NEWARK, NJ -- Global education leader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) today announced the Singapore Math Symposium, exclusively organized for administrators of Newark Public Schools. The seminar is an opportunity for local administrators to interact with leading educators from Singapore and gain a deeper understanding of the concepts and principles of this style of learning. The symposium is scheduled to take place on March 7, 2012 at the Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
“Singapore has been a top performer in mathematics on all international comparisons, and schools throughout the U.S. have been adopting Math in Focus to make it a reality here,” said Scott Bowker, General Manager of Specialized Curriculum for HMH. “This symposium is meant to give the administrators of Newark the opportunity to hear why and to experience how they can implement the concepts in their classrooms.”The symposium features an impressive list of speakers, which includes Mayor Cory Booker and a keynote address from Dr. Yeap Ban Har, principal at the Marshall Cavendish Institute and director of curriculum and professional development at Pathlight School in Singapore. Dr. Yeap has conducted workshops on the teaching of Singapore Math, problem solving, and geometrical thinking in various countries around the world.
Singapore Math concepts continue to attract attention from educators all over the country for their use of a unique pictorial approach, allowing students to look at problems in a visual way before they move to the abstract. Also distinctive is its consistent focus on problem solving, with specific problem−solving heuristics taught in a carefully sequenced manner, and extensive use of word problems as a way to condition students to connect different mathematical ideas.
In New Jersey, the response has been very positive. More than a dozen school districts across the state have adopted HMH’s Singapore Math program, Math in Focus.
Math in Focus was created in partnership with Asian publisher Marshall Cavendish and is the U.S. version of Singapore′s most widely used primary level program, My Pals Are Here! Maths.
To learn more about Math in Focus, please visit: http://www.hmheducation.com/singaporemath/
About HMH
With education products and services used by 57 million students throughout all 50 U.S. states and 120 countries, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a global education and learning company. The world’s largest provider of materials for pre-K–12 learning, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is leading the way with innovative solutions and approaches to the challenges facing education today. Through curricula excellence coupled with technology innovations and professional services, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt collaborates with school districts, administrators, teachers, parents and students, providing interactive, results-driven learning solutions. Its Educational Consulting Services group works to increase student achievement in underperforming schools by developing, implementing and supporting education transformation through sustained district partnerships. With origins dating back to 1832, the Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning literature for adults and young readers. For more information, visit www.hmhco.com.