Madison Country Day School has adopted the Singapore National Curriculum for its Mathematics Program.  The curriculum is internationally respected for turning out the best math students in the world according to the Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS).  The philosophical approach of this program is to move all learners through very specific stages of math development.

Each topic is introduced from CONCRETE » PICTORIAL » ABSTRACT. Students are provided with the necessary learning experiences in the concrete and pictorial stages, followed by the introduction of algorithms in the abstract stage, to enable them to learn mathematics meaningfully.  The program encourages active thinking processes and flexible computation strategies.  Emphasis is given to the communication of mathematical ideas, problem solving, and mathematical investigations, while requiring mastery of basic computational skills in the early grades.

Program Goals

• To acquire the necessary skills and understanding of mathematics to ensure practical application
• To develop proficiency in the basic mathematical operations
• To encourage the vocabulary of mathematics in everyday life
• To develop problem solving skills
• To nurture a respect for and an independent approach to mathematical thinking

Program Curriculum
The Singapore math program continually reinforces the basic four operations while incorporating these skills into higher level mathematical problems. Assessment is frequent and thorough (quizzes and tests) and examines both the computation and problem-solving skills.  The School's carefully constructed, sequential mathematics curriculum is designed to prepare each student for calculus in the Upper School (ninth through twelfth grade).

Through practical activities, the mathematics curriculum helps students acquire the necessary skills and understanding in arithmetic, geometry, algebra, and data handling, and helps them learn to use these mathematical skills as tools in everyday situations. Emphasis is given to communication of mathematical ideas, problem solving, and mathematical investigation including:

Grade 1
Through the introduction to the Singapore math program, students learn to read and write numbers to 100, count by 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s to 100, and add and subtract two-digit numbers to 100. Other topics include time, money, basic and equivalent fractions, and multiplication and division of 2s, 5s and 10s. Word problems and methods of solving them are an integral part of the program.

Grade 2
In the Singapore math program, basic concepts introduced in first grade are extended. Students learn to read and write numbers through 100s both in digits and in words, adding and subtracting to 1,000 without renaming and completing those operations with renaming. Topics covered this year include metric measurement, multiplication and division through 5s, money, time, geometric shapes, graphing and area of simple figures along with extensive practice with multi-step word problems.

Grade 3
In the Singapore math program, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are mastered. Timed tests are used to build automaticity (the combination of speed and accuracy) in these operations. Other topics covered this year include numbers through the thousands, measurements of length and weight, unit conversions, time, money, area, perimeter, and extensive practice with multi-step word problems.

Grade 4
Topics covered this year in the Singapore math program include numbers to one million, factors and multiples, fractions, parallel and perpendicular lines, area and perimeter, computation and use of decimals, averaging data, volume of solids, and extensive practice with multi-step word problems.