California approve SG maths books

lionnoisy SG

Another no 1 for SG.First Maths books from Asia countries can be sold
to California 's 3 million Kindergarten to Grade 5.

This just like selling ice to Eskimo.

Many states will follow the sunny state to allow the SG series.

what a success!!

10. Marshall Cavendish International

*Includes two programs

Earlybird Kindergarten Mathematics (Standards Edition) (K); Primary Mathematics (Standards Edition)
K-5

---/www.cde.ca.gov

The publisher expects interested schools to take on the text books by June next year, in time for the start of the next school year in California in September.

Marshall Cavendish

1.While many condemn SG education sys,there are some things
still worth looking at again.

The sunny state is the richest in US,while Top 10 GDP in the world.
U know how tough for them to accept maths text books form
this little red dot.

Maths textbook California-bound
US board okays use of S'pore book in schools there

Esther Fung
[email protected]

THE tropical "rambutan" may have been replaced by the ubiquitous "apple" but otherwise, the same mathematics textbooks that Singapore students learn from may soon be used in classrooms across California in the United States, too.
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A local education publisher has received approval from California's education board to sell mathematics textbooks in its schools. This makes it the first Asian content provider to reach the Golden State's 3-million-strong student population in Grades 1 to 5.
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Textbooks published by Singapore's Education Ministry and Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) have already been circulating in other US schools.
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With the Californian authority's approval, however, "all kindergarten and elementary schools will be able to use state funding to purchase these two approved packages for the next five years", said Mr Ling Guan Heng, general manager of Marshall Cavendish.
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According to him, each student in California has an annual funding of US$70 ($102) for mathematics textbooks and workbooks, which cost up to US$15 each.
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Marshall Cavendish took about three years to adjust the textbooks' content to suit American students and teachers.
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In the US edition, "the exotically unknown rambutan, for example, became the simple apple", said Mr Jeffery Thomas, whose company, SingaporeMath.com, is distributing the book in that country.
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Beyond "Americanising" the content and spelling, the publisher had to meet rigorous standards demanded by the California state board of education.
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This included introducing the topic of probability as early as in primary school. In Singapore, the topic is taught from secondary school.
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Mathematicians, teachers and school administrators in the US were already aware of Singapore's stellar achievements in international academic tests, said Mr Thomas, who has been distributing Singapore textbooks in the US for 10 years.
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The California schools are expected to buy the books in time for the school year beginning in September next year, the publisher said.

US board okays use of S'pore book in schools there

Esther Fung
[email protected]

googoomuck SG

The news is insignificant.

Mathematics was invented. How to use mathematics was discovered.
Singapore neither invented nor discovered how to use mathematics.

We simply learn it...duh!

Daddy!! SG

wah say lionnoisy, your kang tao is really good. can find all these sort of information. well done!

Arapahoe SG

I thought i quote some points as a reference to think about

Singapores great strength, then, is also its weakness. From the very beginning, children who use Singapore Math are taught that everything they learn can be used (right away!) to solve a problem. This develops the habit of looking for solutions, rather than groping for formulas.

Singapores method of immediately using a new skill for problem solving is inevitably going to frustrate some children. Especially in the early years, many children NEED rote repetition of skills BEFORE they are able to put those skills into use. For these children, Singapores method will not be as effective as Saxons. Although the classical model is not intended as a straitjacket, it does suggest that most young children are not yet capable of thinking critically and/or abstractly

The Singapore method leads children into logic stage thinking much earlier than other programs. If you try Singapore and your child is frustrated, this probably signals a maturity problem; set the program aside and come back to it in a year.

Generally, I could wish that the Singapore materials provided a little more explanation when introducing new skills. The explanations given are generally clear, but not lengthy; if a certain skill doesnt click with the student, you will have to think of a new way to present the information yourself. Also, the explanations are often given in pictures rather than in words, which may bother some parents who would prefer to have written explanations on how to teach the concept. (Incidentally, the Sonlight description of Singapore Math says, Some students who are not good at math have problems with what they perceive as a lack of adequate review and drill.

sgdiehard SG

and the US wants to learn from us, the grade 5 students from 3 millions kindergarten in california......interesting. Very Happy

caleb_chiang SG

Please lor... it is only textbook regarding Maths... and maths was not inverted in SG... if it's a textbook on Singlish... maybe something to be proud of... Rolling Eyes

googoomuck SG

They emphasize the topic of probability at primary level. Why? My guess is thats to develop the childrens analytical skills.

They are more interested to have the children learn how to apply the formulae rather than to remember them by heart. For the secondary students, the test papers will most likely include a formulae sheet and the questions will test the students on the correct formulae to apply.

The idea is to educate students to discover the use of mathematics rather than simply learn it like the way we learn in Singapore.

This will produce even more US Nobel laureates in time to come. Probability theory is used extensively in areas such as statistics, mathematics, science and philosophy.

It looks like Singapore has more to learn from the US. Theres still time to catch up if our government remove the fear of producing intelligent people that are too smart for its own good, NOW! Of course our school teachers will also have to make major adjustment in their teaching methods....poor teachers.

maurizio13 SG

Maybe we should ask them to adopt our textbook on government and politics.

Laughing

I think the reason why our textbooks were chosen is because we are cheap.

Not that Mathematics is a strong subject in Singapore.

Considering that we have not reach above Top 20 for the International Math Olympiad from 1995 to 2003.

The poor Californian kindergarden to 5th graders, they going suffer mathematically.

I think the Californian governor should not compromise on quality for cost.

I have read alot of their university textbooks, generally textbooks written by American University professors are of much higher quality.

googoomuck SG

Aw, Singapore is screwed by ST propaganda again !

Arapahoe SG

Yes at the end of the day i think they will applied both the saxon method and singapore teaching caculation methodology

SBS3625D SG

I find myself using algebra for all the Pri 6 questions now.

Is this testimony to how "power" our education system is?

lionnoisy SG

wat u guys here talking rubbish about?

Who says SG invented Maths.

U should hit your head into any hard wall..

1.SG model in maths is much different few decades ago.

Some SG schools asks PhD to teach PARENTS,not students,
to learn maths and then teach their kids...

u can use other methods to solve the problems in few minutes.

But it will take u 30 mins by using SG model...

Lets the international maths circles see if SG models are
good to kids,at least the wise men in sunny state think so.

So,how?SG maths is good or bad to them,stupid?

2.Dunt trust all these International Tests...

3.SG GDP will increase by 0.00001 % lah...ha ha

maurizio13 SG

Huh?

Can use other methods to solve in few minutes, but by using S'pore model will take 30 mins?

Have you gone off your rockers too (like Gazelle)?

Haven't seen Gazelle around for some time, last I heard he went bonkers in one thread. I wonder if he is in IMH now.

googoomuck SG

Aw...who need to bang his head against the wall now? Laughing

protonhybrid SG

given singapore has very little to be 'proud of' so to speak, i think it's great for this red dot we talk about.
however i wouldn't rate it as anything worth mentioning seriously. it's just a 'transaction' if you will, much like any other.

even in education, singapore borrows more heavily from usa than usa does from singapore. and higher education, i think singapore is heavily "owned" by usa uk and other anglophone countries if not msot of the world.