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Singapore math has been well received by many homeschoolers in the elementary years due to its methodology and teaching of critical thinking skills. It is a quality math program that prepares students well for higher level math. Early learners can now be a part of the Singapore repertoire with a program called "Kinder Thinkers". It is a series of course books and activity books teaching beginning English and Math concepts to early learners. In Singapore, there are different levels of preschool for children ages 3-6 including N1 (Nursery 2-3 yrs.), N2 (Nursery 3-4 yrs.), K1 (Kindergarten 4-5 yrs.), and K2 (Kindergarten 5-6 yrs.). "Kinder Thinkers" follows this sequence and provides four course/activity books or "terms" for each level. These books specifically teach children early critical thinking skills, how to interact with others and prepare them for their primary education. The syllabus follows the criteria set by the PCF curriculum, (short for PAP Community Foundation for Kindergarten), aiming to give children an edge in learning by providing building blocks for literacy and numeracy. The six learning domains covered include creative expression, discovery of the world, language and literacy, motor skills development, numeracy, and social and emotional development.
Each course book is colorful and engaging for little ones and even includes stickers. Teacher instruction is straightforward and is located at the bottom of every page. The occasional activity suggestions in the teacher instruction include household items that are very easy to gather and implement. Each unit teaches math or English concepts within the context of the theme. The unit theme might be about oneself, friends, family, home, Chinese New Year festivals, and more. The activity books are in black and white and provide a few practice sheets for each unit.
The English books teach letter recognition and sounds, handwriting skills, and vocabulary all while learning about parts of the body, parts of a house, colors, etc. The math books teach basic math concepts such as counting, recognizing, and writing numbers; classifying, sorting, and comparing; making charts and pictographs, adding two sets and finding the total; and learning patterns and using visual discrimination to play games and solve puzzles, and more. Because of the Singapore origin, the program teaches the Singapore monetary system.
This appears to be a very strong preschool/early learning program with interactive workbooks that will engage little ones. And parents will love the simple, easy-to-implement instructions without the hassle of a separate teacher's guide. ~ Gina