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Singapore math (or Singapore maths in British English) is a teaching method based on the national mathematics curriculum used for kindergarten through sixth grade in Singapore. The term was originally coined in the U.S. to describe an approach, originally developed in Singapore, to teaching students to learn and master fewer mathematical concepts at greater detail as well as having them learn these concepts using a three-step learning process.〔〔 The three steps are: concrete, pictorial, and abstract. In the concrete step, students engage in hands-on learning experiences using concrete objects such as chips, dice, or paper clips. This is followed by drawing pictorial representations of mathematical concepts. Students then solve mathematical problems in an abstract way by using numbers and symbols. The development of Singapore math began in the 1980s when the country's Ministry of Education developed its own mathematics textbooks that focused on problem solving and heuristic model drawing.〔 Outside Singapore, these textbooks were adopted by several schools in the United States (U.S.) and in other countries such as Canada, Israel, and the United Kingdom.〔 Early adopters of these textbooks in the U.S. included parents interested in homeschooling as well as a limited number of schools.〔 These textbooks became more popular since the release of scores from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), which showed Singapore at the top of the world three times in fourth and eighth grade mathematics. U.S. editions of these textbooks have since been adopted by a large number of school districts as well as charter and private schools.〔 == History == Before the development of its own mathematics textbooks in the 1980s, Singapore imported its mathematics textbooks from other countries. In 1981, the Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore (CDIS) (currently the Curriculum Planning and Development Division) began to develop its own mathematics textbooks and curriculum. The CDIS developed and distributed a textbook series for elementary schools in Singapore called ''Primary Mathematics'', which was first published in 1982 and subsequently revised in 1992 to emphasize problem solving.〔 In the late 1990s, the country's Ministry of Education opened the elementary school textbook market to private companies, and Marshall Cavendish, a local and private publisher of educational materials, began to publish and market the ''Primary Mathematics'' textbooks.〔〔 Following Singapore’s curricular and instructional initiatives, dramatic improvements in math proficiency among Singaporean students on international assessments were observed.〔 TIMSS, an international assessment for math and science among fourth and eighth graders, ranked Singapore’s fourth and eighth grade students first in mathematics three times (1995, 1999, and 2003) among participating nations.〔〔 Likewise, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)'s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a worldwide study of 15-year-old school students' scholastic performance in mathematics, science, and reading, has placed Singaporean students at second place, after Shanghai, China in 2009 and 2012. Since the TIMSS publication of Singapore's high ranking in mathematics, professional mathematicians in the U.S. took a closer look at Singapore mathematics textbooks such as ''Primary Mathematics''.〔 The term, ''Singapore math'', was originally coined in the U.S. to describe the teaching approach based on these textbooks. In 2005, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) published a study, which concluded that U.S. schools could benefit from adopting these textbooks.〔 The textbooks were already distributed in the U.S. by Singapore Math, Inc., a private venture based in Oregon.〔 Early users of these textbooks in the U.S. included parents interested in homeschooling as well as a limited number of schools.〔 They became more popular since the release of the TIMSS scores showing Singapore's top ranking.〔 As of 2004, U.S. versions of Singapore mathematics textbooks were adopted in over 200 U.S. schools.〔〔 Schools and counties that had adopted these textbooks reported improvements in their students' performance.〔〔〔 Singapore math textbooks were also used in schools from other countries such as Canada, Israel, and the United Kingdom.〔〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Singapore math」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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