Singapore maths and science-which books do we buy to get started?

[Fillyjonk]

Ok so first off, the only options open to us are either the Primary Mathematics or the My Pals are Here, unless we get them shipped over at considerable expense.

So, using those, do we need a workbook AND a textbook? Dp and I are both confident in maths and science, we're not worried about wrong answers, etc.

Is there anything else we need?

Also, what do you guys think of My Pals Are Here? I've heard very mixed reviews. Should we go rather for Primary Mathematics?

We are coming at this from Miquon, if that makes any difference. 

TIA

[rumi]

hopping on to this thread - there seem to be more than one series that calls itself Singapore Maths.

I see one series by 

Singapore Asian Publications

Publisher: Carson Dellosa Publishing Company (Jan 2011)

 

and another by 

Frank Schaffer Publications

Publisher: Frank Schaffer Publications (Jun 2009)

 

Does anyone have experience with either of these?  Which is the one you are using?

[AAK]

http://www.singaporemath.com/

That is the "real" singapore math.  

IMO the textbooks aren't required.  I like to have them though there aren't any answers in it.  Their approach is unique and can usually be figured out from the workbook, but with the text you can actually see the progression better.  That said, we hardly ever crack open the text.  Well, except for levels 5 & 6--then we used it more.  

I only did Earlybird Science.  It was awful.  MPAH looks better since there is a text to go with the workbook.  That would have been a good addtion to EB.  Maybe someone else has use mpah science and can respond to that.

Amy

[moominmamma]

I agree with AAK. With Primary Math it is possible to get by using either the textbooks alone (though you would have to use separate pages to write out and answer the exercise questions, and would miss some of the fun variety in the self-checking exercises of the workbook) or the workbooks alone (in which case you may occasionally wish you had access to the more step-wise progression of concepts and strategies that's explained in the text). We owned both and while we hardly ever used the textbook, we were occasionally very grateful to be able to refer to it. Maybe once or twice a year. 

My only experience with Singapore Science is at the secondary level and we were somewhat underwhelmed.

Miranda

[Callimom]

Originally Posted by moominmamma 

My only experience with Singapore Science is at the secondary level and we were somewhat underwhelmed.

Miranda

Thread crashing...really? I was hoping to use them but haven't had a chance to actually look through them.  Can you tell me why?

[moominmamma]

Originally Posted by Karenwith4 

I was hoping to use them but haven't had a chance to actually look through them.  Can you tell me why?

Probably mostly issues of learning style and timing for us. We tried the Physics O-level book last year for my ds. The books are visually busy in a way that he does not enjoy. He's a strong visual learner, but more a big-picture right-brained kind of guy who likes to get the overall gist of things before (if necessary) tackling the minutiae. The physics text seems to present the minutiae first and then build up to the concepts. There are lots of graphics, sidebars, insets, embellishments, photos, tips, reminders and such. He was conceptually beyond a lot of what was in the book, yet it was hard to find the "meat" and check whether any of his gaps were being addressed amidst all the clutter. Unless you're very careful to read everything on a page, you can miss something -- and for him that required a diligence and attention to [often unnecessary to him] detail that he didn't possess. For a diligent student who tends to read things in order, and understands things best when they're presented step by step, I think it would be a decent text. For a right-brained learner who dislikes clutter, they're just not the right presentation.

Just "somewhat" underwhelmed. For the right learner at the right stage I think it could be very good.

Miranda

[Callimom]

Thanks Miranda - looks like I need to take a look at one before committing

K

[Fillyjonk]

thanks all. It actually turned out that I only had the choice of my pals are here-primary maths was only available over here for first year anyway. I've bought the science too. We shall see. I had NO idea what year to go for either. Ds is 8 but science is his thing. Again, we shall see. I shall report back, in case anyone else is having similar difficulties!