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Calgary February 2018Experience the Singapore Method of Teaching Math

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Singapore has not always done well in education.

Since the 1990’s they have been at the top of International Education Studies in most subjects including mathematics.

Why Singapore?

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With an economy completely reliant upon the ability of its human resources, Singapore overhauled its Maths teaching system, drawing from best practice elsewhere in the world.

The UK’s Cockroft report and a similar study in the US had a fundamental influence. Both studies concluded that:

1. Problem solving is at the heart of Mathematics and should be the focus of what is taught in schools.

2. Basic skills in Mathematics should be defined to encompass more than computational facility.

Catalyst for change

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0

25

50

75

100

Advanced Learners High Learners Intermediate Learners

70

25

3

93

80

50

Singapore Alberta (2011)

TIMSS 2015 Grade 4

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0

25

50

75

100

Advanced Learners High Learners Intermediate Learners

69

24

3

94

81

54

Singapore Alberta (2011)

TIMSS 2015 Grade 8

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0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Singapore Alberta (2011)

TIMSS 2015 Grade 4

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The Anchor Taskteaching through a problem

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Make some rectangles

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carefully selected examplesappropriate learning experiences in the right order

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How many flowers are there are in total?

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Guided Practice

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Use the digits 1 - 9

+

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Understandingconventional, procedural and relational understanding

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Sharing a cake

Let us share a cake equally among some friends.

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Sharing a cake

How much cake does everyone get if we sharethree-quarters of a cake amongst 3 friends?

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Sharing a cake

How much cake does everyone get if we sharethree-quarters of a cake amongst 2 friends?

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Representationsspiral approach and careful scaffolding are used to develop

strong foundations

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Count.2

cups

pastries

children

eggs

slices of bread

apples

boys

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5

3 2

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Addition and Subtraction Page 81

Let’s Learn1

2

Use to show the number of pencils.

There are 8 pencils altogether.

5 + 3 = 8 or 3 + 5 = 8

Number of red pencils

Number of blue pencils

Total number of pencils

5 3

?

15 23

?

Draw bars to show each number.

How many pencils do they have altogether?

15 + 23 = 38

They have 38 pencils altogether.

has 15 pencils.

has 23 pencils.

1

T

2

3

+

O

3

8

5

There is not enough space to use !

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Addition and Subtraction Page 81

Let’s Learn1

2

Use to show the number of pencils.

There are 8 pencils altogether.

5 + 3 = 8 or 3 + 5 = 8

Number of red pencils

Number of blue pencils

Total number of pencils

5 3

?

15 23

?

Draw bars to show each number.

How many pencils do they have altogether?

15 + 23 = 38

They have 38 pencils altogether.

has 15 pencils.

has 23 pencils.

1

T

2

3

+

O

3

8

5

There is not enough space to use !

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There were 88 children at a school sports day. Boys and girls were asked to pair up for a three legged race. One third of the boys paired up with two fifths of the girls. The remainder of the children did not participate in the three legged race.

How many boys were at the school sports day?

How many girls participated in the three legged race?

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The Wise Guysnotable learning theories applied in the teaching of mathematics

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Enactive / Iconic / Symbolic

• Enactive ( concrete representations )

• Iconic ( pictorial representations )

• Symbolic ( abstract representations )

Jerome Bruner

48m ?

80m

8 9

7

7 4

2

2 3

6

+

11

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assimilation and accommodation

Jean Piaget

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Play / Structure / Practice

• Play ( informal )

• Structured learning ( formal )

• Practice

Zoltan Dienes

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mathematical and perceptual variation

Zoltan Dienes

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relational, procedural and conventional understanding

Richard Skemp

They don’t all look the same.

These are not quarters.

I disagree, I think these are quarters.

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1. Visualisation

2. Generalisation

3. Number Sense

4. Metacognition

5. Communication

Core competenciesThese are the 5 attributes that high performing pupils appear to posses

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Calgary February 2018Experience the Singapore Method of Teaching Math