Blog – Page 11

Who to see at NCSM 2016?

March 20, 2016 by Cassy Turner Leave a Comment

Each year I attend the NCSM Annual Conference for my own personal professional development. The sessions on teacher development and coaching are invaluable! I don’t have my full schedule planned yet, but thought I’d share a few of the speakers that I make a point to see each year.

The National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics is designed for math Lead, Coaches, anyone with a commitment to improving mathematics education. Their vision is built upon the pillars of:

First off, don’t miss my session where Lauri Susi and I will be sharing the latest in Bar Model/Tape Diagram technology! It’s the last session on Monday, so plan to hang around afterward with questions.

Let’s connect! Find me via the NCSM Conference app or email: cassy (at) singaporemathsource (dot) com

April 11, 2016, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

#1706 A Picture + Technology = Understanding x 10

Lead Speaker: Cassandra Turner
Co-Presenter: Lauri Susi
Room: OCC 202

Tape Diagrams, Bar Models, and other pictorial representations sit at the intersection of CCSSM, problem solving and technology! Come solve problems from the simple to the complex, and investigate a web-based program and iPad app that will help anyone incorporate this practical and visual problem-solving strategy into their classrooms.

April 11, 2016, 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

#1101 Who Are You and What Do You Want To Create?
Lead Speaker: Lucy West

What is the most important skill you can cultivate to influence the system in which you work in positive and productive ways? Are you caught in old thinking patterns and outdated notions associated with hierarchical structures and defined roles? Do you have the skill set and the courage to speak up in ways others will listen and even act upon? When the pressures of new standards, high-stakes testing linked to student and teacher evaluations seem relentless and you are faced with tough decisions about where to focus your energy, how do you maintain your integrity yet stay in the game? Join me to reflect on what the research says is the most important condition needed for any organization to thrive.

#1102 A Curriculum Developer Looks at the Common Core and Its Testing
Lead Speaker: Zal Usiskin

The CCSSM constitute an ideal curriculum, while PARCC, SBAC, and the other tests constitute a tested curriculum. To what extent are these curricula in sync with each other and to the NCTM Standards (another ideal), and to what extent do these curricula agree with curricula in other countries?

April 11, 2016, 10:45 AM – 11:45 AM

#1203 Digital Tools and Three-Act Tasks: Marriages Made in the Cloud
Lead Speaker: Arjan Khalsa

Bring your iPad and your inquisitive mind. What do you notice? What do you wonder? How can you lead your district to use free, online tools effectively? This session features mathematical tasks with video anchors and online, virtual manipulatives. Themes will include: inquiry, rich discourse, perseverance, and authentic connections for grades 3–5.

#1207 Working in Harmony: Orchestrating Effective Parent Education
Lead Speaker: Barbara Blanke

It is critical to work in harmony with parents to support ALL students’ mathematical learning. Our coaching teams implemented informational meetings, parent coffees, Problems of the Month, and family mathematics nights to nurture parents’ understanding of the CCSSM. Receive ready-to-use resources to educate and build constructive partnerships.

April 11, 2016, 2:45 PM – 3:45 PM

#1607 Leading Change: Professional Development (PD) Moves That Promote New Ways of Thinking, Learning, and Teaching
Lead Speaker: Kim Rimbey

Meaningful PD opportunities provide time for participants to develop pedagogical content knowledge while reflecting on practice. But teachers want to walk out the door with “activities they can use tomorrow.” Join us as we examine strategic PD moves that customize and enhance presentations while layering classroom tasks with deep adult learning.

April 13: 8:45 AM – 9:45 AM

#3102 Critical Connections
Lead Speaker: Greg Tang

Teaching students to make sense of problems may be the single most important thing we can do. But what exactly does that look like? Join us as we make surprising connections between part-whole models, comparison word problems and simultaneous equations. Mathematics is amazing when it actually makes sense!

#3103 Demonstrating Understanding of Algebraic Concepts
Lead Speaker: Robyn Silbey

Other than following a series of prescribed steps, how can students show they have deep conceptual understanding? First, you’ll explore one algebraic concept that connects ideas and demonstrates true understanding. Then, leader actions and thought processes applying to daily instruction will be shared. Every student can fully understand algebra!

