MatheMagis Singapore Maths

The implementation of DepEd’s K-12 program is underway and has started taken effect since last school year in the Philippines.  In line with this, private schools are making or have already announced adjustments in their curriculum to comply with the government’s K-12 program.  Some schools will move their grade 7 program to their HS department, others did bridging programs this summer.  On the other hand,  some schools opted for mass acceleration or re-labeling of student levels (Grade 1 students last year will be in Grade 3 this coming school year). Although the over-all goals of K-12 education are laudable, students in transition will have to go through a period of adjustment especially in subjects, such as Math, where topics and skills build on previous knowledge and experience.

Is your child ready for the K-12 transition in Math? Math skills are cumulative and a strong foundation goes a long way in ensuring continued confidence and success. Math skills such as critical and analytical thinking, problem-solving skills take time to master. One way to determine your child’s math competence is to do an assessment. The assessment test will identify the student’s strengths, gaps and weaknesses in math concepts in the previous grade.  Knowledge and skill gaps can be addressed this early to ensure a smoother transition to the k-12 program and life long success for your child.

(photo from www.specialeducationphilippines.com)

Singapore math is the term used by countries other than Singapore to refer to its Math curriculum as developed by Singapore’s Ministry of Education. In Singapore, this is simply referred to as “Maths curriculum” (yes, its Math with an “s” following the British English standard which shortens Mathematics to Maths instead of the western shorthand Math). The curriculum contains the framework for understanding, learning and teaching mathematics which aids teachers in delivering quality math teaching as well as specific sequences of topics from Primary 1 to 6. Mathemagis’ Singapore Math program is aligned with Singapore’s effective framework of math learning and pedagogy.

Below is a summary table which shows a comparison of the Singapore Math to traditional Math approaches.

Below is a word problem given in a  4^th Grade Singapore Math Contest in Metro Manila.

Vicky is 7 years older than her sister.  In four years time, Vicky will be twice as old as her sister.  How old is Vicky’s sister at present?

For parents, the first thing that comes to mind is to use algebra. Most likely, one would remember encountering this kind of age problem in his/her first year high school algebra class using the traditional curriculum. Presently, schools using the traditional curriculum cannot give this kind of problem to 4^th graders because they will need algebra to solve it. However, students using Singapore math can solve this problem using the bar-model approach. Here is the solution.

The model shows the before (Vicky is 7 years older than his sister) then the after four years scenario where Vicky is twice as old as her sister. Finally, the combination model systematizes all the givens. First, “four years from now” is represented as the additional (4) in the right side. Second, Vicky’s age is twice her sister’s age. Third, Vicky is still 7 years older than her sister (please note that Vicky will always be 7 years older than her sister). Now we have three equal parts. Since one part is equal to 7, each of the two equal parts is also seven.  Therefore, 7 – 4 = 3. Vicky’s sister is 3 years old at present. 

To check, if the sister is 3 years old at present, then Vicky is (7+3 = 10) 10 years old. Four years from now, Vicky will be (10+4 = 14) 14 years old which is twice the age of her sister (3+4 = 7) who will be 7 years old four years from now.

Although the computation involved is quite simple (7–4 = 3) that even a 1^st grade student can solve it, the modeling requires thoughtful visualization, analysis and knowledge of before-and-after, multiplication, part-whole and adding-on model concepts learned from the 2^nd to 4^th grades.

When learned properly, the power of the bar model lies in its ability to help students visualize and draw complex word problems as well as the corresponding solutions  without the need for complex algebraic equations.

Junior Math Champs (4-6yo)

Lay the best foundation for your young child’s math skills in this playful approach to building number sense using Singapore’s effective method. Young kids will develop their numeracy, analytical and pattern-making skills in this hands-on approach to learning and loving and math!

Master the Art of Bar-Modeling (7yo and up)

Make your kids master Singapore’s effective approach to word problems — the bar model method. Students using the traditional and singapore math curricula will benefit from this visual method of analyzing word problems which helps them solve simple to complex word problems in an engaging way. Students will be grouped according to assessment results. (Call now for free assessment)

Thinking out of the box (7yo and up)

Kids will have a blast in learning creative methods in analyzing a variety of mathematical problems that cannot be solved using the bar-model approach. Thinking out of the box will help them see math in ways they’ve never seen before.

All programs will run in three batches:
Batch 1 April 10 – 20
Batch 2 April 23 – May 5
Batch 3 May 7 – 18

Limited slots only! Register before Feb 15 and get a discount! 🙂

Call 387-6602 or 0932-843-5551 now to register.

Here’s an excerpt from a great article on Singapore Math from Education Leadership, a top journal from teaching and learning exerpts in K-12 education (download full article here).

Here is a math problem you can solve easily:

A man sold 230 balloons at a fun fair in the morning. He sold another 86 balloons in the evening. How many balloons did he sell in all?

And here is one you can’t:

Lauren spent 20 percent of her money on a dress. She spent 2/5 of the remainder on a book. She had $72 left. How much money did she have at first?

In Singapore, where 4th and 8th grade students consistently come in first on international math exams, students learn how to solve both problems using the same bar model technique. Students first encounter the technique in 3rd grade, where they apply it to very simple problems like the first one. In grades 4 and 5, they apply the same versatile technique to more difficult, multistep problems. By grade 6, they are ready to solve really hard problems like the second one.

The Mathemagis program follows the same approach and teaches the bar-model method as early as Grade 2.  Students progress to more complex 2 or 3 step word problems in the 3rd grade and do at least 4 to 6 steps by the time they are in Grade 5.  Grade 5 word problems are equivalent to first year high school problems solved in traditional algebra classes. The bar-model allows the students to solve more complex math problems that requires algebra in the traditional curriculum. The foundation of analysis and visualization is laid in the primary grades and eases the transition to high school.

In a recent study in Science, one of the world’s leading journals, they “analyzed data from more than 276,000 children in 40 countries who took the 2003 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) – the internationally standardised test of maths, reading, science and problem-solving ability.”

Globally,  boys do better than girls in math, with boys  scoring 10.5 points higher than girls on average. However, in societies where boys and girls are treated equally, like Iceland, Sweden, and Norway, boys and girls perform equally well in math. This result suggests that any gender difference in math performance can be attributed more to nurture (e.g., education, resources, and opportunities) than to nature (intrinsic ability).

see the article here

Ensure your child’s success in the iPSLE.

Mathemagis now offers review sessions for the International Primary School Leaving Exam (iPSLE) of Singapore. This test is currently taken by Grade 6 or 7 students  from schools that have adopted the Singapore Math curriculum and is administered locally in Ateneo and Xavier.

Review sessions available in Timog (call 482-1074) and Katipunan (call 387-6602) branches. You may also call 0932-843-5551 or 0932-843-5550.