MAP101 Fundamentals of Singapore Math B U N N I K , T H E N E T H E R L A N D S

Yeap Ban Har

Marshall Cavendish Institute Singapore

yeapbanhar@gmail.com

Slides are available at

www.banhar.blogspot.com

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Land 270 sq miles

700 sq km

People 5.3 million

GDP per capita 1965 USD500

2011 USD50 000 in current USD

Junyuan Secondary School, Singapore

introduction

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Score 1960-1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s

500 Japan Japan Korea

Hong Kong

Japan Korea

Singapore Hong Kong

Japan Korea

Hong Kong Singapore

400 Thailand Singapore Thailand

The Philippines

Malaysia Thailand

Malaysia Thailand

300 Indonesia The Philippines

Indonesia The Philippines

Reference: E. Hanusek, D. Jamison, E. Jamison & L. Woessmann (2008)

All major international tests (literacy, science and mathematics) between 1964 and 2003 were placed on a common scale. Selected countries shown in the table.

1992 Introduction of Problem-

Solving Curriculum

1997 Thinking Schools Learning Nation

1982 Introduction of Singapore mathematics

textbooks as they are known today. 2001 Introduction of textbooks published by

private publishers and approved by Ministry of Education.

2007 New editions of textbooks are

published with the introduction of the revised curriculum.

Mathematics is “an excellent

vehicle for the development and

improvement of a person’s

intellectual competence”. Ministry of Education Singapore 2006

Page 1

2013 New editions of textbooks are

published with the revision of the curriculum.

Page 4

The brown sugar problem demonstrates the

importance of visualization.

110 g

290 g

Page 2

110 g

? ?

2 units = 290 g – 110 g = 180 g

1 units = 180 g 2 = 90 g

3 x 90 g = 270 g Bella puts 270 g sugar on the dish.

Page 2 Professional Development in Bunnik, The Netherlands

x + 2x = 12

The fill-in-the-squares problem demonstrates

the importance of looking for patterns.

Professional Development in Bunnik, The Netherlands

Jenaplanschool Cleophas, Utrecht, The Netherlands

We also discuss helping students acquire

addition facts, multiplication facts and learn

formula for area.

My Pals Are Here! (Third Edition) 1A

8 + 6

8 + 6 = 10 + 4

8 + 6 = 7 + 7

8 + 6 = 20 – 2 – 4

Learning multiplication facts.

Math in Focus

Math in Focus

Da Qiao Primary School, Singapore

See Ho, S. Y. & Yeap, B. H. (2011). Development of Visualization Skills in Singapore Primary

School Mathematics Textbooks. Paper presented at PME-35 Angkara, Turkey.

See also Yeap, B. H. (2011). The Emphasis of Primary-Level Textbooks in Singapore on

Higher-Order Thinking Skills. Paper presented at International Conference on School

Mathematics Textbooks Shanghai, China.

Primary Mathematics (Third Edition)

Visuals are used to teach

concepts – distributive

property of multiplication

– without using formal

terms.

Primary Mathematics (Third Edition)

Learning division of larger numbers.

Page 14

Learning formula to calculate area of

trapezium.

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emphasis visualization

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Page 15

3 units = 18 1 units = 18 3 = 6

6 x 8 = 48 There were 48 coins at first.