Math Instruction Singapore vs. Traditional Methods
Accredited by the French Ministry of Education as a trainer/examiner, Dr. Hind Louali is the owner and founder of Ecole Jean-Jacques Rousseau (the French School of Austin). In her leadership capacity at the school, Dr. Hind Louali partners with a curriculum director to build a curriculum that includes French immersion, arts and music programming, and an emphasis on math instruction.
The French School of Austin utilizes the Singapore math method to help students achieve subject mastery. Typically, math instruction in the United States centers on a model consisting of a solved problem and a set of similar problems for the student to solve. Because students are essentially repeating the model problem withdifferentnumbers,theirunderstandingofconcepts tends tobesuperficialand quickly forgotten.
The Singapore math system focuses on sequential concepts, each of which builds on the previous. Instead of rote memorization, students cultivate math thinking skills and how to apply concepts to unique problems. Because they are not just replacing numbers, they must engage more deeply with the concepts and thus develop a richer understanding. In addition to instructional differences, Singapore math emphasizes an attitude that math is approachable and essential, a subtle difference between it and the traditional method that tends to increase confidence and engagement.