April 13: 11:45 AM – 12:45 AM

#3302 How to Create a Mathematics Teacher Specialist Network
Lead Speaker: Robert Kaplinsky

We have developed a thriving network of over 140 mathematics teacher specialists from five counties that regularly meets to collaborate and save time by pulling the best ideas from the group. Members state that it is the best ongoing professional development they receive. Learn how to grow one in your area and avoid potential implementation issues.

April 13: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

#3604 Practical Suggestions for Recasting our Homework Policies and Practices
Lead Speaker: Steve Leinwand

Little in life is a greater waste of time than doing and going over mathematics homework. This session will review typical practices, available research, and propose a set of changes that result in far more impactful homework policies and practices.

Filed Under: Math Events Tagged With: NCSM Conference

Previewing NCTM 2016 Conference Singapore Math Sessions

March 18, 2016 by Cassy Turner Leave a Comment

The NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) Annual Meeting & Exposition program 2016 is now online and it’s time for my annual review of Singapore Mathematics sessions.

I’ve included sessions on Tape Diagrams and Strip Models because there are no sessions this year citing Singapore Math® strategies and only one using Number Bonds. This is because the Common Core progression documents cite many of Singapore’s visual models. My hope is that many of the visual strategies are modeled throughout the conference. The number of overall choices addressing Singapore strategies is down from the number offered last year .

As usual, most of the sessions overlap. Below are my thoughts on which session to choose, if you have a conflict.

See you in San Francisco! Email me if you’d like a tour at NCTM through materials or to just talk all things math: Cassy (at) SingaporeMathSource.com

Thursday, April 14: 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM – Four sessions conflict

#23 MMMMM (Making Math More Meaningful with Models) in Pre-K–2

Lead Speaker: Duane Habecker

Too often we push our students directly to abstract algorithms without first giving students the prerequisite experience with models such as empty number lines, number bonds, arrow method, area model, etc. Teachers will learn how to use these models to make math meaningful for their students.

#26 Problem Structures for Tape Diagrams

Lead Speaker: Nirmala Nutakki

Tape diagrams can model relationships in a wide variety of problems involving the arithmetic operations, fractions, ratios, and percent. We will examine the problem structures most amenable to tape diagram solution and illustrate how tape diagrams can be used to develop and support proportional and algebraic reasoning.

#34 The Front Lines of Modeling: Bar/Tape Models from Real Classrooms

Lead Speaker: Dr. Kevin Mahoney

Tried your hand at bar modeling? Examine common errors, misunderstandings, and dispositions in actual student work. Leave with a deeper understanding of how children use (and misuse) models

#34.3 Exhibitor Workshop – Bar Modeling with Math Buddies, the Singapore Math® Online Resource

Lead Speaker: Marshall Cavendish (Probably Chris Coyne)

Discover how students learn and use the Singapore Math® bar model in kindergarten–grade 5. The foundations set in kindergarten with number sense and number bonds develop into meaningful links in the problem-solving process. Math Buddies, a K–5 digital resource will take your students through the Singapore Math® bar model approach to problem solving.

Recommendations:
Not familiar with Nirmala Nutakki, so can’t comment. Math Buddies is a great digital resource for Singapore Math, and it will also be modeled at their booth. I’m intrigued by the MMMMM, but will probably be in Kevin Mahoney’s session – he wrote his doctoral dissertation on bar modeling in the classroom!

Friday, April 15: 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

#332 Tape Diagrams . . . NOT Just for Early Elementary Grades

Lead Speaker: Jodelle S. W. Magner
Co-Speaker: Sue McMillen

Participants will examine the use of tape diagrams throughout CCSSM and solve questions from first grade through algebra. Participants will leave with knowledge of where tape diagrams apply in many types of mathematics. Some tape diagram solutions will be compared to traditional solutions to illuminate the usefulness of this tool.

Recommendations:

I’m sure these presenters are wonderful, but I’ll be attending session #323 Insights and Practical Suggestions for Making Coaching for More Effective with Steve Leinwand. If you are a math coach, this one is mandatory.

Friday, April 15: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

#464 Using Tape Diagrams to Foster Algebraic Thinking and Problem Solving

Lead Speaker: Bill Jackson
Co-Speaker: Makoto Yoshida

See how tape diagrams can be used to foster algebraic thinking to help young children solve addition and subtraction problems involving unknowns in all positions. Video footage of a lesson study cycle on teaching through problem solving and students sharing and discussing multiple solution methods will be shared.

