How to choose Math books based on the new subject banding scheme?

In 2024, Singapore's education system will undergo a significant transformation as the traditional Express, N(A), and N(T) streams make way for the more flexible G1, G2, and G3 bands. This shift aims to cater to students' diverse strengths and preferences, offering them the opportunity to excel in subjects that align with their abilities.

Subject-based banding heralds a new era of personalized learning, allowing students to choose subjects at varying levels of difficulty. This approach acknowledges that not all students learn at the same pace or excel in the same areas, empowering them to pursue their academic interests with greater flexibility.

The transition to G1, G2, and G3 bands is seamlessly integrated with the existing PSLE score ranges, ensuring a smooth transition for students and schools alike. While the posting groups determine initial subject placements and school admissions, they do not dictate students' educational journey beyond the initial stage. For instance, a student entering under posting group 2 will initially engage with G2 level subjects, with opportunities to advance to G3 based on their performance and aptitude. This dynamic approach encourages continuous growth and achievement, enabling students to reach their full potential over time.

As educators and publishers adapt to these changes, the focus remains on delivering quality education that equips students with essential skills and knowledge. While updates to textbooks and materials are underway, the core curriculum remains consistent, ensuring continuity in learning outcomes. Looking ahead, the introduction of the common Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education exam prompts speculation about its impact on students. Will it be more challenging or aligned with the new banding system? Only time will tell, but educators are committed to preparing students for success in any scenario.

In the midst of these changes, selecting appropriate resources becomes essential for students navigating the G2 and G3 levels in Mathematics. Here are some recommended Math assessment books tailored to support students at these proficiency levels. They are aligned with exam standards and the level of difficulty is in accordance to the various levels and school exams. 

Suitable for G1 students

Advanced Mathematics for G3 and IP students is a new entrant. As the name implies, it is slightly more challenging than what you'll see in the textbooks. Interesting nuggets of information is sometimes posted as a prelude to the chapter. 

One reason why students have issues with solving problem sums with algebra at a Secondary school level is because there is no single procedure. Every problem is slightly different. You will just have to practise practise and practise! Examples are given so self study is possible with the help of this book. To meet 21st-century competencies, this book is a MUST-HAVE for G3 students. 

Mastering G3 Mathematics -- The Ultimate Guide. 

This compact yet potent book is a treasure trove of condensed information. Its concise format covers a multitude of chapters and subjects, making it invaluable for refreshing one's memory throughout the year, especially when preparing for comprehensive end-of-year examinations that encompass a daunting 101 chapters.

Moreover, its utility extends beyond a single academic year; it's a valuable resource that can remain relevant for up to four years. This longevity is particularly crucial as certain topics covered in lower secondary education resurface in Secondary 4 assessments. Given that by this stage, some students may struggle to recall even fundamental concepts like the definition of a rational number, having a comprehensive reference like this at hand proves invaluable.

You can get it here: https://sapgrp.com/product/mastering-g3-mathematics-secondary-1/

This is a set of 3 books written by Mavis Tutorial Centre and published by Singapore Asia Publishers. The set has been around for awhile now and is one of my favourites given the array of questions.

See how they attempt to explain each and every step with annotations of the more confusing steps?

Again, step by step solutions are provided. Typically for Mathematics, I tend to look for books with step-by-step solutions. This is to ensure that I have something to refer to should there be a discrepancy in the answers.

You can get it here: https://sapgrp.com/product/integrated-mathematics-numbers-graphs-statistics-for-secondary-1/

Suitable for G2 students

Secondary 2 Mathematics Tutorial 

This book comes in both part A and B. As with most books, there are worked examples prior to the exercises.

This book's extensive array of questions serves as an excellent tool for reinforcing key concepts. Its ample practice exercises provide valuable opportunities for students to solidify their understanding of each topic. As a complement to the child's textbook, it enhances the learning experience by offering additional practice and reinforcement beyond what is typically found in standard curriculum materials.

Don't fret if you do not know how to do. At the end of the book, there are step-by-step worked solutions.

Something interesting to note: little tips (Teacher's Desk) are also highlighted on most page. 

It comes in Secondary 1 versions too. You can get it here: https://sapgrp.com/product/secondary-1-normal-academic-mathematics-tutorial-1a/

Additionally, over on the website, you can find free resources for many of their books!

