Singapore Math Emphasizes Mastery, not Memorization

The French School of Austin, or Ecole Jean Jacques Rousseau, emphasizes multilingualism, multiculturalism, and academic excellence. Located in Austin, Texas, the French School of Austin/Ecole Jean Jacques Rousseau offers students in preschool through eighth grade a challenging curriculum that includes Singapore math. 

After children in Singapore began ranking highly in math, the rest of the world took notice and began adopting what is now known as Singapore math. This encompasses the country’s methods for teaching math to children in kindergarten through sixth grade. 

Some educators credit the success of Singapore math to its emphasis on mastery rather than memorization. American math classes have traditionally relied on memorization and math drills, with immediate results on tests. Singapore math, on the other hand, is based on child development theory. It focuses on helping students master a smaller number of concepts each year, so that they understand the math they’re applying at a fundamental level. 

Singapore math is still relatively new to the United States, as it was introduced in the late 1990s by Jeffrey Thomas and his wife, Dawn, a native of Singapore. However, schools in 40 states have incorporated it into their curriculum, a number that will likely continue to grow.

Benefits of Small Bilingual Class Sizes

Founded by experienced educators Dr. Hind Louali and Sonia and Mohammed Louali, the French School of Austin, also known as Ecole Jean Jacques Rousseau, offers full-time French instruction programs taught by highly-qualified teachers who are also native speakers. The French School of Austin/Ecole Jean Jacques Rousseau follows the standards set by the French Ministry of Education and purposefully keeps student-teacher ratios low to ensure more opportunities for one-on-one support and enhance each child’s learning experience. 

Low student-teacher ratios are ideal for bilingual learning environments, where students may need extra support in reading and writing skills while learning other core subjects. Additionally, some of the anxieties associated with second language learning are measurably reduced in smaller classes. In one study, language students in classes with fewer children reported higher feelings of security, which contributed to higher levels of class participation. 

The benefits are especially notable for elementary school students. More teacher attention can increase student achievement and reduce student behavioral issues. Calmer class environments are more conducive to learning and help promote a supportive class culture.

Why Learn Multiple Languages?

Ecole Jean Jacques Rousseau, also known as the French School of Austin, provides multilingual education from preschool through eighth grade. Many students at Ecole Jean Jacques Rousseau graduate speaking three languages, and six major languages are represented in its student body.

Speaking multiple languages doesn't just equip these young people to converse with those in other nations, it provides health and social benefits that last a lifetime. Those who speak multiple languages generally develop better attention spans and improved multitasking abilities, and face lower risks of stroke than monolingual speakers. They also experience cognitive decline at a slower rate than those who only know one language, often experience delayed onset of common aging-related diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia, and have lower stress levels than the general population.

Bilingualism also often correlates with open-mindedness. Bilinguals typically deal with environmental changes more effectively than their monolingual counterparts, and are more open to new experiences.

Does Class Size Actually Matter?

Ecole Jean-Jacques Rousseau, or the French School of Austin, provides preparatory education to international, American, and French students in preschool, elementary school, and middle school. One of the unique features of the French School of Austin, Ecole Jean-Jacques Rousseau, is the fact that it has small class sizes that promote hands-on involvement from bilingual teachers.

On average, class sizes in the United States range from about 23 students to almost 30 students depending on the state and the grade of students. For this reason, many states have introduced legislation that attempts to reduce classroom sizes to benefit students and teachers. However, it’s often debated how worthwhile such legislation would be, despite decades of research showing that smaller class sizes do improve student performance.

According to several studies, students in smaller classrooms outperform their peers on all assessments and in all subjects. In fact, they are usually one to two months ahead of students in larger classrooms in terms of their content knowledge. This benefit is seen regardless of whether students come from high- or low-income families, or whether they have been lower-achieving students during their time in school.

There are several reasons why this improvement occurs. Many people assume that it is because teachers with smaller class sizes are able to tailor their instruction more effectively to each student. While this does play a role, teachers don’t automatically change their behavior just because their class size is smaller; they need to be trained before their teaching habits change.

Smaller classes may also improve student performance because students in such settings are shown to behave better in class. This lets individual students, and the class as a whole, learn more efficiently.