What is Singapore math? A complete guide for parents
Singapore math is the term that Americans use to refer to Singapore's approach to teaching math. It's not a brand or a textbook used in Singapore. The goal of Singapore's approach isn't to teach math. It's to develop problem-solvers, using methods built on research about how children actually learn mathematics. This is why Singapore math isn't really specific to Singapore. It's simply how math should be taught, and Singapore is proof of what a research-based, scientifically grounded curriculum can do.
Singapore uses three key approaches: a spiral curriculum, the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach, and bar modeling (the Model Method). The results speak for themselves. Singapore has ranked #1 or at the top of the TIMSS and PISA international math assessments for almost 30 years.
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Singapore math doesn't exist in Singapore
There's no such thing as "Singapore math" in Singapore. Math is just math, the same way American football is just "football" in the U.S. The term "Singapore math" was coined by Singapore Math Inc., the American company that started importing Singapore's curriculum materials in the late 90s. Using "Singapore math" is a way to set those textbooks apart from every other math program on the U.S. market.
The name is iconic, but misleading. Say "Singapore math" and most people picture a specific set of textbooks. But what makes Singapore's approach work has never been about any single textbook. The real advantage is its teaching philosophy, one that Singapore's Ministry of Education spent decades building and refining, but almost nobody outside Singapore ever talks about it.
Why did Singapore math become famous?
In 1995, Singapore ranked #1 in math in the very first cycle of TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study). Singapore has stayed at the top of TIMSS in nearly every cycle since. In the 2023 cycle, Singapore's fourth graders scored 615 in math, 98 points ahead of the U.S. average of 517 and well above the international average of 503. Singapore's eighth graders scored 605, 117 points ahead of the U.S. average of 488. It has also ranked highly in every PISA cycle since its first participation in 2009. In PISA 2022, Singapore scored 575 in math, more than 100 points above the OECD average of 472, and came in first out of all 81 participating countries and economies.
TIMSS grade 4 mathematics, 1995–2023
No assessment was administered at grade 4 in 1999. Shaded area shows the score gap between the two countries.
TIMSS grade 8 mathematics, 1995–2023
Every TIMSS cycle since the study began. Shaded area shows the score gap between the two countries.
PISA mathematics (age 15), 2003–2022
Comparable PISA math trend begins in 2003. Singapore first participated in 2009. Shaded area shows the score gap from 2009 onward.
A common critique here is that Singapore's rankings reflect its tutoring culture, not its curriculum. While it is true that private tutoring is ubiquitous in Singapore, and social pressure plays a significant role in why families sign up, the research on this doesn't back up the critique the way people assume. A 2024 study of PISA 2022 data across 55 countries found that most forms of tutoring had no meaningful link to math performance, and traditional one-on-one tutoring was actually associated with lower scores, a sign that it's mostly remedial rather than what's producing the top performers.
Singapore's TIMSS and PISA rankings have attracted global interest in its curriculum and its way of teaching math. By 2015, more than 2,500 U.S. schools, and an even larger number of homeschool families, had adopted some form of Singapore math. Curriculum developers, policymakers, and eventually publishers were all asking the same thing: What was Singapore doing differently? And the answer wasn't in a single textbook. It was in a framework.
The framework behind the curriculum (SMCF)
Most explanations of Singapore math stop at bar models and the CPA approach because they're the most visual and glamorous parts. But what really makes Singapore's curriculum work is the School Mathematics Curriculum Framework (SMCF), something that is rarely discussed outside of Singapore. It's what holds the whole approach together.
At the center is a single goal, mathematical problem-solving. It's supported by five components arranged in a pentagon: conceptual understanding, procedural skill, problem-solving processes, metacognition, and productive attitudes toward math. Bar models and the CPA approach are tools used in Singapore's curriculum, but the SMCF is the reason those tools exist in the first place. (Read more: What is the School Mathematics Curriculum Framework (SMCF)?)