See! there are even free test papers! All you need is to sign up for an account and assess them for free!

(https://sapgrp.com/free-test-papers/)

The Conquer series of Secondary Mathematics is a book I would recommend should your foundation not be strong. These in my opinion are basic questions. The book covers every chapter of the syllabus and is aligned with the latest curriculum. 

Once again, clear step-by-step solutions are provided. I really appreciate books with step-by-step solutions because at least we have some form of explanation and do not simply have to accept the given answers. We all know that sometimes, even answers can go wrong. 

You can get it here: https://sapgrp.com/product/conquer-secondary-mathematics-1/

It isn't an easy task selecting the right book these days. If you notice, there are quite a bit of application questions and real-world problems given to students. MOE is clearly moving into the direction of getting students to be more creative and not simply focused on rote learning. With the right books like the ones recommended above, we can help our children gain such competencies. So be it whether you are a G1/ G2/ G3 student, head over to Singapore Asia Publishers, there is sure to be a book for you! 

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ithink it's a great English Resource

By now, most of you would have completed your exams and received your results. If you did well, congratulations! If you did not, this holidays is your best chance for you to beef things up! With the pandemic still ongoing, there is a shift in learning. New platforms have sprout out overnight and several portals like Zoom, quizizz, Kahoot, Neopad have been popularised. Like it or not, self-directed learning is the trend. 

Personally, I like to balance both online and offline materials. With the advent of technology, it is inevitable that it captures more of the student’s attention. Finding a suitable assessment book is needless to say , boring and difficult. Honestly there isn’t a large array at Popular bookstore when it comes to Secondary English. And for the material to be trendy and relevant, it is far and beyond. 

Thankfully, i discovered a series of magazines published by ilovereading.sg. iThink is a monthly magazine written by ex or current MOE teachers. This itself is credible enough. You are assured that the content covered are relevant and up-to-date. 

A quick glance of the ithink series will probably get you attracted. It is coloured! This seems superficial but is somewhat an important draw when compared to the mundane black-and-white publications on the shelves of bookstores.  Colours can produce a higher level of attention and is effective to increase memory performance. Psychologists have found that we are significantly better at recalling scenes, pictures and images if they are not just black and white. They believe this is because colour has a stronger appeal to the senses, prompting a better connection to parts of the brain involved with memory. Therefore, it can be concluded that colours have the tendency to capture better attention level, and thus, better memory.

On a more serious note, let me give you an insight to some of the pros in this series. The magazine covers a variety of categories. Each month, they have a new theme and I love their genre as it is very relevant. Students these days lack general knowledge so reading what’s offered will definitely give this area a boost. With the Covid situation still not easing up, it would be a while before we truly let loose and travel like before. As if clairvoyant, the team has a section called WANDERLUST which brings you to places from Pompeii to Brighton! I gained so much insight just by reading about those places. many of which I have not heard before. Ok, perhaps I am just not well-travelled enough. Covid needs to make its exit so that we can regain our wanderlust lives!

MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO

Pretty sure you have heard of the above phrase. Humans and other animals are capable of observational learning. The magazine generally starts off with a series of essays written by the knowledgeable editorial team. It covers various genres like narrative, expository, descriptive, argumentative and hybrid. If these sound alien to you, they are basically what will be tackled typically in Secondary and even Junior college. We often hear parents nagging their children to read more but what exactly to read? Well, apart for expanding their general knowledge, we should be really selective in readings at this age due to the lack of time and the fact that they are impressionable. By reading more model essays, one will tend to go in a better direction with regards to their literacy level. As cliche as it may sound but I truly believe that it improves their repertoire of vocabulary and perhaps guide them in finding their style of writing. Of course, you don’t learn it all simply by observing. In order to retain, one will need repetition. Hence, repetitive spaced-out reading will enhance one’s retention. 

