Learning from Singapore Math

In the article Learning from Singapore Math (Steven Leinwand and Alan L. Ginsburg, 2007), the authors point out five elements that contribute to the success of Singapore Math and here is a brief summary.

Element 1: An Organizing Framework

The author points out that the “balanced” and “integrated” framework of Singapore math connects and describes skills, concepts, processes, attitudes, and meta-cognition, and places problem solving at the center of the framework, which is similar to the five strands of mathematics proficiency. On the other hand, “the organizing structure of mathematics education in the United States” is very narrow and disconnected which prevents us from developing a stronger and more effective instructional program.”

Element 2: Alignment Comparing to the consistency of every element of Singapore Math, the U.S. math curriculum is poor aligned among “the textbook, local curriculum, state curriculum and state tests.”

Element 3: Focus The U.S. math curriculum “delineate many more topics and outcomes per grade level than Singapore does.”

Element 4: Multiple Model

Singapore math textbooks use illustrated figure to suggest a strategy, while many U.S. textbooks use “photographs that relate only tangentially.” More importantly, Singapore math consistently incorporates the same few models as unifying pedagogical structures, but most U.S. mathematics programs superficially jump around from one model to another without brings students to deeper level of mathematical thinking.

Element 5: Rich Problems Singapore math tends to have more multistep problems which “support stronger mathematical development,” but the majority U.S. textbook have “one-step exercises that rarely deminad anything more than recall and routine application.”