PRESCHOOL MATH ENRICHMENT IN SINGAPORE
Preschool enrichment math programme for K1 and K2
Primary 1 math is more than counting
In Primary 1, children read a short story, picture what is happening and decide what to do. Our preschool enrichment math programme builds those reasoning and problem-solving skills now, through stories, pictures and hands-on activities that follow the MOE syllabus.
Classes of up to 4 children
$550 nett per term
or WhatsApp +65 9722 7759
How your child learns to solve a story sum
The kind of question your child will meet in Primary 1.
- Read the story
Peter has 3 apples. Amber gives him 2 more apples. How many apples does Peter have now?
- Draw it
- See the parts and the whole
- Write the number sentence
3 + 2 = 5
Peter has 5 apples now.
Is your child’s math class preparing them for Primary 1?
Many children already attend a math enrichment class. The question is what it is preparing them for. Here are the four gaps parents most often raise with us, and what we do about each one.
If your child’s class has…
What our programme does instead
Lots of sums, little problem solving
Children still practise their sums with us, but most of the lesson goes into problem solving: reading a story, drawing it and deciding whether to add or take away. That is the skill Primary school math is built on.
Lots of play, little learning you can see
Play is how young children learn best, so we use it, with a purpose. Every game teaches one math idea, and each month your child works on a hands-on math project built around a topic.
A syllabus that does not lead to Primary 1
Our activities follow the MOE syllabus and its methods, such as part-whole thinking and picture-based story sums. What your child learns in K1 and K2 is exactly what Primary 1 builds on.
The same lesson for every child
Every child starts with a free diagnostic test, and you get a report showing exactly what they can already do. We then close the gaps step by step, with booklets chosen for your child, so they start Primary 1 with the basics in place.
Two parts to every child’s programme
Children start Primary 1 with very different foundations. Some preschools focus on learning through play, others on getting ready for Primary school, so the amount of math each child has seen varies a lot.
That is why our programme works on two things at once: closing your child’s knowledge gaps, and building the reasoning that Primary school math now tests.
How we prepare children for Primary 1
Close the knowledge gaps
Free diagnostic test
We benchmark what your child knows against the math a child their age is expected to know.
Knowledge gap report
Our own software analyses the results and produces a report on exactly where your child’s gaps are. You get a copy.
Booklets made for your child
We use the report to plan your child’s learning, with a customised set of booklets built around their needs.
Build reasoning and problem-solving skills
Getting the answer to 7 − 2 is the easy part. Primary school wants children to understand what 7 − 2 means, and it can mean two different things.
Taking away
I have 7 apples and eat 2. I have 5 apples left.
Comparing
I have 7 apples and you have 2. I have 5 more than you.
Speed with sums comes with practice over time. Reasoning has to be taught, and that is where we put our effort.
How we build problem-solving skills for preschoolers
We do not drill young children with pages of sums. Quick drills can show quick results, but they can also put children off math for good. Instead, we teach them to think through a problem the way Primary school will ask them to.
Stories and pictures first
Young children relate to stories. We introduce every problem as a short story with pictures, which gets them thinking and reasoning before any numbers appear.
Putting events in order
Children learn to retell what happens first, next and last in a story. Getting the order right is the first step in solving any word problem.
From pictures to number sentences
We train children to match a number sentence to a picture, so that 3 + 2 = 5 means something real to them, not just symbols on a page.
Games with a purpose
Our curriculum team adapts familiar games such as Snakes and Ladders, Bingo and Roll and Dice so that each one practises a specific math idea.
These habits carry straight into our primary math tuition, where children learn our Building Blocks approach and the 5-step Matrix Method for problem sums.
What your child learns in K1 and K2
Our activities follow the MOE syllabus and methodology, so every topic links to something your child will meet in Primary 1.
By the end of K2, we want your child to reason through a problem, think critically about an answer and solve simple story sums on their own.
See how these topics continue in the Singapore MOE primary math syllabus.
| Topic | What it looks like in class |
|---|---|
| Numbers to 100 | Recognising, reading and comparing numbers up to 100 |
| Addition and subtraction | Fact families: seeing how 2 + 3 = 5 and 5 − 3 = 2 belong together |
| Part and whole | Splitting a whole into parts and putting it back together, the idea behind number bonds |
| Equal groups and sharing | First steps in multiplication and division, practised on a Snakes and Ladders board |
| Measurement | Measuring and comparing lengths using units |
| Ordinal numbers | First, second, third and so on, through a racing-car game |
| Story sums | Reading a short story, drawing it and writing the number sentence |
| Reasoning and sequencing | Putting events in order and explaining why an answer makes sense |
Monthly math projects
Once a month, children work on a hands-on project built around one topic, from fact families to ordinal numbers. Each project is designed to make one math idea stick, in a way children enjoy and remember. Watch our preschoolers at work in these short clips.
