me about how she was approaching her math problems. The page only had pictures of buttons and simple addition or subtraction problems underneath.
She started describing each problem as a word problem. "I lost three buttons on my shirt, so I fixed it with three buttons from the dish. There were six buttons. How many are left?" It wasn't the task on hand, but how she was working her way through them.
More after the jump
In Singapore Math, there is an emphasis on word problems after a lot of rote practice. In the earliest books, this is introduced partly by the kids looking at a picture and describing the scene in terms of possible word problems. There are five birds in the tree that are joined by two more. How many birds are there now? There are seven birds in the tree. I really appreciate this technique, especially since in the real world, we aren't faced with random arithmetic problems running at us in the street. We buy, sell, cut, repair, create, chop, share, combine, make change....all mathematical tasks that can be described in words. This particular Singapore technique has been incorporated into some Common Core curriculum and has come under fire in the usual places (just Google "subtraction stories common core"). I'm not about to decry or defend Common Core, but I have to say that some of the criticism is outrage for the sake of outrage.
If I were given to seethe over some part of Singapore Math, though, it would be all the cut-outs.
I try to skip them sometimes, but Brigid immediately notes the obvious absence of cut-outs. She's grown more capable with scissors, so I have been letting her cut the little things out herself.
I am very pleased Singapore Math seems to suit Brigid so far. I already have all the books, up to fifth grade, so it will be nice not to have to buy into a whole different approach at this point.
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