The second consists of a momentary experience of the taste of ice cream, and that is all. The third consists solely of a moment that feels like sitting on the couch watching TV. Suppose we decide the value of torture is , the value of ice cream is , and the value of couch is The values I chose above were somewhat arbitrary, but model the fact that the ice cream moment is better than the couch moment, which is better than nonexistence which would have value zero, so that adding more of it does nothing , which is better than the torture moment.
Does the arbitrariness of the assigned values negate the usefulness of the sum rule?
List of humorous units of measurement
For example, consider probability theory, which is a mathematical model of reasoning with uncertainty. Using probability theory ensures your logic meets certain minimum standards of consistency, but apart from that, the exact numbers you use are up for debate. Even laws of physics have this character. Now we can go back to the question I opened the article with.
The total value of life 1 can be calculated by adding up the values of its constituent moments. To avoid having to worry about the order of occurrence of the 20 year segments, we can absorb the fact that the last segment of life 2 involves experiencing memories of the first three segments into the very definition of that segment. We might assign values to the life segments as follows:. The totals are and respectively, so under these assumptions, life 2 is better. The only way to escape it is to deny order or associativity. It can be hard to justify the exact numbers assigned to the moments.
How much better is ice cream than being tortured? How much better is contentment than intoxication? But progress can be made. For example, if we discovered that the suffering of fish was much greater or less than what we currently think, this would have implications for our behaviour. However, to the extent that we can agree on an assignment, we can agree on the conclusions.
To the extent that we disagree, we can pinpoint the source of the disagreement, and where we might look to resolve it.
Principle 3: Know Your Tools
If sunlight is a good disinfectant for bad ideas, this kind of mathematical modelling is a useful source of artificial light. Whereas basic economic models treat individuals as though they want to maximise the utility of their own lives, some moral philosophers such as Peter Singer want to maximise the utility summed over all conscious beings. Summation is inevitably involved in both cases, just as summation applies to my bank balances, the weights of objects in my backpack, the quantum amplitudes of paths of electrons, and the lengths of pieces of string. Follow him on Twitter brendonbrewer.
May I add that this model of added happiness neglects devaluation in hindsight as perhaps experienced by betrayed lovers. Kids learn how to classify and categorize with this charming interactive story. Patterns on the Farm. Pig, cat, pig, cat Kids practice counting up to 20 with this adorable read-along math story. Wally's Wonderful Wheel Emporium. Kids are introduced to basic addition in this silly story about Wally and his wheels. Work on subtraction in this short story about sharks who are mysteriously missing some teeth.
Super shapes to the rescue! Save the city from the Horrible Hexagons in this shape caper. This story covers shapes as simple as a square and complex as a cube. Learn about subtraction with Manny the monkey as he gives away his bananas to hungry friends. Sign in with Facebook. But first, we have to verify your age! You have to be 13 or over to proceed. Please verify your age No, I am not 13 Yes, I am 13 or over.
Just grab an adult to continue. Are you 13 or older? You can change email preferences in account settings. Reset Password Email Sent The email is on its way. Tell us about yourself I am a: I'm interested in grades: School Information optional Adding your school can help us give you better content recommendations based on what teachers in your school or district are using in the classroom. How likely are you to recommend Education. Not at all likely. My daughter is going to be in 3rd grade and we used Horizons for 2nd but I am ready to challenge her more and she has realized spiral learning is not for her.
Thank you so much! My personal preference is the U. Hi my son in going to the 9 the grade this year. Can you tell me a little bit more about elementary books at starts with 7 the grade. Does it start off with algebra? Not sure I have right website. Perhaps try asking over on the Well-Traiened Mind forums?
I believe some of the parents there have used them and liked them a lot. There are so many publisher out there with the book title of Singapore Math, not even sure which is the real one. The Frank Schaeffer books are not directly from the publisher of Singapore Math, but they are aligned with the overall philosophy and more specifically, with one of the editions.
You can also get them directly from the publisher at singaporemath. My daughter is going to 6th grade. Which book do you recommend me to buy so she can be buy this summer? What program has your daughter been using? Hi how will I know which grade Singapore mathematics I have to buy for my daughter is 7 years old in US curriculum for grade 2 and Singapore curriculum grade 2 equal? For example British curriculum grade 2 is equal to American curriculum grade 1.
Singapore has a slightly different scope and sequence than American books, so I highly recommend taking a look at their placement tests to see where your daughter should start. My family loves Singapore Math and my oldest is currently on level 5. Do you have any suggestions about where to go after Singapore Math 6? After Singapore 6, your child will be ready for a pre-algebra program. This is our first yr of homeschooling…. Is this approach to math going to be really new to her?
