School Blog

This year HQIS students will be engaged in and interacting with math the Singapore Math way! 

Since the mid-1990s, Singapore students have outperformed their peers on the Trends in International Maths & Science Study (TIMSS) assessments, and the world has taken notice.

The tests, which have been conducted for more than 20 years, are administered every four years to 600,000 students aged 9 to 10 and 13 to 14 from 64 countries and regions around the world. The development of mathematics and science education in a country is measured in a variety of dimensions, including knowledge acquisition, application and reasoning ability.



1) What is Singapore Math? 

First, Singapore Math was not invented by Singapore, rather theSingapore Education Ministry sought to collect and synthesize the best math teaching practices available to produce a national curriculum with a central focus on problem-solving.

At its core, Singapore Math is math.  However, Singapore Math’s success can be attributed to the extras – it goes beyond math to encompass an entire approach towards learning & teaching where students develop thinking, reasoning, communication, application and metacognitive skills through a mathematical approach to problem-solving.

The following picture illustrates the five areas and competencies the Singapore Math focus on.



2) How will Singapore Math improve my child's learning?

Singapore Math is based on the C-P-A method (Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract).  Students will focus on understanding, communication and application, covering less topics more in-depth.

Students will be taught skills such as mental computation, heuristic strategies, and modeling.  Through guided inquiry, students are encouraged to persevere in problem-solving, which in turn builds confidence and fosters interest in Mathematics.

3) How will Singapore Math improve my child learning?

Placement tests (formative assessment ) to assess what the students already know and identify areas of strengths and weakness (at the beginning of the academic year)

MAP Test (Measures of Academic Progress) precisely measuring progress and growth for each individual student and can help students to set goals and understand what they need to learn to achieve their goals.

4) How does Singapore Math connect to IB PYP?

The design of the PYP framework is flexible enough to accommodate the different curriculums as the we develop our own UOI.

The Singapore Mathematics Program in HQIS aims to help students to establish a solid mathematical foundation. By developing critical thinking skills and a passion for learning, our students can excel in all aspects of their education.