What Is Singapore Maths?
Singapore has become a “laboratory of maths teaching” by incorporating established international research into a highly effective teaching approach. With its emphasis on teaching pupils how to think critically to solve problems and consistently topping math results worldwide, Singapore MOE Math teaching is the envy of the world.
Plus, with more workers engaging in remote work and students learning remotely, online Singapore MOE (Ministry of Education) math classes are in high demand. So, just what exactly is Singapore MOE Math?
The Basis of Sinagpore MOE Math
The Singapore MOE Math refers to the primary school math program that is developed by the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) and taught in all Singaporean public schools. An important pedagogical approach in this program is the Concrete, Pictorial, and Abstract (CPA) method.
As its name suggests, the CPA learning model incorporates three steps that build on one another, reinforcing what your child will learn in our online Singapore MOE Math classes:
- The concrete involves an actual object like coins.
- The pictorial refers to a visual representation, such as a picture of these coins on paper.
- The abstract culminates in your child solving math problems without aids.
This is what and how we teach at Maths@Singapore, as it provides your child with a deeper understanding of the math problem.
Singapore’s MOE Math Method and Results At A Glance
- Singapore consistently tops the international benchmarking studies for math teaching
- It is a highly effective approach to teaching math based on research and evidence
- Singapore MOE Math enhances students’ mathematical fluency without the need for rote learning
- The math method slowly introduces new concepts using the CPA approach
- Pupils learn to think mathematically, as opposed to reciting formulas they do not understand
- The Singapore MOE Math method teaches mental strategies to solve math problems such as drawing a bar model
Singapore developed a new way of teaching math following their poor performance in the international league tables in the early 1980s. What this led to, is the Singapore Ministry of Education decided to take the best practice research findings from the West and apply them to the classroom with transformational results.
But what about concrete results? Well, where we can see this is in the outcomes of Singapore MOE Math students. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated by their position at the top of international benchmarks such as TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) and PISA (OECD Programme for International Student Assessment). It is no wonder why the Singapore MOE Math program is now used in over 40 countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States.
Program Based on Established Theories
Besides helping to strengthen children’s understanding of math concepts, Singapore MOE Math incorporates teaching children how to develop a growth mindset and apply it to their math studies. According to psychologist, Carol Dweck, a growth mindset is the belief that one can change their behavior or solve a problem if they apply themselves. This is the opposite of a fixed mindset, where an individual believes that their abilities, personality, and circumstances cannot be changed and that there is nothing they can do about it.
Having a growth mindset is crucial to children, even more so to students who have poor math results and tell themselves that they can’t improve. What is even more impressive, is that your child can apply a growth mindset to anything else they wish to accomplish.
About Maths At Singapore – Our Story
What Maths@Singapore aims to achieve is nurturing every one of our students in effectively mastering the math fundamentals for their age, enabling them to grow into confident math learners who love the subject. With our online math classes, Maths@Singapore also endeavors to have our pupils recognize the value of math in their everyday lives.
It is for this reason that Maths@Singapore was first conceived by a Stanford alumni who is also a parent of two young children.
His child started her primary school education in a US elementary school during his time at Stanford, before returning to attend a Singapore (MOE) Ministry of Education primary school. What he observed firsthand—the rigor and effectiveness of the Singapore MOE math program in growing his child to be a better and more confident math learner, as compared to her progress in her previous school—is what convinced him to start Maths@Singapore.
He believes that math is fundamental to the many technologies solving the world’s greatest challenges, and making people’s lives better. After all, math is one of the core subjects of medicine, biology, physics, and engineering. And these all contribute to the benefit of society and human flourishing as a whole.
He, therefore, believes Singapore MOE Math is important to help our children understand and gain the confidence to use math. Apart from helping learners accomplish good grades in school, Maths@Singapore’s online math classes help them better understand (and appreciate) the world around them. Plus, it inspires them to be the next generation of scientists, construction managers, and engineers the world needs. They say “the children are the future,” and investing in their education, particularly math, is important.
Together with his friend, they founded Maths@Singapore to help American children become better math learners through the combination of what the effective Singapore MOE math program teaches, expert Singaporean teachers, and an effective online classroom learning environment.
Looking at signing your child up for online math tuition but do not know where to start? Not to worry. You are more than welcome to email us to speak to one of our professionals and learn more about Maths@Singapore. While you are at it, why not sign up for 2 free classes and see for yourself the difference between Singapore MOE Math and Common Core?
