Making Math Seriously Addictive and Fun

How many of us struggle to get our children interested in Math? Does Math evoke the emotion of fear or fun in your child?

One programme promises to make Math seriously addictive (yes, it’s possible!) by emphasising understanding Math through fun and hands-on activities, thereby improving your child’s Math abilities and enabling him to enjoy and excel in Math.

Seriously Addictive Mathematics, or S.A.M, is so popular that it is the world’s largest Singapore Math enrichment programme for children aged 4–12, with more than 200 centres in 20 countries and counting.

Same curriculum, different approach

S.A.M was founded in Singapore in 2010 to address the challenges faced by children in school systems with large class sizes and a one-size-fits-all approach.

S.A.M’s Thinking Math programme is developed by a team of former schoolteachers and textbook publishers with the aim to prepare your child to ace P1 through to PSLE. It breaks down Singapore’s MOE Math syllabus into a personalised learning plan to suit your child’s level and pace in a small class size.

S.A.M uses a comprehensive diagnostic assessment to pinpoint your child’s current level of Math understanding and to prescribe a personalised learning plan. It helps your child learn Math better by developing Math understanding and thinking skills instead of rote memorisation and drilling.

With S.A.M’s two-pillared approach of hands-on classroom engagement and comprehensive worksheet reinforcement, your child will develop a strong Math foundation and problem-solving skills to solve challenging word problems efficiently.

A coaching approach and fun activities to learn new concepts will keep your child motivated and confident. Your child will also develop self-discipline and good study habits to learn in class and at home.

Making Math fun and easy to understand

S.A.M trainers use the coaching approach to facilitate understanding, instead of the typical “tell and give knowledge” method. They engage children with dialogue, probing questions and a lot of encouragement. Your child is encouraged to discover solutions instead of being spoon-fed.

During lessons, S.A.M trainers use the highly effective 3-stage Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach to teach Math concepts. Interesting hands-on activities are used to introduce new topics to your child in an engaging and meaningful way.

They also explicitly teach your child the 12 problem-solving heuristics and the 4-step problem-solving process to solve word problems efficiently.

S.A.M trainers do not simply impart Mathematical knowledge to your child but also inculcate the right learning attitude and self-discipline to prepare your child to succeed beyond school.

Developing mastery and independence

Meticulously designed by a team of former schoolteachers and textbook publishers, S.A.M worksheets are comprehensive and cover all the topics your child needs to know in order to excel in Math at school. At the beginning of each topic in S.A.M worksheets, there are detailed explanations and numerous examples to guide your child, followed by varied tasks to ensure your child understands all aspects of the topic.

For problem-solving heuristics, it starts with a description of the heuristic, how to use it to solve word problems and an example of the type of word problem that can be solved using the heuristic. This is followed by a detailed step-by-step guide of solving a word problem using the heuristic and the 4-step process, and finally, ample practice for your child to master the heuristic.

To keep your child motivated, worksheet’s tasks are incrementally advanced so that learning is kept challenging yet achievable. The personalised learning plan ensures your child always learn at the level of difficulty and pace that is right for him or her.

Your child will hone his or her Math skills and problem skills through guided practice in class and independent practice at home for consistent learning, developing mastery in Math, thinking skills and good study habits.

What if your child needs help in English?

S.A.M recently launched its English programme, Seriously Addictive English, or S.A.E, that helps your child read fluently and write confidently. S.A.E is based on UK’s leading English enrichment programme and uses a structured phonics approach which simplifies the English language into 44 sounds to help your child learn to read and write.

Its integrated literacy skills curriculum allows your child to pick up skills such as fine motor skill, phonics, reading, comprehension, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, structuring text, planning and independent writing.

With S.A.E, your child will acquire phonics knowledge to read, spell and write, build up core spelling and vocabulary, transit to understanding, responding to and creating text and become a competent reader and writer. Skills are constantly revisited and strengthened at increasingly complex standards of English.

Just like the Math programme, your child will be supported with:

Coaching approach which encourages your child to explore, discover and build confidence towards learning, with a low student-teacher ratio
Worksheets with gradual steps to ensure your child learns and understand all key areas, through guided practice in class and independent practice at home
Comprehensive diagnostic assessment and a personalised learning plan that suits your child’s level and pace.

How can I find out more?

Visit seriouslyaddictivemaths.com.sg to learn how to make Math and English seriously addictive for your child’s future.