I recently returned from the National Conference on Singapore Math Strategies in Las Vegas, and it was a fabulous week of learning from some of the best in the field. Many teachers and administrators across the district joined in on this exciting learning opportunity. Kicking off the conference as the keynote speaker was Ron Clark. What an inspiring way to start the conference and a new school year. Ron Clark is the founder of the Ron Clark Academy and author of several inspirational books.
The conference helped to solidify so many "unknowns" for all of us who are new to Singapore Math. Which by the way... math is math - right? Yes! The term "Singapore Math" brings the strategies and philosophy of the teaching style in Singapore to the teaching and learning in the United States! I think if I asked the teachers in our district what Singapore Math is, many would say, grrr... "Model Drawing". While that is part of it, the model drawing strategy really doesn't begin until the second grade. Number sense, problem solving, and mental math are the cornerstones to Singapore Math. This is done as early as Kindergarten with ten frames and number bonds. We build the knowledge through the C-P-A (concrete-pictorial-abstract) sequence. I will use this blog to share much of the knowledge gained by showcasing teachers at work utilizing various strategies in their classrooms. I will guide readers through a book by Jana Hazekamp titled Why Before How: Singapore Math Computation Strategies. She has some excellent examples to explain number bonds - so be watching for the book to unfold here! There are a few schools in our district that will be conducting a book study with this book, so I hope they will share insight as they progress through the book. I hope this site will become a "go-to" site to learn from your colleagues and various resources we come across.
The conference helped to solidify so many "unknowns" for all of us who are new to Singapore Math. Which by the way... math is math - right? Yes! The term "Singapore Math" brings the strategies and philosophy of the teaching style in Singapore to the teaching and learning in the United States! I think if I asked the teachers in our district what Singapore Math is, many would say, grrr... "Model Drawing". While that is part of it, the model drawing strategy really doesn't begin until the second grade. Number sense, problem solving, and mental math are the cornerstones to Singapore Math. This is done as early as Kindergarten with ten frames and number bonds. We build the knowledge through the C-P-A (concrete-pictorial-abstract) sequence. I will use this blog to share much of the knowledge gained by showcasing teachers at work utilizing various strategies in their classrooms. I will guide readers through a book by Jana Hazekamp titled Why Before How: Singapore Math Computation Strategies. She has some excellent examples to explain number bonds - so be watching for the book to unfold here! There are a few schools in our district that will be conducting a book study with this book, so I hope they will share insight as they progress through the book. I hope this site will become a "go-to" site to learn from your colleagues and various resources we come across.