HEY Listen

Another section which I really love is the listening comprehension section called HEY LISTEN. I’ve been asked several times what books to buy when it comes to listening comprehension. Honestly, there isn’t much out there at a Secondary level. In every issue, there would be an article befitting the theme, which would be used as a listening comprehension practice. The questions are over on the last few pages of the book. A quick scan of the QR code (oooo savvy!) and you’d be able to commence your exercise. Fret not if you are wondering if there are answers. There are! They are all hosted on their website (https://ilovereading.sg/resources-ithink/)

SPEAKUP

Apart from listening comprehension, another important and fearful component for most is oral. Once again, I seem to feel there is a lack of books in this area. So glad the editorial team has covered it. They even went out of the way to have someone recite out the passage. A click on the QR code once again and you’d be hearing someone read it out loud for you in accurate English, ala BBC style. Once again, monkey see monkey do. If you listen more, you’d probably mimic the confidence exuded by the reader! The second part of the Speak up section is the true lure — conversation. This is a component where candidates engage in a discussion with the examiners on a topic based on a visual stimulus in the form of a video clip. If you think it’s easy, think again. Candidates will not be asked any questions about what people say in the video clip. Typically there is a video linked to a QR code and subsequently questions based on them. This is an excellent break from a mishmash of words. To top it off, you can also listen to their suggested response! Often students are tongue-tied because they do not have the content and can’t think of personal experiences on their toes. Listening to others would definitely help in this area. And mind you, oral takes up 20% of the pie so you should really beef up this area. 

WORKOUT

This 66-page magazine really packs a punch. After all the articles, there are several notes under the WORKOUT section. An analysis of the various genres of essays is given. Students can also do some HIIT workouts through the comprehension and visual text exercises penned down by the team. They follow closely how a typical English paper is, covering both Non-fiction text and Fiction text. In case you aren’t familiar, this takes up 35% of the GCE O Level paper. Once again, suggested answers can be found on their website https://ilovereading.sg/resources-ithink/) Under this section, there are also several tips on how to write a good essay or quick tips on answering techniques in some issues. 

Last but not least, one can really be self-directed using this tiny but mighty magazine. It has a section called TWEAK ME, where students are able to submit their essays for the editors to comment on and edit! If your essay is selected and published, you’d be given a token of $20! Not bad right? This could potentially kickstart your writing career! 

ilovereading.sg is a company which publishes English resources that will get your child to read more and do better in school. It does not only have ithink which is for the older children age around 15yo. Under its umbrella, they also have a whole range of other interesting magazines, catering to children aged 4 to 16 years old. 

Story Time for 6yo

i Magazine for 10+y

Inspire for 13+yo

ithink for 15+yo

StoryTime has great short fables written in simple but good vocabulary. It also comes with activities to engage the littles. The colourful illustrations are a plus. 

Activities in StoryTime

iMagazine is one for children age around 10years old. In addition to the articles, I like how cleverly they sneaked in relevant activities like "editing" over on the last few pages of the magazine. The topics covered are also trendy. Ranging from K-pop to content creation. To keep myself abreast with trends, I find myself immersed in the articles as well. One point to note, as with all their publications, behind every writeup, there is also a word bank section that gives the meanings to certain words which may appear alien to some students. This is notable as we all know how oblivious we can get when it comes to unfamiliar words. Very often, we are too lazy to whip up the dictionary and will simply guess its meanings. The guesswork is eliminated with this helpful section. How thoughtful of the editors!

iMagazine recognises that their readers are still young, hence a certain amount of activities is still weaved into the magazine. 

The iInspire magazine is recommended for 13+yo but I personally feel that if your child is ready, they can start reading this as early as 11yo. The reason for this is that I'm seeing a trend in schools introducing expository writings to students as young as 11yo. The genre a 11yo is exposed to is generally limited, hence, reading beyond may not be a bad idea. 

A good command of English is of paramount importance. Everything revolves around English. With the exception of second languages, English is used in every subject. Getting the right resource will ease the learning curve a little. These publications adhere to MOE’s latest guidelines and are targeted at the child’s specific level. It’s been tried and tested by many students and myself. I personally have used iThink quite extensively prior to this blog post. Cultivate the love of reading through magazines! I think it’s less intimidating than assessment books or chapter books if your child is not quite a reader yet!

Discount for my readers!

ilovereading has kindly offer a 10% on www.shop.ilovereading.sg for the following publications:

1) Storytime Magazine

2) i Magazine

3) Inspire Magazine

4) iThink magazine

Simply quote MMM10%. Promo code is valid till 30 December 2021. 

