Does anyone have the latest info. on Singapore math. I see Amazon are stocking it now - the US edition. Not sure what to purchase - as still working with a tutor to assess grade level - but September rapidly approaches....

We purchase the standards edition, I feel it is more challenging. The only issue you would run into is the standards will use the metric system for measurements.

Where do you purhcase from, if you don't mine me asking? I grew up using metrics anyway - so that would suit me just fine - but probably mess up my kid now that we are in the US!

Thanks.

Just to the muddy the waters, we use the U.S. edition because we think that the US edition is more challenging. IMHO, the standards edition dilutes what is so great about the Singapore curriculum because it is designed to cover all of the same topics that the typical US curriculum tries to cover. Although I'm sure that it is still far superior to most US texts, I preferred to avoid the "Mile Wide but Inch Deep" problem.

YMMV, of course.

I use the Standards edition, aligned to CA. I purchased it here
http://www.singaporemath.com/Default.asp

The site also goes through all the different editions as well as scope and sequence and sample pages. They also sell the Home Instructor's Guides.

And are you using the text book, workbook and teacher's guides and the math "word problem" books?

I am. I have used the textbook, workbook, teacher's guide and practice books with my oldest. I finished the Essential Math with my twins and am using the textbook, workbook, instructor's guide, and tests with them since they are at a younger level.

I've only used the U.S. edition, but would add that I think the Challenging Word Problems supplement is quite good. Also, when I was in B & N the other day, I noticed that they were carrying books that appeared designed to go along with the Singapore, although I don't think they are put out by the same company. I only had time for a quick peek, but the word problem book looked decent.

There are two new lines of Singapore math books. You can find them at B&N and at teacher stores. These are geared for the US afterschooling market I believe. These are produced by US Publishers and are not used in Singapore nor have been. The 70 Word Problems...series is similar to CWP but have only 1 problem per page and each problem is worked out in detail. The other Singapore Math book looks similar to SM Primary Math series. I read at the SM forum that these new series are a bit watered down from the Singapore versions. SM CWP series has been discontinued so HSers everywhere have been buying them like hot cakes. I bought levels 3-6 for my kids and will just have them work the problems on paper rather than buying 3sets of 6 levels (my oldest has already done level 1 and 2).

In addition to the two new series, there is a new Singapore math which is the California Standards Edition. It's very similar to SM Primary Math series but the scope and sequence is a bit different with some topics added in such as probability and statistics. I read that the Home Instructor guides for the CA Standards Edition is much better than those for the Primary Series.

hth,
Dazey

I really like the Home Instructor's Guides for the CA standards edition, which is what I use for my twins. We bypassed the extra practice and use the Sadlier-Oxford Progress in Mathematics workbooks also aligned to CA instead. It changes it up a bit but follows the same basic sequence as SM.

We use the US edition. We don't use the CA version I prefer to go with the original version. I believe that the US edition is the same like the original Singapore one with the exception of some of the spelling/names and units. The US edition uses US currency and adds US units (gallons, yards, ...)

DS6 uses the workbooks and Challenging Word Problems, which I find excellent as well as essential. At one point I bought two teacher manuals but never used them. We also have all the textbooks which I use as a reference, if that.

I buy directly from the Singapore Math distributor

http://www.singaporemath.com/Primary_Mathematics_US_Ed_s/39.htm

Thought this might help. This is from the singaporemath.com website.

Primary Mathematics Standards edition is an adaptation of Primary Mathematics to meet the Mathematics Contents Standards for California Public Schools, adopted by the California State Board of Education in 1997 for grades 1-5 as one of the approved textbooks. It is similar to the US edition but has some rearrangement of topics and some added units, primarily in probability and data analysis, negative number, and coordinate graphing. The standards edition components are not interchangeable with the US or third edition components.

They have a chart available http://www.singaporemath.com/FAQ_Primary_Math_s/15.htm#WhichSeriesShouldWeUse to help explain the differences.

Okay - so probably Primary 1A and 1B on their site for $9.00 would get DS6 started - and then if he leaps ahead much beyound Grade 1 level - we'll know to advance him faster? It's obvious he knows some Grade 1 math already and doesn't know other things on the school's curriculum for Grade 1 quite so well. Amazon seems to have these books too - and as I have to order other things like Spelling Workout A and B probably from there - I'm trying to figure out whether its better to save on shipping and order everything with the free shipping on Amazon - or still order the math from Singapore. Just found all the "edition" stuff confusing. Thanks for all the feedback!

There's a reasonably good chance that you won't need to start with 1A. You can print placement tests out from the site. They cover the material in the book, so if child breezes through, it's too easy.

Have you actually used the Standards edition? I have compared 3B of the US and the Standards edition side by side and I can assure you that there has been no dilution. There are a few added topics and that is all.

We recently switched to the Standards edition because, of all things, my son prefers the color in the textbook. If anything, he is finding it more challenging. I like that the practice and review sets are distributed more evenly through the program.

Yes - but isn't the non-US one the one that has metric measurements? I don't want him to get confused using metric if the then has to switch back over to USA curriculum standards and measurements. After all, there is a chance he'll have to go back to school at some point - in which case - I'm trying to make sure that he covers the State's requirements as well as has the oppotunity to go deep.

Does anyone ahve the link for the pre-assessment. I finally found a decent PDF version of Saxon's but not Singapore's - put it down to sleep deprivaton and working full time on top of trying to roganize home school curricilum (or you know, we could just conclude that I'm not too bright...)

http://www.singaporemath.com/Placement_Test_s/86.htm

Oh - dear - answered my own question today- sorry - posting the link for others. Whats the "New Elementary Math" at the bottom of the page about?? Another version?

New Elementary Math is highschool math ie starts w/ Algebra 1.

We have used US version 2A/2B and 3A/3B. It has both US and metric measurements.

I think most schools teach both as well. My older DD has learned both in her elementary school.

Thanks for all the comments. Pleased to report that we tested DS6 on what I think is the more complicated edition - the test is longer ..and he did great - so, probably need to adminster Primary 1B and see what gaps emerge - but its definitely made me consider buying 2A and 2B even though he would only be going into First Grade at school.