– “Singapore Math” is a teaching method based on the national mathematics curriculum used for kindergarten through sixth grade in Singapore. According to this system, students learn specific concepts before moving on to more complex ones, in a linear progression. An approach that has made Singaporean and Chinese (especially in Shanghai) students the best in the world. A method also applied by Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder and CEO, and his wife MacKenzie with their children.
– Singapore math focuses on fewer topics but covers them in greater detail. A rather unusual process in the US where schools teach math through a “mindset approach” that aims to teach students math concepts on an intuitive way, starting with broader concepts before breaking them down into specific steps. On the 2015 PISA (the Program for International Student Assessment, which tests students in math, science and reading skills), Singapore ranked as the top-performing country in each of these three subjects. In view of Jeff Bezos’ incredible accomplishments, it may be a good idea to follow his family’s example in the matter of education.
Picture: Jeff Bezos (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)
