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Why Before How: Singapore Math Computation Strategies, Grades 1-6

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Your students know that 2 x 3 = 6, but do they know why? Do they have the mathematical reasoning skills to see them through more than just the next test? They will once they discover these powerful computation strategies. Jana explains how to introduce each strategy, connect that approach to others, and build true mathematical understanding.

122 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2011

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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for J. Boo.
768 reviews30 followers
March 31, 2020
It's like looking at Singapore Math through a funhouse - half cogent, scripted explanations that serve as an instructional guide to the way Singapore Math teaches the basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and half "now have your students do the kind of ridiculous group work currently faddish in the US".

Not particularly useful to me; I'm a mathy person, and am marching my reasonably mathematically capable children through the Singapore Math textbooks to supplement (or replace) the bilge provided by the local public school district. However, I can see the book being helpful to elementary school math teachers stuck with a less capable curriculum (or no curriculum) who need a few pre-done lesson plans and some additional explanatory arrows in their quiver.
69 reviews40 followers
February 22, 2017
Great book on teaching math the Singapore way. The book goes into detail on how to introduce and model adding, subtracting, multiplication and division to students. The model gets away from paper and pencil work and rather looks at the concepts and strategies needed to understand numbers.
Profile Image for Allie.
22 reviews
February 9, 2016
For those who wish to learn more about the Singapore method of mathematics, this book is a helpful resource. The author provides an explanation of each computation strategy for each of the four operations. Along with an explanation, the author provides a guided conversation to assist teachers in introducing the new method.
Profile Image for Jeanie Gunter.
37 reviews1 follower
June 26, 2012


Really makes teaching math a lot less scary. It just makes sense.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews

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