In a child’s early learning years, every concept encountered and every thinking habit formed acts as a foundational block, profoundly influencing the academic architecture of their future. For mathematics—an abstract yet orderly subject—a correct and solid beginning is crucial. Sinobus’s programs for preschool and primary students are meticulously designed to construct this “pyramid of thinking,” transforming the globally acclaimed Singapore Math methodology into a joyful journey suited to a child’s cognitive development.
Mathematics in Play: Germinating Understanding Through Concrete Action
For young learners, Sinobus rigorously adheres to and deepens the Singapore Math CPA (Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract) progression. We are convinced that true understanding begins with the hands.
Concrete Stage: Children use manipulatives like blocks, counters, and fraction tiles to perform actions such as “combining,” “splitting,” and “comparing.” They are not memorizing “2+3=5”; they are physically experiencing that “2 apples and 3 apples put together become 5 apples.” This hands-on experience imbues mathematical concepts with genuine meaning.
Pictorial Stage: This is a highlight of Sinobus’s pedagogical art. We guide children to translate their physical actions into drawings and diagrams. From simple coloring to show quantity, to basic bar graphs for comparison, and to introducing foundational “part-whole” model drawings for Primary 1 students. This stage is the critical bridge from the physical world to abstract thought.
Abstract Stage: Only when a concept has a clear image and meaning in the mind do we introduce numbers and symbols (+, -, ×, ÷, =). At this point, “5+3=8” is no longer a sentence to be memorized, but a concise representation of a process they already thoroughly understand.
Cultivating “Number Sense”: Instinct Beyond Calculation