You may have heard about Singapore math, or maybe you haven’t, but one thing is for certain, Singapore math is the best math program in the world. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) has seen Singapore consistently beat the US and other countries in math scores and those of other countries around the world. At TIMSS 2015 Singapore got top score of 618 for math and the US achieved a score of 539, once again proving that Singapore math is without a doubt unbeatable in teaching kids math. Since the onset of TIMSS in 1995 Singapore have continually topped the scales of brilliance.

Singapore has led the world in math mastery for over a decade and there’s good reason why! They are taught Singapore math®. Students become competent and proficient mathematicians at very early ages, and even better they grow up to be capable problem solvers who think mathematically with ease. Well, we can assure you that Singapore Math® is outstanding. You could provide your child a lifetime advantage by giving them the gift of learning Singapore Math® at Rocket Schools with our unique online learning program that teaches this world-class curriculum.

What is Singapore math?

Singapore math is a completely different approach to math taught in most schools, and takes a completely different approach to teaching math too.

How is it done?

Singapore math takes a different mathematical approach as it revolves around several number sense strategies like building number sense through part-whole thinking, understanding place value and breaking numbers up into parts or ‘friendlier’ numbers that are easier to work with when doing addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, making it easier to learn and more importantly understand.

It also does something dramatically different when it comes to word problems. It relies on something called model drawing, which uses units in a visual way to represent a word problem. Instead of just learning a methodology off by heart, as is the case in most schools, students learn to visualize what a word problem is saying to them so they can understand its meaning, and through understanding they can solve problems with ease.

Next they focus on mental math, which teaches students to calculate answers in their heads without using paper or pencils. Your child will still have to commit some fact to memory, but mental math will teach them to do calculations in their heads through proven strategies.

There’s another important difference about Singapore Math®. It is taught in layers, with each layer being the foundation for the following layer. As an example your child will need previous knowledge of bonding, before they can move onto other math strategies later on.

Besides layers, Singapore math is also taught in stages, which allows your child to understand each stage before moving onto the next. First it is taught using a concrete stage, which uses manipulatives such as counters, number discs, dice and more. Following that, they move onto the pictorial stage, where they solve problems with pictures. Finally the abstract stage is taught where they learn the symbolic values of numbers. Throughout the process students learn numerous strategies to work with numbers and build a conceptual understanding of math.