She had been in the public school system until this year. We live in Indiana and are soooo disappointed with the lack of individual time the students get and she was very lost in the shuffle. Where would you suggest be our starting place? She already has a good grasp of multiplication and so on….. For a starting place, I highly recommend having her do a placement test.
You can find them here: Singapore tackles topics in a slightly different order than most American math curriculum, so kids often place a semester or so below their current grade level. So glad I found your blog! My son is 6 turns 7 in September. I still consider him as being in Kindergarten this year. When we got to book B i decided started too skip pages that seemed to easy for him because I thought it was a waste of time.
The Mathematics of Happiness - Quillette
Is that the right thing to do? I also stopped following teacher instructions at the bottom of the page ans only use manipulatives sparingly. Anyway, i just recently purchased: Very different from Earlybird and I had bad experiences with T or F in my childhood. Any feedback would be great! He is average or a bit better than average. However he can subtract and add in his head without pause a lot of the time….
Those pages do get a bit repetitive—I did the same! I believe the test prep type questions were added to the Common Core edition with the expectation that kids would be having to take a bunch of standardized tests. Also, they have the mental math exercises and answer key. My daughter is in the 2nd grade of US Public School. She does not get any math homework ; I would really like to compliment the Common Core math education she is getting in school with the Singapore math.
Do you think it is a good approach to provide a supplemental math education like this? Are these workbooks ok for kids to work independently, considering she is getting the core concepts in school?
What is a reasonable pace for a child this age? Hi Alena, Self-study workbooks are a great option for a child who resists doing math with her parents. My only caveat would be that some of the material may be presented in the Singapore books earlier than she will get it in school,. Some can literally take my daughter 2 minutes, while others can take a half hour. For my second little one, PreK age this fall but chasing after big sis fast, I was just thinking about blending continued PreK math play with Essentials for her next year and wondering about the differences from Standards.
Both Essentials and Standards are great choices. The biggest difference between the two is that Standards is more expensive and has more components: Essentials is much more streamlined, with just a black-and-white workbook with suggestions for hands-on activities at the bottom. Both are comprehensive and well-sequenced, so both will get you where you need to go. I use Singapore for K, but am considering a change because I feel uncomfortable teaching math differently from the traditional way. I was leaning toward BJU math. Do you have any info on BJU math?
Do you feel it is on grade level? The scope and sequence certainly looks like right on on grade level overall, and it looks like a solid program. Would it be ok to switch from US to standards as soon as we start 3A? Glad you enjoyed the review, Hannah! The scope and sequence for the two programs are very similar. Planning to start 1A U.
Should I be concerned about the concepts that are not included in the U. S Eddition, but were added to Standards? Both programs eventually cover the same material, only the Standards edition breaks some topics into smaller pieces to better align the books with the old California standards. I am planning to switch to Singapore in the fall for my 10 and 11 yr olds. Currently working through Essentials with my 4 yr old. The 2 older kids struggle with dyslexia and are finally able to read somewhat independently. I will be doing the placement tests with them tomorrow but I am guessing they will place in either 2a or 2b.
But I am obsessing over US edition or Standards edition. Could you give me any feedback on what makes the Standards edition easier to use? Ah, the joys of research! It also is often more direct in telling parents what to do and in organizing the steps into bullet points. I have a just-turned five year old entering K in the fall and am making our homeschool curriculum plans. I was at a homeschool convention exhibit hall last night and had a chance to flip through several math curriculums. I was really drawn to Singapore Math and would like to try it. I specifically looked at the Essentials books for K.
We are still working on number recognition past 10, we do some fun activities with pattern blocks and counting, adding and subtracting through real life scenarios, etc, but that has been the extent of it so far. Would I be better off using a preK curriculum next year or maybe even this summer so he has a good solid foundation before we dive into a K curriculum? Essentials starts out very simply. Thanks so much for all your reviews.
We will be homeschooling for the first time in the fall, and will have a 3rd grader, 2nd grader, and kindergartener. My 3rd grader is not a strong math student, and I think would really benefit from the visual approach to number sense in RightStart. However my 2nd grader is a very strong math student, and will definitely benefit from more of a challenge I plan to put them through the same level, whichever curriculum we choose. I do have my kindergartener and three younger kiddos to get through, so I know we can always use it for them if we do decide to invest.