Ice cream fact family
Number comparison
Recognising and understanding numbers to 100
Show 6 more projectsShow fewer projects
Snakes, ladders, multiplication and division
The chef recipe
Part and whole
Learning measurement by units
Roll and race
Racing cars and ordinal numbers
Why parents choose Matrix Math®
No more than 4 children a class
With a class this small, the teacher hears every child explain their thinking and steps in the moment a child is stuck.
18 years of preschool math
We have taught our preschool enrichment math programme for 18 years, refining it since 2008 around one goal: a confident start to Primary 1.
Trained teachers
Our teachers are formally trained in the Matrix Method and know the MOE syllabus well, so they spot quickly where a child is stuck.
Classes near you
Preschool classes run at our Marine Parade, Bedok, Ang Mo Kio, Hougang, Jurong East and Toa Payoh centres. Matrix Math® has 12 centres in Singapore and also runs programmes in Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.
Questions parents ask
Can’t find your answer? WhatsApp us on +65 9722 7759.
Which children is the programme for?
Our preschool enrichment math programme is for children in K1 and K2. Every child starts with a free diagnostic test, so lessons begin at the right level whether your child is new to math or already counting confidently. Preschool classes run at our Marine Parade, Bedok, Ang Mo Kio, Hougang, Jurong East and Toa Payoh centres.
What happens in the free diagnostic test?
Your child works through questions that benchmark what they know against the math a child their age is expected to know. Our own software analyses the results and produces a report on your child’s knowledge gaps, and you receive a copy. We then use that report to plan your child’s learning, including a customised set of booklets built around their needs.
How big are the classes?
No more than 4 children. With a class this small, the teacher hears every child explain their thinking and can step in the moment a child is stuck.
How is this different from other preschool math enrichment?
Many programmes focus on arithmetic speed, and some on play with little structure. Ours is a Primary 1 prep class at heart. Children still practise their sums, but the focus is on reasoning and problem-solving skills: reading a story, drawing it and choosing what to do. Play is used throughout, always with a clear math goal.
Does the programme follow the MOE Primary 1 syllabus?
Yes. Our activities are designed to follow the MOE syllabus and methodology, including part-whole thinking and picture-based story sums, so what your child learns now is what Primary 1 builds on. You can see the full scope on our Singapore MOE primary math syllabus page.
How do children usually learn problem solving, and what do you do differently?
Singapore primary math has moved away from rote learning. Drilling a child harder no longer guarantees good results, because questions test whether a child can analyse and reason. Yet many children look for quick fixes when solving problem sums. They hunt for keywords without understanding what the keywords mean in context, or memorise steps from questions they have seen before.
We teach problem solving from the ground up. Preschoolers learn to read a story, picture it and link it to a number sentence. In primary school, our students go on to the Building Blocks approach, which teaches commonly tested concepts as building blocks, and the 5-step Matrix Method, a thinking process for working through harder problem sums.
What problem-solving techniques do preschoolers learn?
We put a strong emphasis on sequencing events, so children can say what happens first, next and last in a story. We also train children to relate number sentences to pictures. Together, these build a solid understanding of math concepts from a young age.
Will my child just be drilled with worksheets?
No. Drilling can give quick results, but it risks killing a young child’s interest in math. We balance story sums, pictures, regular practice and hands-on activities, so children see math as something interesting rather than a chore.
What kinds of activities do you use?
Our curriculum team designs activities specifically for preschoolers. Familiar games such as Snakes and Ladders, Bingo and Roll and Dice are adapted to teach math concepts, and every month there is a hands-on math project. You can watch some of them in the videos above.
How long are lessons, and what are the fees?
Lessons are 1.5 hours, once a week, in classes of no more than 4 children. The term fee is $550 nett, and the diagnostic test is free. Class days and times vary by centre, and our team will share the options at your chosen centre.
Book a free diagnostic test
Tell us about your child and the centre nearest you, and we will arrange a free diagnostic test to see where your child stands.
What happens next
- You send this form with your child’s level and preferred centre.
- Our team contacts you within 3 working days to arrange the free diagnostic test.
- Your child sits the test. You receive a report on their knowledge gaps, and we use it to plan where their lessons begin.
Prefer to chat? WhatsApp us on +65 9722 7759.