Everything You Need To Know About Dimensions Math from Singapore Math

For the last few weeks, my youngest homeschooler and I have been working on an exciting new review – Dimensions Math PK-5 from Singapore Math Inc. Having three older siblings, she was all too familiar with the concept of sitting at a desk (even if we rarely use it!) with a pencil and a box of crayons while working from a workbook.

Being the youngest, she had limited experience with any of it. Most of the time, she tags along while the older kids and I work and she copies, mimics, and keeps busy with coloring pages or worksheets.

But this time it was different. This year she was officially assigned a “grade level” of pre-K. All year long she has loved having her own workbooks, her own pencils, and her own work to do. It’s not much, as we try to keep things really low key at this age, but enough to have her excited.

Getting to participate in her own review though, well that sent her over the moon with excitement!

Getting Started with Dimensions Math

When the books arrived from Singapore Math Inc. she was thrilled to find she had not just one but two books for herself. One was designated a textbook and one a workbook. For the purpose of this review, we chose to start on level PKB, which is the second semester of pre-k learning. Determining her exact level was easy enough using the placement information available on the Singapore Math website.

As for me, I received a teacher’s guide and while she was sitting on the table (yes, I said ON) checking out her books, I sat down to read through mine.

The teacher’s guide is extremely thorough. It starts by talking about the Dimensions Math curriculum, which is based on math programs in Singapore. The main goal of this program is to “help students develop competence and confidence in mathematics, (Teacher’s Guide, page vii)” which happens to line up nicely with the main goal of this homeschool Mom.

Inside you will find all of the information you need to use this program including an introduction to key symbols (such as crayons for coloring, pencils for writing), meeting the five friends who will guide your student, and understand how to use both the textbook and the workbook.

Additionally, you are directed to some of the online resources available to help make sure your student is succeeding with this program.

And since this program is written to be used either in a classroom or in a homeschool, there is information on how to use Dimensions Math with a group.

The scope and sequence information is also located near the front of the teacher’s guide covering PKA through 3B.

At the beginning of each chapter, you will find a quick list of lessons, page numbers in the teacher’s guide, page numbers in both the student textbook and workbook, as well as the objective of each lesson. A list of vocabulary words is also listed here. For planning out your homeschool week, preparing lessons, and gathering materials this page is a great resource to have.

Day 1 With Dimensions Math

After spending some time getting myself familiar with the teacher’s book, it was time to let my daughter stop just flipping through the pages of her brand new textbook and workbook and let her grab a pencil and get to the good stuff.

Our first day using this program happened to be her 5th birthday and this kid could not have been more excited to actually do school work on her birthday. Sitting at a traditional student desk with her pencil, box of crayons, and both her books she was ready.

Our first lesson was on ordinal numbers, something she was actually familiar with already. It was a perfect way to start a new program!

As I don’t like to take pages out, we kept the textbook and workbooks intact, but you could always tear them out on the perforations and store completed pages in a binder or folder.

Personally, I would have preferred to have both the textbook and the workbooks combined into one rather than flipping from one to another. However, as the teacher’s guide explains, the workbook pages provide additional problems and you could work primarily from the textbook and use the workbook only for the lessons where your student needs additional help.

A Month of Dimensions Math

Following our first day with Dimensions Math we continued to use it 2-3 days per week. With older students, we do try to work on math daily but for the younger grades, I prefer a more laid-back approach. And as a homeschooler, I prefer to work with the methods and systems that work best for my own kids.

On math days, however, my daughter was thrilled to sit at her desk and dig out her materials. She started keeping them inside the desk after the first day.

With her sitting at the desk and me in a chair, we worked on the textbook and corresponding workbook pages covering the remaining lessons on ordinal numbers in chapter 8 and all of the lessons on shapes and solids in chapter 9. (Because we started with part B, we began our lessons on chapter 8. Chapters 1-7 can be found in PKA.)

With easy to use directions on each page my daughter was quickly able to figure out what she was supposed to do on each page. Her biggest complaint – too much coloring.

Strange, I know. But as a young learner, she still colors with a heavy hand and lots of pressure. So on pencil lessons, she did all of the writing. On coloring lessons, we worked together coloring the pages or shapes, talking about the lesson, and working to ensure understanding. She even “fixed” some of the items I colored if it wasn’t dark enough.

And as you can see by the image below, some days we only completed most of the page rather than all of it. At this age, I’m a huge fan of being done when the student is done rather than letting the lesson dictate the end. 😉

So Much More Than Just Textbooks and Workbooks

Now if you are sitting here thinking “sounds great, but my kids are hands-on learners” then you are going to want to keep reading.

Dimensions Math from Singapore Math is designed to be used in both classrooms and homeschools it offers more than just textbooks and workbooks.

The teacher’s guide offers additional options for each lesson designed to help you and your child explore, learning, and work either individually or as a group with extended learning opportunities.

A list of the materials, storybooks, and even coordinating snacks can be found in the teacher’s guide at the beginning of every chapter. You can even access videos and a wide variety of printables (referred to as Blackline Masters or Blackline Cutouts) online at the Dimensions Math Resource Site. All of these resources are used to help solidify the lessons and concepts, aid in hands-on learning, and of course, reinforce the material.

Plus, who can be upset about math when reading from The Very Hungry Caterpillar or snacking on animal-shaped crackers? Engaging early learners in multiple ways, getting their whole bodies involved in the learning, and making a connection between what we see, hear, and feel are all amazing ways that help ensure kids not just learn but retain what they are learning.

Honest Thoughts on Dimensions Math from Singapore Math, Inc.

While this truly has the look and feel of a very solid math program, for us, it’s just too much to incorporate each and every aspect of this program.

Thankfully, as homeschoolers, we can adapt.

Initially overwhelmed by the multi-page instructions (which are super detailed) we opted for a different approach… Simply learning.

Instead of stressing over setting up a small group play center, we focused on time spent chatting about the concepts. Rather than utilizing the extended-play ideas, we colored and laughed together while picking out shapes and solids that I often intentionally got wrong to check for her understanding.

However, it’s the addition of these other elements that make the Dimensions Math PK-5 program from Singapore Math Inc. such a wonderful resource for homeschoolers.

Rather than a simple set of workbooks, you have a plethora of ideas to pick and choose from. You have the ability to customize this program to meet the needs of your child, adapt to their learning style, and incorporate it into the rhythm of your homeschool.

For us, less is more and that is how we found this program to work best for us.

My daughter loved the worksheets and the opportunity to feel like and mimic her older siblings. More importantly, she learned and grew in her understanding of the concepts introduced over this review period. So we are going to keep using this program for her through the remainder of the year – just in the way that works best for us.

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