Today we’d like to introduce you to Kar Hwee Koh.
Kar Hwee, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Very soon after our two kids started elementary school, a neighbor who knew that we’re from Singapore and that I used to be a math teacher, ask if I could tutor her kid’s math after school. I had recently received my M.Ed. from Columbia University but had not started exploring career opportunities. So I thought I would give it a shot. Before I knew it, word started to spread and we soon had a few regular “classes” in our dining room. However, we quickly found that we can no longer make it work at our home and needed a bigger space.
We’ve rented a small one classroom space along Massachusetts Ave in Lexington and called ourselves Lexington Singapore School. Our classes are small (max 8 students) and we use the “Singapore math” curriculum (as it is known here in the US, where we’re from its just math!). Over the last 3 years, the program has grown, largely through word of mouth, and we now have about 130 students and six teachers. The students come from various towns around Lexington. We’re currently looking for a bigger space that can accommodate more classes.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Not at all! We had no experience running a business and had to learn as we go. Everything from marketing, hiring, to book-keeping, even setting up a website was new to us. Luckily we had very supportive parents who believed in the program and stuck with us as we stumbled our way through! It has been a blast for us, and we’re working hard to make the program successful as we can see it is really helping the kids.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Lexington Singapore School – what should we know?
We specialized in Singapore math, which is a set of math curriculum we grew up with in Singapore. I also taught math and science in the Singapore public school system for many years and had experience both teaching classrooms and leading teachers with the curriculum.
Singapore’s method of teaching math uses what we call the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract method, i.e. first start with concrete manipulatives to introduce new concepts, then move on to a bridging pictorial representation before finally working on abstract mathematical representation. This ensures a solid understanding of the concepts and builds a stronger foundation for future learning of more advanced topics.
In Singapore, early algebraic thinking is introduced as early as kindergarten. However, we do not start with abstract variables but use picture and drawings instead. Students in Grades 2 to 4 are exposed to challenging algebraic-type word problem without a formal introduction to Algebra (yet)! Singapore makes this accessible through the use the bar modeling technique to allow the students to break down the problem into parts using visualization, making it intuitive and meaningful.
Singapore math is a well-proven math learning method. In the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Singapore students were ranked first in the world in 4th and 8th-grade math. In a separate study, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), 15-year-old students in Singapore were also ranked as one of the top students in terms of mathematical literacy.
The bar modeling technique, together with the curriculum’s focus on logic reasoning, is one that many educators feel has made Singapore students one of the most successful in math in the world.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My husband and I run the business together. While I focus on the running of the classes, he deals with pretty much everything else. In addition to the school’s operation, he also actively looks for more ways we can help teachers and parents, e.g. coaching, workshop and conference opportunities and also online support and webinars. We hope one day, the business is not just about helping kids after school, but also a training and resource center for teachers and parents who want to learn how to best help their kids in math.
Also, I cannot run the school without the team of excellent teachers. Most of them are full-time teachers during school hours and commute to Lexington after their regular work to teach math after school. They are passionate and highly qualified and cared deeply about the program.
Lastly, we’re very fortunate to have parents who don’t just send their kids to our program to occupy their after-school hours. Most of our parents are very hands-on and committed to learning more about how the “new” curriculum works and how to best help their kids. It makes our work much more meaningful to know that parents care and that they will help reinforce the learning at home.
Contact Info:
- Address: 807 Massachusetts Ave Lexington MA 02420
- Website: https://lexingtonsingaporeschool.com/
- Phone: 781-479-2331
- Email: info@lexingtonsingaporeschool.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexingtonsingaporeschool/
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