Disclaimer: All photos are property of www.themishmashmess.blogspot. We were given copies of the magazine for review but I have been a paid user prior to this post. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and written according to my experience in using the product. Please seek permission before reposting and give due credit when doing so. 

The Secret to Speed Math: Fun with Abacus

As a child, I had always loved Math but something made me dread it -- The mental computation of huge numbers. Back in Primary school, my Math teacher used to drill us so much on model-drawing as well as mental sums, I became fearful of not being able to match up with the speed which my teacher had expected. Then one day, over on Channel 8, I saw a show teaching its audience how to improve mental calculations using the abacus! At 10years old, I was intrigued and glued myself to the TV every afternoon at 4pm, taking down notes on how to operate the beads. However, the explanations were too fast, the formulae were too many and I didn't even have an abacus to do a practical. Hence, I gave up.

Fast forward decades later, it was time for me to drill my kids in mental calculation. Big K aged 7+ is honestly not too bad in her Mathematics. However her bane was her speed at calculating. At age 6, she was so slow at even giving me the answers for making 10, I thought I wasn't doing it right. I did explore the possibility of introducing abacus then, but procrastinated as MOE took abacus out from the curriculum. A million thoughts ran through my mine: Was abacus deemed as useless hence the ministry took it out?

This was when I was introduced to Fun with Abacus. It is a school founder by Joy Tay, who started teaching abacus to the young by adopting syllabus from Taiwan. After a while, she created her own workbooks to fit the local crowd. Using her expertise as a certified Abacus Mental Arithmetic Trainer and her knowledge of the local education curriculum, Joy came up with the solution to help a child learn Mathematics during the challenging stages. She believes that a systematic structure in the teaching program not only help the child but also give parents and schools a firm foundation to assist in a child’s learning curve.

Below was a short interview I had with Joy:

Me: Why was abacus taken out of the curriculum? Is it still relevant?

Joy: Of course it is. It was taken out naturally because the school teachers had a million other things to handle and were short of time even for their core curriculum, let alone enrichments such as abacus. There are also many steps involved in abacus and it's tough for a teacher to be teaching this to a class of 40 young children. The focus will just not be there.

Me: How many years has Fun with Abacus been around?

Joy: We have been teaching for 15years, mainly at preschools. Hence, the relevance is still very much recognised.

Me: There seems to be different types of abacus. What's the difference?

Joy: Yes. Abacus has been around for ages. There are different types of abacus used in different countries. They vary according to the number of beads. Some with fewer beads may require more formulae.

At this juncture, Joy whipped out her abacus and explained to me. Fun with Abacus uses the one below, where you have 4 yellow beads, 1 orange bead on top and 4 yellow beads below.

After her explanation, I found that this type of abacus makes the most sense. Each bead represents a unit. Just like how addition and subtraction are taught in Primary schools.  Let me share with you my findings on an abacus used by another abacus school. Some other schools make use of the abacus which is divided into 1 bead (representing 5) on top and 4 beads at the bottom. For such abacuses, one will need to memorise many formula 口诀 in order to solve higher order addition and subtraction.

Photo credit: Kiasu Parent forum

For instance:

In a question of 7-4, the child needs to apply the 口诀 of "-4=+1-5" So the child is conditioned to first position the "7" (top" 1 bead down; bottom 2 beads up), followed by thumb up 1 bead (bottom) and flick 1 bead (top) up to derive the solution of such a simple equation. This seems redundant to me. 

However, in the 9 bead abacus which we are using, it makes a lot more sense as one bead represents one unit. When they do their vertical addition and subtraction in school, they will then see that both are parallel. With that, I was convinced that this was the school for us!

 Also, I had made a comparison with their worksheets. In another school, they actually made used of cartoon pictorial to represent the beads versus Fun with Abacus which uses actual circles. This allows less confusion for the child in future. 

PROGRESS OF BIG K

Big K being older, managed to grasp the concept really fast. Right after our first session, she was so excited that she insisted on doing her homework the moment we reached home. I was really surprised but glad that abacus could ignite her love for Math. In fact, midway through the term, our teacher felt that she was ready for the Anzan which will eventually bring her to mental calculation. Anzan is the Japanese method of doing Mental Math by using a mental image of an abacus.  No physical abacus is used. This has been part of the compulsory curriculum in Japan for many years until the focus on the use of computers in daily life came along. Subsequently, due to the increase in usage of technology, there had been concerns that the general population is losing valuable skills, hence in 1989, the Japanese Ministry of Education reintroduced it into their elementary school curriculum. With such history, it's not difficult to be inclined with the notion that we are becoming too reliant on technology to perform simple tasks for us. 