Saturday, April 16: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

#589 Math Talk: Teaching Concepts and Skills through Stories and Illustrations

Lead Speaker: Char Forsten

A young child’s understanding of the world is enlightened and expanded through stories and illustrations, so it makes sense to use these resources when learning mathematics. Participants will learn how to use “math talk” as a powerful way to provide consolidation and purposeful practice of essential skills and concepts.

Filed Under: Math Events Tagged With: NCTM Conference

Anchor Tasks Demystified

February 15, 2016 by Beth Curran 5 Comments

With performance-based standards and 21st-century skill sets teachers are asked to teach mathematics with an emphasis on problems solving and inquiry learning, but how? The answer is simple, with anchor tasks, of course, BUT HOW?

I have attended several seminars and sessions that have done a great job of explaining what an anchor task is and how using anchor tasks can transform my instruction while meeting the needs of all learners. Few, however, have explained how to implement them into my daily lessons. I have been told anchor tasks are right there in the materials, but I have yet to come across a section labeled, “Anchor Task.”

In a recent seminar, hosted by Dr. Yeap Ban Har, I finally got the explanation I had been searching for… I had been looking in the wrong place! Anchor tasks are not found in the Primary Mathematics Teacher’s Guides, but rather in the textbooks.

Dr. Yeap described the evolution of the term on his Facebook page:

Basically, an Anchor Task is the concrete component of any lesson!

How do I find an Anchor Task?

In Primary Mathematics 4A, Lesson 3.6c (Standards Edition) students will learn to interpret the fraction of a set as a whole number times a fraction. The Teacher’s Guide leads teachers through an effective lesson where the teacher demonstrates how to find 1/3 of 24 using a couple of different methods.

I’ve included links to this same lesson in:

Primary Mathematics U.S. Edition: Teacher’s Guide | Textbook
Primary Mathematics Common Core Edition
Math in Focus – current edition: Part 1 | Part 2

To approach this lesson with more of an emphasis on inquiry learning, look to the textbook.

To create an anchor task, I took the example at the top of the page, find 1/4 of 20, and rewrote it as a word problem. Students worked in partner groups to solve the following: There are 20 M&Ms in a bag. Three friends each eat 1/4 of the bag of M&Ms. How many M&Ms did they eat altogether? Students were asked to find multiple ways of solving the problem and were given 20 chips to use if needed. Because our school has several Math Teachers that teach multiple grades, we devised a lesson planning document. (<-Click for a copy if you’d like to use it to plan your lessons)

As students worked, I circulated around the room and quickly determined which students had mastered how to find 1/4 of 20, which students still needed support with this concept and which students were able to apply that concept to find 3/4 of 20. Were they in the concrete, representational or abstract phase?

After about five minutes, I gathered the students to share their methods of solving the problem. This is where my direct instruction came in. As students shared their strategies, I organized their independent learning into three methods.

I anticipated their strategies in my planning document and during my direct instruction I was sure to include any methods not discovered by my students on their own.

Students were then given the task of applying their newly discovered knowledge to solve the problems from the textbook, with my support, if needed.
The lesson ended with a journal prompt that was closely related to the concept learned.

A well-designed anchor task will engage students in the concrete and representational phases of learning a new concept.

Students will make connections with prior knowledge, reason and think logically to apply what they know to solve a problem with a partner or small group. All students will be given time to work in the concrete phase to develop and hone their conceptual understanding. As students are ready, they will naturally explore the representational or abstract phases of learning and discover strategies, or methods, for solving the given problem. Sharing methods also allows students to communicate mathematically to explain and defend their thinking and consolidate their learning.

Filed Under: Math Resources, Tales from the classroom Tagged With: Anchor Tasks, Singapore Math curriculum

Giving Thanks – Reflecting on An Outstanding 2015

January 16, 2016 by Cassy Turner Leave a Comment

I don’t know about you, but 2015 has come and gone in a flash. Exciting things are happening here in 2016 as this company grows and adds some fabulous training and coaching consultants. But you’ll have to wait to hear about 2016…

First, it’s important to take stock and reflect on the past year, both personally and professionally. (Past Giving Thanks reflections are here: 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011)

As I enter my ninth year as a Singapore Math® trainer, consultant, and coach, I am still humbled by the wonderful opportunities that continue to come my way.

I say this every year, but it continues to be true: I am so grateful to champion elementary math education and spend time in classrooms with teachers and students. I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has played a part in making the year so special.

