Ricky Tan

My name is Ricky, and I am from Singapore living in Johns Creek City. As an engineer by trade, I've always enjoyed the logic and problem-solving aspects of math. But teaching my sons and their friends through the Singapore Math method truly fueled my passion for tutoring

The Singapore math method is a highly effective teaching approach originally developed by Singapore’s Ministry of Education in the 1980s. The method has been widely adopted in various forms around the world over the past 25 years following our introduction of the curriculum to the U.S. in 1998. Singapore Math curriculum focuses on mastery and teaching elementary students to think mathematically so they can build on concepts and rely on theory. It uses a three-step learning process: concrete, pictorial, and abstract. Singapore Math includes a pictorial approach that's often missing from the US math programs. In typical U.S. math programs, students get a worked example, then solve problems that very closely follow that example, repeating all the same steps with different numbers. In Singapore math, students must think through concepts and apply them in new ways from the very start. Since they can’t rely on simple replication, students are pushed to greater engagement and broader thinking. Singapore math not only helps students become more successful problem solvers, but it also helps them gain a sense of confidence and resourcefulness because it insists on conceptual depth. This prepares students to excel in more advanced math in middle schools."