About Wenxi Lee
Wenxi Lee is the founder of singapore math circle. She grew up in Singapore and went through 12 years of Singapore's math curriculum as a student, part of the first generation of Singaporeans taught the fully developed curriculum, including bar modeling from first grade. She holds an undergraduate degree in mathematics and art history from Washington University in St. Louis and a PhD in math education from the University of Illinois at Chicago, specializing in Singapore math. She has taught Singapore math in Chicago for close to a decade and is the author of The Secrets to Singapore's World-Class Math Curriculum.
Why Wenxi is a different kind of Singapore math expert
Most people teaching or writing about Singapore math in the U.S. learned it as adults, through certification programs, training materials, or self-study, but I'm one of the few in the space who grew up inside Singapore's system. For 12 years, I learned Singapore's national math curriculum as a student, and was taught by some of the country's best math teachers at some of its top schools. I never received any extra-curricular math tutoring growing up, so everything I've learned is from my teachers at school. I now use the exact same methodology I was taught with to translate Singapore math to parents. That methodology comes down to three things Singapore does differently, a spiral curriculum, the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract approach, and bar modeling, all held together by the School Mathematics Curriculum Framework.
My firsthand experience matters because Singapore's curriculum wasn't designed to be exported. It was designed for a highly centralized, unified national education system. Understanding how it was actually taught, not just what the textbooks say, is what sets my perspectives apart. (Read more: What is Singapore math? A complete guide for parents)
Background
I didn't set out to become a math educator. I spent most of my childhood planning to become an architect, but ended up majoring in mathematics and art history at Washington University in St. Louis.
My path into math education started when I volunteered as a tutor at a non-profit organization. Seeing the lack of genuine conceptual understanding in the students I tutored led me back to the curriculum I'd grown up with, and eventually to leaving my advertising career to pursue a PhD in math education, specializing in Singapore's curriculum, at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
I've spent almost a decade teaching Singapore math to students in Chicago and working directly with homeschool families navigating the curriculum.
Publications
Wenxi is the author of The Secrets to Singapore's World-Class Math Curriculum, which combines academic research with personal experience to explain the history, methodology, and common misconceptions of Singapore's approach to math education for a general audience.
Media Appearances
Wenxi has been a guest on education podcasts to talk about Singapore math and her book.
- The School of School Podcast, Episode 182: "The Secrets to Singapore's Success"
- Centering the Pendulum, with Bill Davidson
What is singapore math circle?
singapore math circle is where I teach homeschool parents to use Singapore math the way it's actually meant to be taught, the version that produces the world's best math students, not the American interpretation of it.
When I first started tutoring, I looked for Singapore math resources to use with my students and found close to none. So I built my own, based on my own research and on how I'd been taught growing up in Singapore. Almost a decade later, I still see Singapore math being misinterpreted and misused. This is why singapore math circle exists.
I recently became a mom, and it's made me appreciate community more than ever. It brought me back to the math circles I used to lead years before starting this company, small groups that work through problems together. I wanted to build that same kind of collaborative space, open to homeschool parents and any teacher who wants in too, where we can learn together and give kids the best math education possible.
My ultimate goal is for people to realize that Singapore math isn't a Singapore-specific way of teaching math. It's how math education should be taught. Singapore is simply proof of what a research-based, scientifically grounded curriculum can do.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Wenxi Lee?
Wenxi Lee is the founder of singapore math circle. She grew up learning math the Singapore way, long before it became a curriculum trend. She went through 12 years of the curriculum that helped Singapore rank #1 in math in the world. She is a trained mathematician from Washington University in St. Louis and holds a PhD in math education from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
What are Wenxi Lee's credentials?
An undergraduate degree in mathematics and art history from Washington University in St. Louis, a PhD in math education from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a specialization in Singapore math, and firsthand experience as both a student and teacher of the curriculum.
Why does Wenxi Lee's perspective on Singapore math differ from other experts?
Most Singapore math specialists in the U.S. learned the methodology as adults. Wenxi grew up inside Singapore's education system as a student, which shapes how she evaluates whether a curriculum or teaching approach reflects how the method is actually taught in Singapore, versus how it's often reinterpreted for the American market.
Has Wenxi Lee published any research or books on Singapore math?
Yes, she is the author of The Secrets to Singapore's World-Class Math Curriculum.
Why is it called singapore math circle?
The name comes from math circles, small groups that work through problems together instead of alone. Wenxi led math circles for years before starting the company and wanted to bring that same collaborative, problem-solving spirit to how she works with homeschool parents.