What Are Some Examples of the Singapore Math Method?

What are Some Examples of the Singapore Math Method?

Mathematics can be one of the greatest academic challenges a child can face. By introducing Singapore Maths, Our School has integrated into their curriculum a way to reach all students at all learning levels. Singapore Math is a visual method, using pictorials to describe concepts.

1st Grade Addition

Instead of using numbers to describe a problem, Singapore Math uses pictures. These pictures are presented in stories that can aid in the learning process. A child may see a picture of four birds on a branch and two birds flying towards it, then they will be presented with the problem 4 + 2 =? Another addition problem may illustrate two children with two toys in front of each of them. They will be asked how many toys the children have together and be presented with the problem 2 + 2 =?

2nd Grade Multiplication

A child may see a picture of four birds nests, and each nest may contain four birds. They will be asked to solve the problem: there are (blank) birds in four nests. Being able to see the amount of parts in each whole as an illustration, the child can easily count and solve the problem.

2nd Grade Mental Math

Having experienced this visual style of math, students are then introduced to mental math. The pictures are less descriptive and the problems are more complex, encouraging a student to use their imaginative power to solve the problems. The student may receive three possible answers; three groups of circles with a numerical value in each of them. The student will then be asked to solve what 40 less than 578 is and asked to pick from the three answers available. In order to solve this problem, a mental strategy must be used. Students are encouraged to develop their own mental strategies and share it with others.

3rd Grade Word Problems

As the education process moves on, they will be required to rely on their own mental abilities more and more. The pictures will be replaced with word problems, and ask to solve. A student may see the following problem in words:
125 children participated in a math competition. 54 of them were girls. 

How many more boys than girls were there? 

Instead of being shown the two steps used to complete the problem, the student must determine what they are. Students are encouraged to refrain from drawing pictorial models and use equations to solve the problem. 

The country of Singapore has placed in the top three of when tested in mathematics for years for various. This method has been proven by the test of time to provide a strategy for math that works for all students.