Singapore Math Is Popular Among Educators Worldwide. Why?

Singapore Math has gone beyond helping Singaporean students excel in the classroom to becoming a commercial product used widely around the world.

AsianScientist (Jun. 16, 2016) – How does one explain the concept of x to a seven-year-old? The answer, say Singapore math educators, is not to think outside of the box, but to use the box.

They are referring to the bar model method developed by the country’s Ministry of Education more than three decades ago. Students draw a long box or bar to represent a certain quantity, and when two or more quantities are being compared, the bars can be divided into units to reflect the difference in values. Each bar is labeled, and the unknown is denoted by a question mark.

A simple bar model diagram used in Singapore Math that aids in visualization. Credit: Claudia Chong
A simple bar model diagram used in Singapore Math that aids in visualization. Credit: Claudia Chong


Bar modeling allows students to visually appreciate the relationship between compared quantities, as well as abstract concepts in problem-solving. With such innovative methods in its math curriculum, it is no wonder that Singapore was among the top ranked countries in 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007 for the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study.

Furthermore, the Global Competitiveness Report 2015-2016 released by the World Economic Forum placed Singapore first out of 140 countries in quality of math and science education.

But even starker is the fact that Singapore Math has gone beyond helping Singaporean students clinch top positions in international math assessments—it has been successfully transplanted into foreign markets, reaching the shores of over 25 countries such as the US, France and Saudi Arabia.


The appeal of Singapore Math

US-based company Singapore Math Inc. first introduced the Singapore Math textbook series Primary Mathematics (3rd Edition) to the US in 1998. Since then, states such as California and Oregon have approved the use of these textbooks in all kindergarten and elementary schools, International Enterprise Singapore revealed in 2009.

Singapore Math textbooks have also found their way into domestic settings for homeschooling purposes. But what exactly makes the Singapore model of math education so attractive to Western countries?

“What sets Singapore textbooks apart is that fewer topics are introduced at each grade level,” says Kelly Barten, marketing manager of Singapore Math Inc., in an interview with Asian Scientist Magazine. “As a result, more time is spent on each topic, allowing for student mastery of the concepts.”

Barten adds that the structure of Singapore Math is closely aligned with a student’s cognitive development, making for a highly marketable curriculum.

The current math education system in Singapore is the result of a complete restructure during the 1980s. The new system moved away from rote learning and towards a deeper understanding of concepts. Curriculum designers drew upon educational psychologist Jerome Bruner’s theory that learning takes place in three steps: through the use of real objects, then via pictures, and lastly, with the aid of symbols. This is called the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract, or C-P-A, approach.

“In the same way, when introducing word problems to be solved for the first time, stories or contexts that students are familiar with are discussed first,” shares Dr. Ridzuan Abdul Rahim, a math specialist at the Singapore Ministry of Education.

“After which, the pictorial representation of the problem is developed to render a solution of the problem in its abstract form.” NEXT PAGE >>>

Claudia is a Communications major at Nanyang Technological University. When she was 13, she got a scar on her knee from falling down and swore never again to chase after a bus. She now spends her days doing safer things like reading, writing and practising Taekwondo.

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