South River Assistant Superintendent
Michael Pfister emphasizes that in the
Singapore system, students achieve
mastery, so schools do not need to
reteach skills. That has implications for
instructional grouping in a typical U.S.
classroom, where students' math skills
often range from two years below grade
level to two years above. Singapore Math
students should be grouped for instruction
with the textbook that is at their
level of understanding. Schools should
use extra resources to help lowachieving
students learn appropriate
material at an accelerated pace, not to
teach them material for which they have
not mastered the necessary prerequisite
skills.