Happy Monday!
As a college professor and advisor, there is one subject in particular that seems to evoke feelings of anxiety and gnashing of teeth more than most: mathematics. I often say there are two subjects students cry about in my office: public speaking and math. A classical education will do wonders to assist students with the former as we will study wonderful orators from Aristotle to Plato to John Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. But what can classical education do to help students with math? The answer is Singapore Math.

I ran into this article the other day from PBS that gives a wonderful summary of Singapore Math and describes why it is so successful. You can read the article here: What's Singapore Math? If I had to tell you in one sentence why Singapore Math students are so successful, I'd say that Singapore Math avoids the "mile-wide, inch deep" approach of many traditional math programs in the United States. 

If you don't have time to read the whole article, here is my favorite quote from the story:

“Many parents want to tell their children not to do a math problem this way, or they discourage, saying there is an easier way,” Martin says. “Part of Singapore math is children making meaning of the math. Just because the parents understand it one way doesn’t mean the children won’t another.” Char Forsten, a consultant and writer who helps schools implement Singapore math, explains, “When I was in school, the emphasis was on getting the correct answer; here it’s about understanding the math and explaining your answer. That’s a big thing that parents need to understand.” We may want our children to get the right answer, but we also want them to know why it is the right answer.

I am so excited to see what Singapore Math can do for the children of Pineapple Cove Classical Academy!

Virtus tentamine gaudet
(Strength rejoices in the challenge),
Kelly