Buying a Singapore primary school math assessment book? Get top tips on what to look out for to help you get the best one!
Buying Singapore primary school math assessment books can be a tricky task when there is a limit to the number of assessment books you can buy. To help you make a better decision, we’ve put together some top tips that’ll come in handy.
#1 What kind of math assessment book is right for my child?
What’s the ideal math assessment book out there? Let’s look at the 3 main types of assessment books out there.
Topical math books
These books are arranged by topics and follow the order that they are taught in school. The questions are usually quite basic and involve repetition of some kind.
If your child needs help building their foundation or if you are just looking for something to help them with revision. These kinds of math assessment books are recommended.
Heuristics, challenging math assessment books
In terms of difficulty, these books are a little more advanced than what we looked at earlier. They tend to focus more on challenging word problems and problem-solving techniques.
These kinds of math assessment books are good if your child already has a strong foundation in primary school mathematics. They are also handy if you want them to apply what they have learnt to solve harder problems.
Exam papers/Practice papers
Strictly speaking, exam papers or practice papers are not really assessment books so to speak, but they are the best option if you are preparing your child for their primary school exams or the PSLE.
These papers have a variety of questions across the topics and they can come in handy if you want to have a quick gauge of how your child might do in an actual exam.
Choosing the right kind of math assessment book that suits your child’s needs will ensure a higher chance of success of you achieving your goals and that your child’s time spent on practising is well-spent.
#2 Is my math assessment book up to date?
You’ll want to get a good assessment book that follows the latest Singapore MOE math syllabus. Assuring that your child is practising what is taught in school and learning is relevant.
To avoid wasting time and energy on the wrong materials, it is important to check when the book was published. This in order to confirm that they are updated and cross-check its topics with your child’s school textbook to make sure the same topics are covered.
#3 What can my child get out of this assessment book?
The best type of math assessment book helps a child learn better and reinforces the concepts taught in school.
Look out for high quality notes and solutions. A good math assessment book should come with easy-to-understand notes and clear step-by-step solutions to help your child learn.
#4 Should I buy popular assessment books that are recommended by other parents?
Yes and no. Getting recommendations from fellow parents is good when you have totally no clue what to get. However, popular assessment books do not work for every child.
Assessment books are written for the masses. Choosing the best math assessment book for your child still boils down to your understanding of your child’s needs. And more importantly, how willing your child is to complete the assessment books.
#5 You may have bought the best math assessment book in Singapore, but will your child do it?
According to a survey done by OpenSchoolbag in 2016, it was found that children complete 60% of their assessment books on average. Some parents even reported completion rate as low as 10% to 15%. How do you avoid wasting time and money?
Involve your child in the selection process and get an engaging assessment book so that they’ll feel motivated to do it. When your child likes the book and knows that they have chosen it themselves, it’s more likely for them to follow through and practise on their own without much nagging on your part.
Conclusion
We hope that these 5 tips have given you a better understanding of what to look out for when buying the best math assessment book.
If you prefer to save time and effort on the selection process, you might want to look out some other online alternatives that may offer you more for your dollar as compared to these physical assessment books.