Before addressing specific strategies, it is instructive to read about Singapore’s rationale for school mathematics, as expressed in the syllabus for Primary Math at the web site of the Ministry of Education:

“Mathematics is an excellent vehicle for the development and improvement of a person’s intellectual competence in logical reasoning, spatial visualisation, analysis and abstract thought. Students develop numeracy, reasoning, thinking skills, and problem solving skills through the learning and application of mathematics. These are valued not only in science and technology, but also in everyday living and in the workplace…Mathematics is also a subject of enjoyment and excitement, which offers students opportunities for creative work and moments of enlightenment and joy. When ideas are discovered and insights gained, students are spurred to pursue mathematics beyond the classroom walls.”

Is your mathematics classroom a place of intellectual development, enjoyment, excitement, creativity, and joy?

Here are two short videos providing an introduction to Singapore Math in terms of the development of number sense and model drawing to solve word problems.

More practice with model drawing can be found at the Singapore Maths Teacher site and the Thinking Blocks site.  

Enjoy!