2015 has been my year busiest ever. I’ve spent more than 35 weeks traveling across North American (and to England!) to work with schools and present seminars. I love to travel, especially when the end result is helping teachers making more competent and confident math students. (I could do without the bedbugs, though.)

2015 Highlights

Again this year, more schools were repeat and long-term clients where my role was that of an advisor and instructional coach. That said, I really loved visiting and working with teachers at 20 schools for the first time. Best of all: schools I’m working with are achieving remarkable results, even on the new Common Core-aligned testing.

Highlights from 2015 include:

Working with 38 school clients! Among the schools I trained/coached in 2015:
Working with Consultants of Inspire Maths, Oxford University Press’ Singapore Mathematics program.
Presenting a total of four sessions at the 2015 Annual Conferences for the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Thanks to Lauri Susi of Conceptua Math for being a co-presenter on two of these.
Presenting at the Colorado Council of Math Teachers Annual Conference. What a great group!
Presenting Singapore Math Workshops for the Bureau of Education of Research (for the seventh consecutive year!)

Meeting my personal “continuing education” goals by attending:

Annual conferences of NCTM and NCSM (for the 7th consecutive year)
SDE’s National Conference on Singapore Math Strategies (for the third consecutive year)

Special Thanks

My sincere thanks to administrators, teachers and support staff at all of the schools I worked with in 2015. I so appreciate your trust and confidence. My sincere thanks, too, to several other long-time partners and supporters:

Singapore Math Source

Now in its eighth year, SingaporeMathSource.com continues to be an authoritative resource for those seeking information about the curriculum. This year, we added many printable games and activities for teachers to use in the classroom. Bookmark the page: Favorite Printable Math Resources as we’re adding materials all the time.

Maybe not the best photo of me, but mom looks good!

Personal

2015 has been personally gratifying as:

We spent two weeks visiting my mother, who lives in Diani Beach, Kenya.
I once again surpassed my goal of reading 50 books in the year, by reading 62 books!
I continue to serve on the Board of the Middle School Math Institute, a non-profit dedicated to helping students succeed at algebra.

Looking ahead

2016 promises to be even more busy and exciting. I’m looking forward to:

Continuing work with more than two dozen schools that have retained me on a long-term basis, as well as many new clients.
Being a keynote speaker and presenting sessions at a two-day conference at Oxford University in June 2016: Inspire Maths International Forum: Raising the bar! Implications for UK practice in using the Singapore approach to raise standards of teaching and learning in primary mathematics.
Hiring exceptional teachers/consultants/coaches in order to meet growing demand for services from schools looking to improve their teacher content knowledge and pedagogy.
Presenting at the 2016 Annual Conference of NCSM in Oakland;
Presenting BER workshops for an eighth consecutive year.
Attending the 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education in Hamburg, Germany (fingers-crossed for this one), annual conferences of NCTM and NCSM, and the 2016 National Conference on Singapore Math Strategies presented by SDE.
Sharing news about the successes achieved by some of the schools I’m working with — please let me know if you want to be a part of this series.
Opportunities that are, as yet, unknown.I can’t wait to see what is ahead!

Once again, my sincerest thanks to clients, colleagues, and partners for making 2015 such a wonderful year. If I may be of service at any time, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.

As passionate as ever about Singapore Mathematics.

-Cassy

Filed Under: News, Tales from the classroom, Thanks

Winter 2016 dates for Intro to Singapore Math BER Seminar

January 7, 2016 by Cassy Turner Leave a Comment

Wow! January already? Here upcoming dates for my Bureau of Education and Research seminar “How to Use the Best Strategies From Singapore Mathematics to Strengthen Your Math Instruction” I’m told that seats are still available for the January seminars!

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Your city not on the list? Contact me and I can bring my Singapore Math® workshop(s) to your school or district – email Cassy (at) singaporemathsource.com

Filed Under: Math Events Tagged With: Professional development, Singapore Math training

New Resources, New Workshops

September 14, 2015 by Cassy Turner Leave a Comment

Over the last ten years, I’ve collected a lot of materials that I love to use in the classroom. Teachers are always asking for new ideas and games so I’ve created a new page: Favorite Printable Math Resources. Feel free to email your favorites to be included on this page!

2016 dates for my BER seminar, “How to Use the Best Strategies from Singapore Mathematics to Strengthen your Math Instruction” have just been released. Updated with March dates on 10/14/2015!

This overview of Singapore Math® strategies will put your students on the road to success with number sense, computation and problem solving. (Plus you a get a comprehensive resource handbook to take back to your classroom!)

