Singapore Math Question

[happy@home]

I am using the Primary Mathematics U.S. Edition that Carrie uses with HOD and plan to continue with them. My question is about the new "Math in Focus: The Singapore Approach". They are both written by Marshall Cavendish. Some of the large public school districts in our state have been piloting this "Math in Focus" so it has been in our local news. They have really been "singing the praises" of this math program! Is this "Math in Focus" really similar to our Singapore Math? Is it accurate for me to say that we have been using this "same" thing? My dh only agrees for me to homeschool one year at a time, so I try to keep up-to-date with what is going on in our ps in case we end up there.

Thanks for your help!!

Robbin

[blessedmomof4]

Robbin,
I don't know anything about the math in focus, but just wanted to send a hug for your sad face! I encourage you to pray to the Lord for your husband to be 100% on board with homeschooling. I am praying for mine as well. My youngest, his stepdaughter, was having a hard time in public school and he sees the benefit of keeping her home "for now". My 12 year old was having attitude problems so he agreed for her as well. The oldest girl chose online school because of her dance schedule, and he was ok with that because she works independently. But when we talked about having more children, he said we may need for me to work by then, and if we live in a "better school district" we could send them to school, because after all, he went to public school and he turned out all right...I don't try to convince him, but day by day, as our daughter shares things she's learned, or I share with him what we are doing, as he sees the changes in the girls for the better since being taken out of public school, I know his heart is slowly changing. I pray for God to give him the faith to believe that He will supply our every need according to His riches in glory, so that my husband will not feel like I need to go back to a paying job someday.

[my3sons]

I am also praying for you - both of you, as I have been down that road too. This is my 8th year homeschooling, and I can finally breathe a fairly sure sigh of relief my dh is on board for me to homeschool the whole way through. Before that, it was a year to year thing, and if anything seemed to go wrong, ps and me working more was still a very happy option in his mind. Here are a few past threads that may help:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6758&p=49391#p49391
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5830

Love in Christ,
Julie

[happy@home]

Thank you, Lourdes and Julie for your encouragement. Julie, I have saved the other threads and will read them later. My internet time is very limited!! I do pray for my dh to be on board totally about hs. I know that the Lord can reassure his heart!!

I am still curious about the Singapore Math that we use and the Math in Focus, does anyone know if this is the "same" thing? I have no intention of switching, but like to have answers before my dh asks!!

Thanks,

Robbin

[Tansy]

here is the Math in focus "propaganda" site
http://www.greatsource.com/singaporemath/research.html

[Carrie]

It took me a bit of time to figure this one out. Marshall Cavendish is the publisher of both series. The new Math in Focus series is a classroom based series that utilizes the Singapore approach for grades K-5. Marshall Cavendish also publishes the Primary Mathematics series that we use in our guides and spans grades 1-6. The main difference is that one series is written for the classroom and the other series is written in a way that makes it work either in the classroom or in a setting other than the classroom (such as the home setting).

Another thing to note is that the math syllabus in Singapore undergoes updates, and the Math in Focus series is based on the newer syllabus. Both the new Math in Focus series and the Primary Mathematics series are used in many classrooms across the U.S. and around the world with very good results. You can feel very good about using the Primary Mathematics series with your family, as it provides excellent preparation in higher level thinking and mental math based on the same philosophy used in Singapore for math (carried out in the primary grades through the publisher Marshall Cavendish).

At HOD, we are currently looking toward recommending the Discovering Mathematics series for use after completion of Singapore Primary Mathematics 6B. The Discovering Mathematics series is one series used in Singapore at some point during grades 7-11 (for four years) and is designed to come after Primary Mathematics 6B (or its equivalent), although there is a placement test for those coming from a different math program. It follows the new syllabus from Singapore as well. There are currently 4 series (that I am aware of) for grades 7 on up from Singapore that are offered in the U.S. They are as follows: New Elementary Math, Discovering Mathematics, New Syllabus Math, and New Math Counts. Hope that helps!

Blessings,
Carrie

[happy@home]

Thanks so much, Carrie, for your detailed response. That is just what I needed for my dh!!

Robbin