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Math is not a fun subject for my daughter and she prefers to have physical books which is why I was very happy to review Singapore Math Inc.'s Dimensions Math PK-5. Singapore Math has a great reputation based on the various things I've read about their programs which was another reason I was excited to try it out. The set we received was the 3A level Textbook, Workbook and Teacher's Guide. The program is detailed and starts out with the basics and repeats concepts to ensure the child is retaining what they are learning which I think is an excellent way to drill in concepts and information. There is even a resource page help with the Dimensions Math program.
My daughter started out a little reluctant but after we began utilizing it, she decided that she didn't loath it like other programs and she didn't give me a difficult time working through the lessons. The lessons are not long and complicated which she likes. I also like that I can utilize the Teacher's Guide and then I can let her go off on her own to complete the assignments. Here is two pages from the Dimensions Math Textbook 3A:
One thing she noted was how repetitive the lessons can be which I explained that the method is based on the pedogogy and methodology of math education in Singapore which has many components but one specifically is through Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract development, students view the same concepts over time with increasing level of abstraction. I really like this method as I think it's the best way to teach students as it ensures they understood a concept or ability to answer a problem. Singapore Math Inc. does a wonderful job in helping the teacher/parent understand the program.
The Dimensions Math Teacher's Guide 3A is spiral bound which I love, love, love! I like to be able to turn pages over without having to try to crease the pages or have to have a weight to keep my place. It is broken down as follows:
- Contents - indexed by chapters, lessons and page number. There is a brief description of the lesson as well as the number for each lesson.
- Dimensions Math Curriculum provides how the program works and a little history behind it.
- Dimensions Math Program Materials provides all the requirements to teach the curriculum from the textbook, workbook, teacher's guide to tests and online resources such as Blackline Masters (used for various hands-on tasks), videos, activities and more. See photo below where we had a roll the dice activity and the winner was the one who came closest to 8,000 without going over.
- Guide on how to use the Teacher's Guide which really helps to read prior to starting working with your children. I also like that each lesson is designated to take one day but it's flexible to allow one to utilize it across more than one day. Another bonus is that the textbooks are designed to last multiple years.
- Dimensions Math Scope & Sequence which outlines every level and each chapter.
- Chapter work begins for the student(s) and it's broken into segments that include: overview, notes, materials needed, chapter opener and how to teach the chapters. Each chapter's page is color coded so it's easy to find the color of the chapter you want.
- Answers are provided for the textbook and workbook exercises. The answers to the Dimensions Math 3A Textbook are contained with the corresponding lesson within the Teacher's Guide and the answers to the Dimensions Math 3A Workbook follows the instructional in the Teacher's Guide for that chapter.
The website resources are quite nice as well. From the Dimensions Math PK-5 site, there is a wealth of resources as follows:
- Series Overview
- Sample Pages
- Scope & Sequence
- Standard Alignments
- Questions?
- Blackline Masters
- Lesson Materials
- Letters Home
- Videos
- eBooks
- Press
- Contact
- Shop
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Take a look at what others on the Crew thought about Singapore Math Inc. as well as different grade levels by clicking on the image below:
Math can be a not so fun subject to teach as it's not a favorite of my youngest. It's been quite difficult as a matter of fact which is why I wanted to try out A+ Interactive Math (by A+ TutorSoft Inc.) Adaptive Math Curriculum Online program to see if this would be the magic link to what she needs to get interested in a very much needed subject. Starting out with the program was easy and enrolling me student was equally effortless.
Once I enrolled my student into the program, she had to take placement tests which I found helpful in understanding where she was from a learning perspective. The first mini-tests gauged her skill levels and automatically adjusted the difficulty level of questions based on her answers as well as detected any gaps between the targeted level and her actual level. Since the Adaptive Math Curriculum Online is geared towards grades 1-6 and pre-algebra, I was confident that she would gain from the program.
Note, there is another program called the Family Math Package that does not pre-test students and also incorporates all the grade levels as the Adaptive Math Curriculum Online. It allows flexibility in moving the student to different grade levels pending their knowledge.
Quick Overview of Student's Dashboard:
The student's Dashboard provides the following options:
- Take the Adaptive Placement Test
- Provides a test for each concept (Number Sense, Addition, Subtraction, etc);
- A visual Goal line so the student can see their progress;
- Options for lessons, worksheets, reports and details are available; and
- Option to retake the test.
- View My Lesson Plan
- View Video Lessons & Interactive Review - this portion of my review is covered below.
- Practice with Online Worksheets
- Worksheets are provided per concept and has 10 questions that provide a summary of correct, incorrect and unanswered questions.
- View My Reports
- Summary Reports provides a list of all math concepts for my student's grade level. Each concept has notations on whether my student was at the grade level expected, how many attempts were made and I could view the Summary Report.
- The Summary Report helps the student understand where they might need a little more help and an opportunity to review the Video Lessons and Interactive Q & A.
- Progress Reports provides the student an understanding of their progress relative to each lesson and how far they are from the goal if they hadn't met it yet.
- Coming soon, a How to Get Started? (View Tutorial) isn't available yet but I suspect it will be helpful to new students.
Review:
The results of her mini-tests established a good area of focus for her to begin with the lessons. I had to spend a little time helping her to navigate through the format and how the program works. She is used to textbooks and actually prefers them over online programs as I found working through the A+ Interactive Math (by A+ TutorSoft, Inc.). She quickly learned that she does have to read each instructional screen to understand the next steps in proceeding with the lessons.
The Table of Contents provides the various concepts such as Number Sense, Addition, Subtraction and so forth. Once the student clicks on the manila folder to expand the selections, they choose the first lesson that begins automatically with an audio that corresponds with the topic with demonstrations and explanations of each concept.
The voice is easy to understand and isn't too fast. My student, who is impatient, thought the voice was too slow and became easily bored and distracted.
There is also an interactive Q & A that provides the student with an opportunity to ensure they understood what was just taught.
At the top of each lesson, a completion date and status are provided so the student can track their progress which is good so they can see where they are relative to learning as well as to track where they left off. After they complete the interactive Q & A, a screen pops up with their score and a chance to print off the certificate. The questions are animated with a frog to place the answers in and to provide further encouragement by making it fun.
Overall, I think this is a good program for students who prefer to learn online. It's very thorough and ensures the student is retaining the information they are learning. They are also detailed in demonstrating and explaining how a problem is answered. I like how the students have the ability to retake lessons when they need further assistance in understanding each concept and how the student can always check on their progress. My student is rather bored easily and impatient and I believe she prefers the old school way of using textbooks.
