I will start out by saying Singapore Math is not for everyone.  We did not start here.  Instead, Homeschool Pool used another math curriculum that used a spiral approach.  This means that every new section mostly reviewed the previous while gently introducing new concepts or more difficult problems building on the same lesson.  The problem we had with this is we found it to be way too easy, slow moving, boring and tedious.  So, we switched to Singapore Math’s mastery based curriculum which is a radical difference.  There are benefits to both systems and it will likely come down to learning style as to which will be better for your child.

We have gone through both first and second grade math books and like them a lot.  The lessons are fast paced and easy to understand.  There are not a lot of problems to do – something we like.  It is very easy to determine if the child has a clear understanding of the concept.  For fast learners who have an aptitude for math, this is an ideal solution.  For those who struggle or need more practice at each concept, this may be a frustrating curriculum to use. 

At Homeschool Pool our oldest, who is the one currently using it, lands somewhere in the middle.  Math is by far her weakest subject but she is still no slouch.  She just doesn’t particularly care for math.  There are concepts she breezes through and others she needs some more work on.  Easy concepts are addressed, problems worked through and we move on.  When we hit one of those she struggles with we supplement the book with online worksheets and games to help solidify the concepts.   We use two websites pretty frequently: Hooda Math which offers fun math games and Math-Drills.com which offers a selection of math worksheets. 

We appreciate the no nonsense approach to math.  We also like the cost of the curriculum which is quite affordable and you can get the books piece by piece.  There are two text books and two workbooks.  You can get the first textbook and workbook then the other when you are ready.  All in all the combination of Singapore Math and supplemental worksheets seems to work well for us.  However, we are not opposed to looking at something a little more inclusive.  In fact, we will be trying out a few others this summer just to see if Tadpole takes to the format a little better.

That being said, we do recommend it with a slight caveat.  Anyone who struggles in math will likely not like this curriculum and you may have more of an issue than you started with because of the fast pace.  However, those who want something that moves you forward without a lot of busy work will definitely appreciate it.  We give it a 4/5.