Want to see Cassy, but a city near you is not on this list? If so, complete the form on the Bring Cassy to my School/Area page or send her an email.

Filed Under: Math Events, Math Resources, Training Tagged With: BER, Singapore Math resources

Fall 2015 dates for Model Drawing BER Seminar

June 20, 2015 by Cassy Turner Leave a Comment

Best. Seminar. Comment. Ever.

Here are the just-released Fall 2015 dates for my BER seminar “Boost Students’ Math Problem-Solving Skills Using Bar Models, Tape Diagrams and Strip Models (Grades 2-6)”

Save the date!

A whole day of problem-solving with Bar Modeling, Tape Diagrams and Strip Models PLUS that handbook for your own home enjoyment! (- with the answers and fully worked solutions!)

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“How to Use the Best Strategies From Singapore Mathematics to Strengthen Your Math Instruction” (BER) will have 10 dates in spring of 2016 – I’ll update when available.

Your city not on the list? Contact me and I can bring my Singapore Math® workshop(s) to your school or district – email Cassy (at) singaporemathsource.com

Filed Under: Math Events, Training Tagged With: BER, Model Method, Professional development, Singapore Math training, Singapore Math word problems, Word Problem

On the Topic of Math Sprints and Anxiety

April 30, 2015 by Cassy Turner 2 Comments

Reflecting on my time at the two national math educator’s meetings, one interesting dichotomy appeared over timed fact tests. On the one side was Jo Boaler stating that timed tests are the root of math anxiety. Pushback came from others, most notably Greg Tang and Scott Baldridge pointing out that kids are timed in real life. They are put under pressure in real life. Students should learn from these experiences, not freak out over them.

It’s a powerful discussion: How do we get kids from fluency (I can use strategies to solve 7 x 8) to automaticity (I just know 7 x 8)? Do we need to get them to automaticity? Do timed tests create math anxiety? Is there spelling test anxiety? Should the key anxiety word be “test”, not “math”?

This conversation appeared recently on twitter after someone posted the “How to Give a Math Sprint” pdf from this site:

@Cassyt I’m worried a speed focus can cause kids math anxiety and only marginal gains in number sense if they can’t make connections

— Carl Oliver (@carloliwitter) April 23, 2015

Yep, I’d be worried if kids who couldn’t make connections were timed, too.

I’m a proponent of Math Sprints; thoughtfully structured timed tests designed to practice one skill. Sprints are not your typical timed test. Students compete against themselves to improve the number of problems completed in one minute. Then the sprints are thrown away, not recorded in a grade book. They are practice. Period. And just one way to practice math facts.

Do Sprints harm students or cause math anxiety?

Not when administered correctly. I work with a school for students with ADHD and learning disabilities. Initially, teachers there said things like, “I can’t time my kids, they are slow processors”. It turns out that students at this school LOVE sprints. They can always improve by at least one problem on the second sprint. With all the content flying at them, practicing facts is one thing they can do and feel successful with.

Allison Coates runs the non-profit Math Walk Institute that works with schools and students to build a bridge to Algebra.

In every school we’ve ever worked, nearly all students enjoy sprints. They don’t see them as tests if the teacher doesn’t present them as tests. They see them as another fun game they can play against themselves (or against the teacher). Practice makes permanent their knowledge, and students love knowing they have knowledge. Knowledge is power.

Are Sprints from Singapore?

Nope. Sprints were created by Dr. Yoram Sagher as a fluency program to work with any curriculum. I’ve considered them a way to compensate for differences between Singapore and the U.S. In Singapore, parents drill fact fluency while schools teach the conceptual understanding. It’s not unusual for a first grader in Singapore to know all their math facts. It’s the school’s job to then get the understanding of multiplication into such a student. Contrast that with the U.S., where it is less likely that parents practice math facts at home with their child. Few American programs include a fluency component, often farming it out to the web or an iPad app.

Scott Baldridge has a great blog post on sprints: Fluency without Equivocation. I suggest you read it now.

My favorite Sprint books are Differentiated Math Sprints as they offer two difficulty levels with the same answers.

Eureka Math Sprints are aligned to Eureka Math (referenced in Scott Baldridge’s post above).

