Todd Teachers in Training for Singapore Math Program

BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y. — Teachers at all grade levels at Todd Elementary School are undergoing intense professional development to implement a new math series as well as multimedia curriculum that adopts the pedagogical principles used to teach math in Singapore to deliver an engaging learning experience for students.

The textbooks, Primary Mathematics along with the digital curriculum, “Math Buddies,” uses the Singapore math concept, which is the No, 1 ranked math program in the world and has been proven to be one of the most successful in-school and after-school enrichment programs for mastering math concepts. It is used in over 40 countries and many of the top private and public schools in the United States have adopted the program. More locally, districts such as Dobbs Ferry and Scarsdale have been using the program for years

Dr. Makoto Yoshida from iSingaporeMath (the “i” standing for interactive), a New Jersey-based facilitator of the Singapore math program, is leading the training of Todd teachers. Dr. Yoshida has worked with mathematics teachers throughout the region to improve their content knowledge and classroom instruction. Todd math coordinator Cindy Yaeger and Todd Principal Nadine McDermott are providing support and oversight.

“The Math Buddies program is extremely hands-on and encourages children to actually become ‘math buddies’ by learning independently, yet in a team-oriented environment,” said Principal McDermott. “Teachers learn powerful techniques to motivate their students to become self-directed learners. It’s aligned with the Common Core Standards and Mr. Yoshida and iSingaporeMath are at the forefront of the methodology behind the program’s success.”

The Common Core Standards were designed to establish consistency across states and ensure that academic standards are robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that young people need for success in college and careers today. Common Core looks to develop a linkage of concepts in alignment with the way math students in other high-achieving countries learn math, particularly at the lower grade levels, with a greater focus on mastery of complex concepts via more hands-on learning.

Math Buddies is published by Marshall Cavendish, an international company that produces books, directories, magazines and digital platforms in 13 different languages spanning Asia to the U.S.