Singapore Primary Mathematics Level 2 Kit (US Edition), Workbooks 2A and 2B, and Textbooks 2A and 2B

For first grade math lessons, I have been using Singapore Math Level 2 (US Edition) including the Home Instructor's Guide (2A, 2B). The two textbooks in Level 2 teach mathematical concepts, and the workbooks provide additional independent practice. The US Edition has been minimally modified from the original Singapore edition to teach American money and include American English spellings. The textbooks follow a unique pattern of moving from hands-on demonstrations to picture drawings (concrete examples with pictures) and finally to the abstract (numbers and symbols) in a natural, easy-to-understand progression. The program aims to teach children to learn to think mathematically rather than just being able to solve math problems.

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I started out using Horizons for math, but didn't like it. They use a "spiraling" method of teaching math, introducing short, small lessons daily, then moving on to different topics the next day. I didn't feel like it was leading us where I wanted to go. The Primary Mathematics has been EXCELLENT! It has kept the kids engaged ever since we began using it last year. It teaches the logic behind solving math problems and then follows it up with daily practice. For instance, in 2A, it introduces the process of multiplication over a few lessons, then spends time teaching the children how to skip-count by two, then multiply by two, then divide by two. Once kids have mastered that, they introduce skip-counting by three, multiplying by three, dividing by three.

I love Singapore math. I was a high school math teacher for 8 years and I love how thorough these texts and workbooks are. Singapore encourages mental math as well, which was a skill lacking in my high school students. I recommend you purchasing the Teachers Guide too as it has a better explanation for the parent/ teacher, extra examples, games, and drills.

This is the second time that I bought this series. I like the good quality of the textbook and workbook. The exercises and illustrations are easy to read and my kid loves them.