Three key methods of Singapore math
1. A spiral curriculum
In the U.S., Singapore's approach is often described as a "mastery" curriculum rather than a "spiral" one, but that's a huge misconception. Singapore introduces advanced topics early and revisits them at increasing difficulty every year. Take addition for example. Children don't jump straight to adding 3,459 + 2,789 in first grade. They learn to add within 10, then within 20, then within 100, slowly building toward addition within 10,000. And once a topic is introduced, it doesn't disappear until the next grade level. It keeps showing up alongside new topics throughout the year, so understanding compounds instead of resetting. (Read more: Is Singapore math a spiral curriculum?)
2. The CPA approach
CPA moves students through three stages. First, manipulating physical objects (concrete). Then drawing representations (pictorial). Finally, using numbers and symbols alone (abstract). Manipulatives and bar modeling are both tools within the CPA approach. It's one of the most talked-about parts of Singapore's curriculum, and also the most misused. Many people think CPA is linear. Teach with concrete objects first, then take the manipulatives away; move to pictures, then take those away too, and finally move to numbers alone. But that's not how the CPA approach actually works. All three stages are meant to work together to build understanding, not get swapped out one after another. (Read more: How Singapore math uses the CPA (Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract) approach)
3. Bar modeling (the Model Method)
Dr. Kho Tek Hong and his team developed bar modeling in 1983. It's a method that uses rectangular bars to visually represent the relationships in a word problem. It's the secret weapon of Singapore's math curriculum, because it prolongs the pictorial stage of CPA longer than almost any other curriculum in the world, giving students a visual bridge all the way to algebraic thinking. (Read more: What is Singapore math bar modeling?)
Singapore math bar model ruler
The exact ruler Wenxi used as a student in Singapore, for drawing accurate bar models by hand, faster and neater than freehand.
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The Secrets to Singapore's World-Class Math Curriculum
The five-part framework (SMCF), the real spiral curriculum, and the research behind Singapore's mastery approach, from a Singapore-raised PhD in math education.
Shop the bookThe Singapore math curricula available in the U.S.
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| Curriculum | Publisher | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions Math | Singapore Math Inc. | Best for homeschoolers who want the most comprehensive Singapore math curriculum available, without having to purchase supplementary materials. One thing to note, it's designed entirely by an American curriculum team. |
| Primary Mathematics 2022 | Marshall Cavendish | Homeschoolers who want the strongest teaching support. This program has the best Singapore math home instructor's guides. It's designed by a Singaporean team with American consultants. |
| Primary Mathematics (US/Standards editions) | Marshall Cavendish | Not recommended for new adopters. They're dated programs with poor teaching guides for both homeschool and school use. |
| Primary Mathematics (SIE edition) | Star Publishing | Families who want the closest match to what Singaporean students use today. But it only comes with a teacher's guide. No home instructor's guide is available. |
| Math in Focus | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | Geared toward school adoption. Not ideal for homeschoolers. |
| Think! Mathematics | Shing Lee Publishers | For school adoption only. Not available for homeschoolers. |
Is Singapore math the same as Common Core, or "new math"?
No, and this is the single most common confusion parents run into. Number bonds, bar models, and manipulatives show up in Common Core-aligned curricula too, because most current U.S. math programs borrowed surface features from Singapore's approach over the last 30 years. The difference is that Common Core sets standards for what students should know, while Singapore math is a complete system for how to teach it.
Is Singapore math a good fit for homeschoolers?
Singapore's actual school system runs on a fast, high-stakes timeline that most homeschoolers wouldn't want to replicate. Singapore's curriculum was also never designed to be rushed. It was designed to build deep understanding over time. Homeschool is an ideal setting for Singapore's approach, because a parent can control the pace and let their child get the most out of it.
