Walk into most American elementary math classrooms and you will see students moving through arithmetic procedures: memorize the steps, apply them to a worksheet, move to the next chapter. The approach produces students who can follow instructions. It rarely produces students who can think.
Singapore Math takes a fundamentally different approach — and after decades of international testing, the results are consistent: students taught through Singapore’s curriculum develop stronger conceptual understanding, deeper number sense, and more durable problem-solving ability than students taught through traditional methods.
At SchoolSharp+, Singapore Math has been the foundation of our mathematics program for years. This article explains what Singapore Math is, why it produces better mathematical thinkers, and what our Saturday enrichment program looks like for families on the Upper West Side and across Manhattan.
What Is Singapore Math?
Singapore Math refers to the mathematics curriculum developed by Singapore’s Ministry of Education beginning in the 1980s. Singapore consistently ranks among the top nations on international mathematics assessments, including TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) and PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment).
The curriculum is built on three core principles:
1. The Concrete–Pictorial–Abstract (CPA) Approach
Students begin by working with physical objects: linking cubes, base-10 blocks, counters. They then move to visual representations — diagrams, bar models, pictures. Only after establishing deep conceptual understanding do they work with abstract symbols and equations.
This sequence mirrors how mathematical understanding actually develops in children. Students who skip directly to abstraction (as many traditional curricula do) often memorize procedures without grasping what those procedures mean — a fragile foundation that breaks down under more complex problems.
2. Depth Over Breadth
Singapore Math covers fewer topics per year than most American curricula, but it covers them with far greater depth. Rather than “spiraling” through the same topics year after year with minor additions, the curriculum establishes genuine mastery before moving forward.
The result: students who have completed 3rd grade Singapore Math typically have a more rigorous understanding of multiplication and fractions than students who have completed 4th or 5th grade in a standard American program.
3. Problem-Solving as the Core Method
Singapore Math does not teach students to apply memorized procedures. It teaches students to reason. The curriculum’s signature tool is the bar model — a visual method for translating word problems into diagrams that reveal underlying mathematical relationships.
Students who learn through bar models develop an intuition for algebraic thinking years before they encounter formal algebra. This is one reason Singapore-educated students consistently outperform peers on standardized tests and on competitive exams like the SHSAT and AMC.
Why Singapore Math Matters for NYC Students
For families in New York City, the connection between early math education and later academic opportunity is direct.
The SHSAT — the exam for admission to Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Technical High School, and other specialized high schools — tests mathematical reasoning heavily. The Hunter College High School entrance exam is even more demanding. Math competition programs like Math Olympiad, AMC 8, AMC 10, and Kangaroo Math all reward the deep problem-solving skills that Singapore Math develops.
Students who spend their elementary years building genuine mathematical understanding — through Singapore Math, Art of Problem Solving curricula, and similar programs — arrive at middle school with a significant advantage. Students who spent those years following procedures without understanding them typically hit a wall in 6th or 7th grade when the math becomes genuinely demanding.
The earlier a student builds real mathematical fluency, the more doors stay open.
How SchoolSharp+ Teaches Math
SchoolSharp+ offers math courses for every level from 1st grade through Calculus, all built on the Singapore Math framework and supplemented with Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) and Beast Academy materials for advanced students.
Elementary Mathematics (Grades 1–5)
Our elementary math courses use Singapore Math with concrete manipulatives — linking cubes, base-10 blocks, and counting tools — and move students through the full CPA progression.
Math 1B (1st Grade): Number recognition to 100+, addition and subtraction within 20, place value, patterns, simple word problems — all through hands-on Singapore Math activities.
Math 2B–4B (Grades 2–4): Progressive mastery of multiplication, division, fractions, and multi-step word problems. Each course builds directly on the previous, with no gaps left unaddressed.
Math 5A (5th Grade): Advanced 5th grade mathematics with full Singapore curriculum, preparing students for middle school pre-algebra and beyond.
Middle School Mathematics (Grades 6–8)
Math 6A (6th Grade): Ratios, rates, percents, integers, algebraic expressions, prime factorization, geometry, and statistics — taught to the depth required for future SHSAT and competition math success.
Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry: Full courses taught by experienced instructors, with online options available for families outside the Upper West Side.
Advanced and Enrichment Programs
For students showing exceptional mathematical ability, we offer Beast Academy (an advanced elementary curriculum by the Art of Problem Solving team) and Kangaroo Math Olympiad preparation — a gateway to national and international math competition.
Small Classes, Expert Teachers
Every SchoolSharp+ math class meets with a maximum of a few students per teacher. This is not incidental to our approach — it is central to it.
Singapore Math instruction is interactive. Students explain their reasoning aloud. Teachers identify misconceptions immediately and address them before they calcify. In a class of 20 students, a teacher cannot hear every student’s thinking. In our small groups, that conversation is constant.
Our mathematics faculty includes:
- Lyudmila Filatova — NYS certified mathematician, teaching grades 2–4
- Liudmila Bakunets — Mathematics professor from St. Petersburg, teaching grades 5–6 and SAT Math
- Angel Castellanos — 20+ years of elementary teaching experience, teaching grade 1
- David Qian — Published author of 7 mathematics books, teaching Algebra through Calculus
What Families Say
“Our daughter has benefited from exceptional teachers and Singapore method over four years. The program boosted her math skills and transformed her into a confident mathematician. She looks forward to Saturday classes!” — Cramer Family
“My daughter finds the class with Ms. Mila engaging and fun. The program is very organized with clear, professional communication. I’ve seen her confidence with math grow significantly in a short time.” — Elisa U.
“Small class sizes, personalized attention. David Qian breaks down concepts into accessible lessons. Boosted our daughter’s confidence and proficiency. She developed genuine love for math.” — Abhi Chakil
A Saturday Enrichment Program Built for NYC Families
All SchoolSharp+ math courses run on Saturdays, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, at Union Theological Seminary — a historic landmark on Broadway & 121st Street on the Upper West Side.
The Saturday schedule is designed for families who want serious enrichment without disrupting the school week. One focused morning per week, in a structured environment with experienced teachers, delivers measurable results across a semester.
Students can enroll in a single course or combine math with other programs — Physics, Python, SHSAT prep, SAT prep, English Language Arts, and more — building a comprehensive enrichment schedule in a single location.
Is Singapore Math Right for Your Child?
Singapore Math benefits students at every level:
- Students behind grade level build foundational understanding they may have missed, rather than continuing to fake their way through procedures
- Students at grade level develop the depth needed to thrive in middle school and beyond
- Advanced students accelerate into Art of Problem Solving and competition math, building the skills for SHSAT, AMC, and Hunter
If your child is in grades K–6 and you want mathematics education that actually builds mathematical thinkers — not just test-takers — our Saturday program is the place to start.
Explore our math courses →
Register: [email protected]| (978) 844-6646
SchoolSharp+ is located at 3041 Broadway & 121 St., New York, NY 10027 — at Union Theological Seminary on the Upper West Side. Saturday classes run 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. We have served NYC families for more than twenty years.