general session |

fundamentals of singapore math focus on pattern observation

yeap ban har | marshall cavendish institute

math in focus

summer

institute |

philadelphia

| Hanusek, Jamison, Jamison & Woessmann 2008

Score 1960-1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s

500’s Japan Hong Kong Japan Korea

Hong Kong Japan Korea

Singapore

Hong Kong Japan Korea

Singapore

400’s Thailand Philippines Singapore Thailand

Malaysia Thailand

Malaysia Thailand

300’s Indonesia Philippines

Indonesia Philippines

“Upon separation from Malaysia in 1965, Singapore was faced with … high levels of unemployment and poverty. 70% of Singapore’s households lived in badly overcrowded conditions, and a third of its people squatted in slums on the city fringes. Unemployment averaged 14%, GDP per capita was less than $2,700, and half of the population was illiterate. “

singapore math a response to low student achievement and dismal economic performance

Singapore

Malaysia

Thailand

Indonesia

International

48

2

2

0

3

78

12

8

2

17

92

36

26

15

46

99

65

55

43

75

611

440

427

386

500

adva

nced

high

inte

rmedia

te

low

ave

rage

grad

e ei

ght

mat

hem

atic

s

2 x 7

14 + 7

14 + 14

14 + 35

math in focus

summer

institute |

philadelphia

8 x 7 = 28 + 28

8 x 7 = 35 + 21

70

70 - 7

math in focus

summer

institute |

philadelphia

9 x 7 = 70 – 7

9 x 8 = 80 – 8

9 x 9 = 90 – 9

math in focus

summer

institute |

philadelphia

lesson type

drill and

practice

lesson

math in focus

summer

institute |

philadelphia

2 9

7

1 2

3

4

5

3 3

7 1 2 3

8

5

Paul

Max

math in focus

summer

institute |

philadelphia

math in focus

summer

institute |

philadelphia

If everyone were exposed to mathematics in its natural state, with all the challenging fun and surprises that that entails, I think we would see a dramatic change both in the attitude of students toward mathematics, and in our conception of what it means to be 'good at math’.

Source | Paul Lockhart in A Mathematician's Lament