Why Singapore math travels poorly
Most families and schools that try to adopt Singapore math end up importing only the most visible pieces, bar modeling and the CPA approach, without the SMCF holding them together. Buying a curriculum with bar models in it isn't the same as teaching the way Singapore's Ministry of Education actually built the system to work. The gap, that results from using the tools without the framework, is usually the real reason behind "we tried Singapore math and it didn't work."
Here's the thing, though. Singapore math doesn't only work in Singapore. It works anywhere and everywhere when you understand how it works. Because Singapore math is how math should be taught, and Singapore is proof of what a research-based, scientifically grounded curriculum can do.
Frequently asked questions
Is Singapore math a real curriculum in Singapore?
No. "Singapore math" isn't a term used in Singapore. It's a term created in the U.S. to market textbooks built on Singapore's approach. In Singapore, students and teachers use Ministry of Education-approved textbooks, taught as part of the country's standardized math syllabus. There's no separate "Singapore math" track or brand to opt into. The version now sold in the U.S. as Primary Mathematics (SIE edition) is the direct international adaptation of those same MOE-approved books, published by Star Publishing. Every other Singapore math curriculum sold in the U.S., including Dimensions Math, Primary Mathematics 2022, and Math in Focus, is one step further removed. It's adapted from Singapore's approach, rather than a copy of the textbooks Singaporean students use today.
Who invented Singapore math?
No single person invented Singapore math. The methods are synthesized from and backed by research, which is why Singapore's approach is, simply put, the scientific way of teaching mathematics. SMCF's core structure closely resembles the five-strand model the National Research Council later synthesized from decades of research in its landmark 2001 report, Adding It Up, which arrived more than a decade after Singapore had already implemented its own framework. The spiral curriculum and the CPA approach are both adapted from American psychologist Jerome Bruner's work on how children build understanding, and the Model Method (bar modeling) was created in 1983 by Dr. Kho Tek Hong and his curriculum team, based on how the mind represents relationships between quantities.
Is Singapore math the same as Common Core or "new math"?
No, and this is the most common confusion parents run into. Common Core is a set of academic standards adopted by U.S. states, describing what students should know at each grade level, but not how to teach it. Singapore math, by contrast, is an entire system. It's a complete curriculum and teaching methodology built around one goal, developing problem-solvers, not just a checklist of grade-level standards. The two can look similar because many Common Core-aligned U.S. math programs have borrowed visual tools like number bonds and bar models from Singapore's approach over the last two decades. But borrowing a visual tool isn't the same as adopting the philosophy behind it. Singapore's curriculum ties every method back to a single framework in a way most U.S. programs never attempt.
Which Singapore math curriculum should I use?
Dimensions Math gives you the most complete coverage with the least need for supplements, but it's designed by an American team. Primary Mathematics 2022 is closer to authentic Singapore pedagogy and comes with the best home instructor's guides available, which matters if you're teaching this yourself for the first time. Primary Mathematics (SIE edition) is the closest match to what students in Singapore use today, but it only comes with a teacher's guide, not a home instructor's guide, which makes it a harder starting point without training. Math in Focus and Think! Mathematics are built for school adoption, not homeschooling. Here's the honest answer, though. The textbook series you pick matters less than how you teach it. You can teach Saxon or Horizons math the Singapore way if you're familiar with the approach. That's exactly what I teach parents to do in my courses, apply the method regardless of which curriculum sits on your shelf.
Is Singapore math good for homeschoolers?
Yes, homeschool is a great fit for Singapore's approach. Singapore's own school system runs on a fast, high-stakes timeline built around national examinations, which pushes teachers to move through the curriculum quickly even when students haven't fully absorbed a concept. But Singapore's curriculum itself was never designed to be rushed. It's built to develop deep understanding through the CPA progression and real problem-solving, not speed. In a homeschool setting, a parent controls the pace instead of a classroom clock, which means Singapore math gets to work the way it was designed to. It moves at your child's pace, with room to go deeper instead of racing to keep up with a class average.
Written by Wenxi Lee, 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.