Brainlight's Singapore Maths - Mastery not Memorization

2 of my kids started their education in a private school. When the eldest turned grade 4 and my second child grade 2, I was forced to transfer them to a public school due to finances. The environment and the method of teaching in a public school are very different from private. Private schools offer advanced curriculum, particularly in Science and Math subjects. Also, the ratio of a teacher to the students in a private school is 1 : 20 which is why students are being taught more effectively, but in a public school it's 1 : 40 or worse, 1 : 50. Despite the government's effort to make public schools more conducive to learning, still, the fact that the ideal 1 : 30 ratio cannot be achieved, for now.

Ideal teacher-to-student ratio in public schools is 1:30, but that is not the real situation inside the classrooms in the Philippines

My eldest is an achiever. She was their class top student when she was in private school and she is in the second spot in her current class in public school. To sustain her passion for learning, I let her join MTAP Saturday Programs of Excellence for Regular and Mathematically Talented Students, a program of the government for students from Grade One to the Fourth Year, in the pursuit of excellence in Mathematics education. 

Yes, my daughter excelled among the participants but there are still a lot of Mathematical problems that she can hardly understand. That's when I realized, kids need more focus and support on Mathematics.

There are a lot of subjects in school but why do I want my kids to focus on Mathematics? Since Mathematics is a methodical application of matter, I believe making them better with this subject will help them be systematic in life. Certain qualities that are nurtured by Mathematics are the power of reasoning, creativity, abstract or spatial thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving ability and even effective communication skills.

Mathematics - love it or hate it

Mathematics is the cradle of all creations. Be it a cook or a farmer, a carpenter or a mechanic, a shopkeeper or a doctor, an engineer or a scientist, a musician, or a magician, everyone needs mathematics in their day-to-day life.

But mastering Math is not easy and not all methods taught in school are helpful ways to help kids master the art of the subject. It's great that nowadays in the Philippines, Singapore Mathematics is becoming popular.

Singapore Math, which refers to the teaching methods or the actual curriculum used for kindergarten through sixth grade in Singapore, has become popular due to Singapore’s consistent top ranking on an international assessment of student math achievement called the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). In the TIMSS report in 2011, Singapore was ranked at the top for fourth-grade math scores.

Singapore Math is not yet the concept that is being used in most schools, colleges, and state universities in the country which is why if we want the kids to excel in the field of Math, we need to partner with a reliable after-school Maths enrichment program center and the likes.

One of my recommendations is Brainlight Learning Center located in Bonifacio Global City Taguig. Their program is based on the world-renowned Singapore Mathematics Curriculum set by the Ministry of Education Singapore. 

A very relaxing and kid-friendly interior of Brainlight Learning Center

As an educational institution, they aim to develop the love for Maths in their students and build the thought processes that make them analyze, apply, and communicate ideas applicable in real-life. Brainlight is different from other educational institutions because their main focus is on application and analysis in the form of Heuristic Problem-solving. 

A heuristic technique is any approach to problem-solving learning or discovery that employs a practical method, sufficient for reaching an immediate goal. Where finding an optimal solution is impossible or impractical, heuristic methods can be used to speed up the process of finding a satisfactory solution. Heuristics can be mental shortcuts that ease the cognitive load of making a decision. 

 

Tools in problem-solving

Brainlight's Heuristic technique focuses on developing problem-solving skills as the heart of the program. Their approach provides students with well-thought opportunities through a conceptual understanding of Math principles. The model method is one of their visual strategies to represent abstract ideas. Their methods eliminate the need to memorize and instead use mental computations. They teach the alternative method for a specific problem type to allow children to think beyond and make connections.

Brainlight teaches kids as young as 3 years old, mastery not memorization. They don't teach the kids to solve a Mathematical problem with the conventional Mathematical solution, but instead, they ask real-life Math questions which makes kids solve the problem much easier and more practical. They focus on children not just learning but also truly mastering a limited number of concepts each school year. The goal is for children to perform well because they understand the material on a deeper level; they are not just learning it for the test.

Effective learning materials

The method that Brainlight offers is a good stepping stone in learning mathematics, especially in this 21st-century world. The technique is fast and accurate therefore the product is mastery. 

If you want your kids to get ahead in Math and eventually in life, do check out Brainlight Singapore Maths - Philippines, located in Unit 317 McKinley park Residences 3rd Ave. BGC. They are open Mondays - Fridays from 9am to 6pm and Saturdays from 9am to 4pm.

You may also like and follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/brainlightsingaporemaths/ for updates, send email to blc.singaporemaths@gmail.com or call/text (02) 2119624 / 0917 - 1229978 for inquiries.