Wondering about the emphasis on math facts? Read: Why Mental Arithmetic Counts: Brain Activation during Single Digit Arithmetic Predicts High School Math Scores

Filed Under: Math Resources, Tales from the classroom Tagged With: Math Sprints, Mental Math, NCSM Conference, NCTM Conference, Singapore Math resources

Slides and Handouts from my NCSM/NCTM Presentations

April 29, 2015 by Cassy Turner Leave a Comment

It was so fun to present not one, not two, but three, sessions at recent national math educators’ annual conferences in Boston.

At both the NCSM and NCTM**, Lauri Susi and I presented “Strip Models, Tape Diagrams, and Bar Models, Oh My!” Slides that accompanied that presentation are online. Some slides don’t have the bar models on them as we drew them in during the session.

NCSM/NCTM 2015 Bar Models, Tape Diagrams, Strip Models, Oh My! from Cassandra Turner

Handout: Strip Models Tape Diagrams Bar Models Oh My!

In addition, at NCTM I presented an Exhibitor Workshop entitled: Filling Knowledge Gaps with Critical Singapore Math® Approach (Gr. 3-5). Thanks! Singapore Math, Inc. for inviting to speak on your behalf!

NCTM 2015 Filling Knowledge Gaps with Critical Singapore Math® Approach (Gr. 3-5) from Cassandra Turner

Handout: Filling in Knowledge Gaps: Critical lessons across grade levels 1-3 for students in grades 4-6

**National Conference of Supervisors of Mathematics and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Filed Under: Math Events, Math Resources Tagged With: NCSM Conference, NCTM Conference

About that “Singapore Math” Problem that has Gone Viral

April 18, 2015 by Cassy Turner Leave a Comment

If you spend much time on the internet, you are probably aware that a math problem from Singapore is in the news. It challenges readers to determine Cheryl’s birthday based on an impossibly small set of clues.

In a report, the New York Times compared this problem to that of the “color-changing dress that blew out the neural circuits of the internet.” The story’s headline: “A Math Problem from Singapore Goes Viral.” Wow. The world’s response to the “Cheryl’s Birthday question” has inundated my “Singapore Math” Twitter feed. The problem:

Are you smarter than a ten 14-year old?

Some initial reports suggested that this “Singapore Math” problem was appropriate for primary grade students. The Guardian initially asked: “Are you smarter than a Singaporean ten-year old?” Fortunately, the true source emerged rather quickly. This problem was part of a Math O lympiad challenge that organizers thought could be answered by only 40% of the most gifted high school students. This prompted the Guardian to instead ask: “Are you smarter than a Singaporean 14-year old?”

As we now know, this is not really a problem asked in any classroom using a Singapore Math curriculum. In fact, it isn’t really a math problem; instead, it is a logic problem. And a really challenging one at that.

Many of those who commented said something to the effect that, “it made my brain hurt.” Others chose to rant about Cheryl; this was the approach of the New Yorker in its Daily Cartoon for April 16. [Need help with the problem? See “How to Figure Out Cheryl’s Birthday” by New York Times science writer Kenneth Chang.]

In the midst of all the noise, there were a few responses that offered some clarity.

In a video clip, the Globe and Mail said that the problem, “tapped a nerve…our math phobia.” John Mighton, founder of Jump Math says that this is a universal problem.

I KNOW that math anxiety is a reality, and one that I address in almost every encounter with teachers and parents.

Why Singapore’s students are so good at math

But most insightful of all may be the assessment of Libby Nelson of Vox.com. Early in her piece, she says:

But the problem isn’t nonsense: it’s actually a test of logical reasoning skills. And questions like these help explain how Singapore’s students have come to rank as some of the best problem-solvers in the world — by being taught math differently, and well.

A 2005 study from the American Institutes for Research praised Singapore’s method of teaching math, saying it was much better than the American method. On reason was that word problems and real-world examples were used not just to show students that math is important outside the classroom, but to illustrate how math works.

This brings to mind my favorite quote about Singapore’s approach to teaching math from Dr. Yeap Ban Har:

We’re not teaching math, we’re teaching thinking through the medium of math.

Nelson discusses how Singapore’s students acquire problem-solving skills and become so good at math before asking whether Singapore’s methods can work in the U.S.

After working with more than 100 schools using Singapore’s Math curriculum, I know the answer to Nelson’s last question is an unqualified “YES.”

Ready for Another Problem?

The Singapore and Asian Schools Math Olympiads (SASMO), creators of the Cheryl’s Birthday problem, have posted a new challenge. It also features Cheryl, this time with new pal Tom. Can you figure this one out?