In fact, I have personally seen how using the calculator is part of a muscle memory for young kids. I witnessed a child aged 12, using the calculator for 1/2 + 1/2 and yet another, aged 16, reaching out for the calculator naturally, to tabulate 1+1. Muscle memory, thanks to the usage of calculators officially for their Math papers at Primary 5. Way too young if you ask me!

After less than 3 months of weekly classes, I noticed that Big K's ability to count fast is improving. Despite the fact that I know she isn't using abacus or Anzan in her mental calculations yet. I believe the course has ignited her love for the subject.

PROGRESS OF SMALL K

When it comes to this boy, it's a little trickier. At age 4, he is rather fidgety and unfocused. Especially when it came to abacus which were all beads beads beads, nothing but beads. It did however helped that his sister was in the same class as him. You see, different levelled students can be grouped together and still receive individual attention from the teachers. But of course, as far as possible, the level of the class will not be too varied and is also kept small with a maximum of 6 students for effective learning. I'm pretty happy to note that now, he is talking less and working more and his butt is always on the chair! His concentration span is definitely longer now!

Small K wasn't competent for the number bond for 10 but after a few short sessions, he was able to shout out the answer immediately. Getting him to do his homework wasn't too tough also as he deems the abacus as a toy. The only thing is during lesson, I have to constantly remind him to get more work down and to have less talk as he was really having a good time with the teacher. He has made wonderful progress and is in fact catching up on Big K fast and furious After a few months, he too, had been introduced to the Anzan. I was initially very worried as to how he would take to it. I mean there are now no beads! You will have to visualise it yourself! To my surprise, he was superb at it! So much so, I believe he will catch up with Big K in no time.

Abacus may seem a little dry to some, so the teachers at Fun with Abacus always try to incorporate an element of fun. For instance, while teaching the number bonds, to assist them in remembering how to make tens, they turn it into a clapping game and calls the corresponding number for the bond a "buddy". Small K found it cute and was most willing to practice with me. Occasionally they also played games.

Here's Small K having fun fishing for the respective number bonds

At a certain level, the children will be given timed practice. Now this really excites Big K. She likes the adrenaline when she breaks her own record! They are each given a little timer to time themselves and hence, she can do her work independently without much help from me. Now that Small K is also getting the hang of doing his homework, he can also do most of the work independently. I just need to use eye-power on him.

Fun with abacus regularly sends their students for competitions overseas. Namely for the LCT Mental Arithmetic competition in Malacca as well as the International Mathematics Association Competition in Korat, Thailand. And these little brains all did very well! They managed to attain 1st to 5th placings for the respective competitions and they may be as young as 9years old! Hopefully one day, my little tots will be able to attain those standards too!

So with the advancement in technology, why am I still embarking my children on this journey. Well, the reason is simple, calculators and computers are all invented by mankind. It goes to show that the brain is far more superior if we tap on it. If we don't exercise it enough, it will go into solitude. While it is easy to reach out to the calculator in time to come, note that you are only allowed to use the calculator for Paper 2 at the primary level. Also, if the child is able to calculate fast enough, perhaps the time spent on fumbling with the calculator can be used wisely on solving other questions. Foundation in Math is very important in my opinion. It starts as young as when the child is in preschool or maybe even prior to that. If it isn't built well, trouble will start to surface predominantly when they hit Primary 5. By the, it may be too late to salvage. It takes time and effort to build. Similarly, abacus isn't a miracle pill. The child will not become quick in mental calculations overnight. It takes time and effort but I believe the rewards are real.

Fun with abacus accept children as young as 4 years old. Give them a call to check on their scehdule and head on down for a free trial and if you like it, Quote "JANICE WONG" and take $100 off their term fees.

Locations:

Katong Plaza
West Coast Centre
Seng Kang West
Bishan

Contact: https://funwithabacus.com/contact/

or call: 97865383

Instagram: @funwithabacus