Does Singapore change after K level?

[heatherdeg]

We moved away from Singapore because ds BLEW through the EarlyBird K stuff when he was 4yo. It was ridiculous. They didn't offer a placement test and Saxon did and since in my circles it was pretty much Saxon or Singapore... off we went.

To be honest, I'm not unhappy with Saxon; but some of the posts that noted issues with kids at the higher levels after having used Saxon have me concerned. I love that Saxon is manipulatives based and I actually like that it revisits a topic 2-3 times/year (with increasing difficulty--we don't do the "meeting" portion which is VERY repetitive) because we DO often put math down for 6-8 weeks (or more ) at a time.

So I guess I'm just trying to figure out what to do with the next year since we're finishing Saxon K and starting Saxon 1. I'd rather figure it out now...

Thoughts? Note: mine is NOT a crafty kid--so anything that is too much coloring, drawing, art or crafts won't work. But he IS a hands-on kid and he loves math. Saxon K was too easy for him and so we didn't do much this year and still managed to cover the full curriculum. But we covered both Singapore EarlyBird workbooks in 3 days.

[ChinaDoll]

Yes, IMO level 1A has been completely different from EarlyBird. My DS raced through EB but isn't ready yet for 1A; DD is doing well in 1A. I like that it encourages mental math, and that there are extra books available for kids who like to dig in - Intensive Practice and Challenging Word Problems. And you can get the Home Instructor's Guides, but you don't really have to at this age; I like them for the extra game suggestions and the scheduling of their gaming software.

[lunita1]

Yes, the difference is night and day. Earlybird was originally a separate series from Primary Math.

You can see sample pages at rainbowresources.com or singaporemath.com.

[heatherdeg]

But there's no placement testing for Singapore--right?

[VeganMamaRed]

I think there is some kind of evaluation on Singapore that determines where you should start....I feel like I remember doing something like that with DD and we have always used Singapore. Try poking around on the site a bit.

We are nearing the end of Singapore 3A and have used it since 1A. I do find it a bit repetitive but other than that have no complaints. That being said, I have never even looked at Saxon, so I can't compare.

[LauraLoo]

Here's the placement test info. for Singapore:
http://www.singaporemath.com/Placement_Test_s/86.htm

[moominmamma]

Yes, as others have said, Singapore Primary Math was developed completely separately from the Early Bird series and they're very different. We bought a couple of EB books to use sort of like maze books or word searches when younger siblings wanted to feel like they were doing math like their older siblings. Not really educational for my kids though. Just diversions.

The placement tests at SingaporeMath.com are, in my experience, fairly accurate. I was skeptical when my 6yo son, who had done no formal math previously, tested solidly into 2B. I bought him 2A instead. But it turned out 2B or maybe even 3A would have been the better fit. That's what I get for second-guessing! When my youngest tested into 2A that's what I bought for her and it was perfect.

Miranda

[heatherdeg]

Thanks, ladies!

[HeatherB]

Moving to Learning at Home...