SDE's National Singapore Math Conference Welcomes Esteemed Yeap Ban Har

PETERBOROUGH, N.H., April 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Staff Development for Educators (SDE), one of the nation's leading providers of professional development for K-12 educators, is pleased to announce the line-up of distinguished presenters for its annual National Conference on Singapore Math Strategies, taking place July 8-11, 2014 in Las Vegas.

Now in its sixth year, the annual conference is where hundreds of K–6 educators from across the country gather each summer to learn about Singapore Math, a teaching method based on the national curriculum of Singapore.

This July, SDE welcomes 18 expert Singapore Math presenters who will help teachers command their content and effectively implement it, while building the student understanding necessary for success.

"We are delighted to welcome the leading minds in mathematics education and Singapore Math. These dynamic speakers, experts, and authors will roll up their sleeves and unleash a collection of best practices in mathematics, based on sound learning theories and aligned to the Common Core," states Amy Aiello, Manager, Public Events Topic and Program Development at SDE. 

Esteemed master and internationally recognized expert Yeap Ban Har, Ph.D., returns to the conference again this year to present a new, full-day session on "The ABCs of Singapore Math Through Whole Numbers", in addition to three other sessions. He co-authored with American educator Lorraine Walker the book, Every Child Can Do Math: Deceptively Simple Activities to Develop Mathematical Thinking, for Grades 3-8.

"We are honored to welcome Dr. Yeap Ban Har. He has trained teachers in more than a dozen countries on Singapore Math, so attendees are in for an amazing learning experience. His devotion to the principles of good math instruction is inspiring and will benefit teachers, math coaches, and administrators," adds Aiello. 

Master educator, author, and math specialist Marcy Cook will present an insightful session entitled "Involve All in the Thinking 'Sport' of Mathematics" in which attendees will learn how to engage all students daily in thinking activities and find ways to constantly assess them   

Also included in the top ranks of conference presenters is nationally recognized Singapore speaker Char Forsten, author of the acclaimed Step-by-Step Model Drawing: Solving Word Problems the Singapore Way. She will present eight 75-minute sessions over two days including "Differentiating Your Math Instruction: A Menu of Sponge Activities."

Rounding out the 2014 speaker roster are National Board Certified Teacher and author of Common Core Math in Action (K–2 & Gr. 3–5) Catherine Kuhns and implementation expert and Math Play author Eliza Thomas.  

The conference will address some of the toughest challenges facing educators today and showcase solutions that work. Through four days of engaging hands-on and interactive sessions, speakers will share exciting strategies to teach students to understand, master, apply, and build upon a solid math foundation as they progress through the grade levels. Sessions will explore today's hottest topics,  including interventions, differentiated math instruction, model drawing, number sense, classroom management, math centers, formative assessment, and more. 

The conference will deliver timely math content and implementation training to meet the needs of a wide range of experience, grade levels, and job functions.  "This year, we've added sessions with grade-level specificity to support an even deeper examination of practical content," says Aiello. "Singapore Math Conference 2014 is truly an unprecedented opportunity for Singapore Math adopters as well as those supplementing their existing curriculums to come together and move the needle forward for student learning."  

Since its inception in 2009, the conference has gained in popularity each year, as Singapore Math has been put into service nationwide by increasing numbers of educators. Many schools are fully implementing the approach while others are using it for pull-out gifted and special-needs programs or to supplement existing math programs. "It's clear that Singapore Math is working well in a wide range of applications. And that is a testimony to its power," declares Aiello.

Aiello said speakers are selected based on their knowledge of and classroom experience with Singapore Math. Each presenter is a math expert and math educator. Many are also best-selling authors on math topics. All deliver ready-to-implement strategies and implementation tips.

About SDE
SDE provides professional development for PreK through Grade 12 educators. Through Onsite PD, PD Events, Web-based PD, and PD Resources, the company empowers teachers and administrators across the country with ongoing professional development that is not only research-based, innovative, and rigorous, but also practical, motivating, and fun. All SDE training is presented by the nation's top authors and educational experts, with the goal of creating extraordinary classrooms that prepare students for the evolving demands of the 21st century.

Educators interested in learning more about SDE's national conferences can visit the company's website, www.SDE.com, or call 1-800-462-1478.

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