We just finished week 11 of Singapore Math 5A and only have about 5 weeks to go until we start 5B. I think that B has a love-hate relationship with Singapore Math. He loves it when he gets it and hates it when he doesn't. Pretty much the way we all feel about things. This is our first year with Singapore Math (first year homeschooling) and I think that we are going to use it again next year for B and my other kiddos who will be home.
Pros: I like the way that they illustrate problems. It is very simply explained and it will sometimes give more than one way to figure out an answer. I remember when B was in public school and he would come home with math homework. I can't tell you how many times I tried to help, only to be told that I was doing it the wrong way. In public school there is only one way to get to an answer and it usually is a longer and much more confusing way! Singapore Math might give several ways to work out a problem and B can pick which way makes sense to him ... which makes much more sense to me! The way that they break down word problems is also very easy to understand. Word problems are B's nemesis. But when he gets them, he can conquer the world.
Cons: I have heard before that Singapore does not have much review and I would have to agree. There are some review problems but not much. The good thing is that this is homeschool. I can see what he needs more review on and go over particular problems again. Sometimes I will make up a worksheet with problems that I tweak just to make sure that he gets it. If he gets something wrong on a test, you can bet that he will be doing those problems again next week.
Overall, I feel that Singapore Math is a very strong math program. Although it may not be as engaging as Teaching Textbooks, it makes up for that by being very strong academically. And as long as I put together some extra review questions here and there, we will be staying with Singapore Math for a while. I feel confident that B is progressing and getting stronger in math every day.
