Singapore Math is a digital math education project for preschool and primary school children. The program is designed for e-learning and is positioned as a tool for supplementary education. This approach developed in Singapore for traditional public schools and nowadays is using in digital format as well. After a global launch of this math learning system, it was implemented in many education programs of different countries.
History
In the 1980s, the education level in Singapore was very low. This affected the economics and other areas, as well as the quality of life in the country in negative way. The government has decided on immediate measures to transform the whole education system. Numerous studies shows, that mathematics (not the humanities) influences the country’s success in the economic sector. The best Singaporean scientists started to researches and work on building of unique education program, which was launched in the 1990s and has received tremendous success. By the way, in Singapore it is called just mathematics (just Math).
Methodology and Framework
For better understanding of what is Singapore math designed for, let’s see its’ features.
The main difference between Singapore math and the classical system of teaching mathematics is the focus on abstract thinking and the individual search for solutions of specific problems. Instead of repeatedly solving similar equations, students are encouraged to look for new ways of solving the same problem, using logic, imagination and intuition.
This system represents a philosophical approach to mathematics, which may not be entirely clear to an average student or even a teacher. However, it is precisely the style of thinking, developed from childhood that contributes to the expansion of mental abilities and the easier assimilation of more complex problems.
In addition to arithmetic, algebra, geometry and statistics, children are taught to develop attention skills, build their own system of scientific beliefs, conduct heuristic analysis, modeling, and develop communication and self-control skills (metacognitive skills).
After finishing each level of the program, students take a placement test to evaluate their progress status.
For more information about the Singapore Math program, visit this eSingapore Math website.
Who will gain more
There are several groups of students who are ideally suited for the Singapore Math learning system:
- Children who find it difficult to memorize formulas, but who find ways to solve problems themselves, using their own unique methods.
- Those who prefers a philosophical and creative approach even to such science as mathematics.
- Who wants to develop related skills at the same time (analytics, modeling, abstraction, etc.).
- Who needs a deeper, but less busy scheduled learning system.
- For those who do not want to tie the development of their thinking to the textbook.
- Who wants to study the material so thoroughly as not to come back to it again and again.
This does not mean that other students are not suitable for it, but it may be a little bit harder for them if they didn’t use this approach before.
Who will gain less
Singapore Math may not be the best solution for children in the following groups:
- Whose families are planning to change (often change) their country of residence. The specificity of the method does not allow a painless switch to a standard education system, which can lead to serious problems for the child, both psychological and social.
- For those who are better at assimilating structured data (formulas) than abstract and philosophical.
- For families which want to work with children themselves, but do not have the skills of this system.
- For parents who care about world standards and worried about whether their child will be able to apply their knowledge in the world labor market or not when they grow up and start to work.
If you or your child belongs to one of these groups, do not worry, because now you can find the right learning structure for your child with e-learning. You can be anywhere in the world, next to your child and be sure that he/she will not have any difficulties in understanding standard math concepts in the future.
Conclusion
Despite the progressive approach of Singapore Math, it is still considered one of the most difficult to understand and implement in educational programs outside of Singapore. It is worth mentioning that the peculiarity and numerous competitive advantages of the program determine the high costs of training and remuneration of teachers. However, among the positive results of the pandemic-2020, there is a global shift to the virtual space in all spheres of human life, especially, in education. Therefore, in new realities, it will become much easier and cheaper to study mathematics using the method of the Singapore system
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