One is the RightStart Arithmetic Kit, which gives you a streamlined version of the essential concepts of elementary arithmetic. The other is the Math Card Games Kit, which has games to go with most elementary math topics. After i read all those posts I am still confused. I live in the US and my son is entering 1st grade august What should I buy. Sirisha, you will need these books for first grade. I use Singapore with my older kids and I have one starting K at 2-months-shy of age 6.
I wish I had found your Pre-K math book sooner! Do you think your PreK book would be too simple for her? Or suggestions for similar books geared toward a bit older age? Hi Yolanda, Preschool Math at Home would likely be too easy for an almost-six-year-old. This is regarding my earlier question: I took the placemenet test online on singaporemath. The test said 1A.
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Should I buy the next level. If he was able to do the 1A placement test easily, have him try the 1B test. Kate, I just wanted to thank you for all the useful information and for answering every single question so clearly. My oldest just turned 5 and this article has given me a lot of insight. Yes, you can probably find it for the best price at Rainbow Resource. Or, you can buy it directly from the publisher at Singaporemath. Thanks for the thorough review. Wondering what math recommendations you have for grades It looks as though Singapore does not offer curriculum for the those upper grades.
Do you have an opinion on what would be good to transition to? Hello Kate, thanks for this article. In fact, Marshall Cavendish alone has three series of Singapore Math. Do you know the publisher and series that does minimal altering of Singapore math? Do you suggest obtaining these books directly from publishers in Singapore? I am guessing those books will be different from the Singapore math books in the US mostly in unit and some examples. Please do disclose any conflict of interest you might have.
The only way I make money on this site is if someone clicks on one of my Amazon affiliate links, in which case I receive a small percentage of their total Amazon purchase without it costing them any extra. Their Common Core series was published very recently. I am wondering if this over a decade lapse reflects in improvement in the books. How is CC series different from US edition? I previously bought US edition series for level 1 and 2. Now time to buy level 3. Edition Original adaptation of the Singaporean books, available for grades Textbooks are in color through 2B, then two-tone after that.
All textbooks are in color. These editions are also longer and more expensive. Essentially, each has been created to meet different market needs—first, Standards for the California market, and then Common Core so that schools and parents that wanted or needed to align with Common Core had a good option. All have the same general approach to math and sequencing.
You can check out a comparison of the the full scope and sequence here: Thank you so much for your input. We just completed our kindergarten year at home. We are using Saxon math about half way through grade 1. I love the cyclical approach of Saxon with daily review built in and I find my oldest benefits from that review.
Singapore Math Review: World-Class Math Education, Right at Your Kitchen Table
I recently heard great things about Singapore Math and I know a lot of the local schools are switching over to Math in Focus which used the Singapore approach. My concern is not having much review built in. Do you know anything about Saxon in comparison? Singapore is mastery-based, so every chapter focuses on one new concept and works through it thoroughly, while Singapore jumps around topics from lesson to lesson and teaches just one small increment of the topic. Singapore is also a lot more focused on having kids understand the concepts of math, while Saxon focuses more on having kids memorize the procedures for how to do math.
Saxon has lots of review, as you mentioned. Singapore has review built into the end of each chapter, but it is not daily like in Saxon. Not all children need as much review as Saxon provides, but some parents create a few review problems for each day if their children need more review. Your insight is tremendously helpful and your article is so thorough, thank you!! Hi Emily, Sorry you were having trouble getting the 5 Quick Tips! For end of semester and end of year tests, I recommend either using the final review section at the end of each book or the free placement tests available here.
Hi Amy, The 5 tips are in the purple links above. If you click or tap them, it should take you to a box where you can receive the pdf. And, sorry about the missing email! I have a question about transitioning into Singapore from another curriculum. How do those who are behind catch up? Thanks for your thoughts! One is to skip the 6th grade book, because it provides a lot of review and more in-depth word problems than the typical American program. Another option is simply to start wherever your child is and make decisions as you go. As you said, there may be chapters your daughter has already mastered in the third grade book.
Other kids will wait until eighth grade to start pre-algebra, then do algebra and geometry only in high school, depending on their state graduation requirements and future plans. Overall, my advice is to what seems best for your child now, and trust that the way forward will become clear as your child gets older.
I am currently using RightStart level B 2nd edition for my daughter. I love the program but I need a workbook because I happen to have a child that really likes worksheets. I am considering Singapore Math.
Do you think this is too much? Would I need the entire program or can I just buy the workbook? An easier and cheaper option would be to look at Kumon workbooks. Some good ones that might go along with RS B are:. Hello Kate, I am so happy I have found you.
I need some help. Last year was my 1st year homeschooling. I have a 6th Grader, 3rd Grader, and a 4th grader. We chose Singapore because the private school we pulled them from used Singapore.