Our Story

We believe the highest quality math education should be accessible to all. Our commitment to this mission began in 1998 when we introduced Singapore math to teachers and parents in the U.S., and it remains our guiding principle as we continually develop Singapore Math® material.

Our story began when we moved from Singapore to the U.S. in 1997, and found the math program at our first grade daughter’s school underwhelming. We began to supplement her education at home with the math curriculum she had recently been using at her public school in Singapore. Through this process, we realized that the Singapore math method was uniquely effective and that it would be useful to other parents and teachers. We started selling textbooks from our home in 1998 to share this powerful approach.

Since those early years, Singapore math has become an established part of national and international conversations about math education. We’ve continually improved and expanded our offerings to suit the diverse and ever-evolving needs of students and educators.

One thing that hasn’t changed is our core belief that all students deserve a solid foundation in math. We know that Singapore math works, and our goal is to make the finest math education in the world available to as many students as possible through approachable pricing and engaging material.

Thank you for helping us spread math mastery!

Dawn & Jeffery Thomas

Founders

Over 25 years ago my parents introduced Singapore math textbooks to a few parents in our new community in Oregon. We had just moved from Singapore and they noticed a substantial difference between the math education at my local school and what I had been learning in Singapore. They wondered if students and parents might benefit from the Singapore math curriculum.
Over 25 years ago my parents introduced Singapore math textbooks to a few parents in our new community in Oregon. We had just moved from Singapore and they noticed a substantial difference between the math education at my local school and what I had been learning in Singapore. They wondered if students and parents might benefit from the Singapore math curriculum.
The need and interest were instantly apparent. Longtime homeschoolers, university math professors, and pioneering school principals from across the country saw how powerful Singapore math was. Momentum and interest grew organically, and we kept creating new Singapore math content.
Today, many Singapore math concepts and methods have been folded into other popular math programs. We’re proud of the wide influence this approach has had on math education. We’re still family-owned and operated, and still dedicated to our original mission. Thank you for being here. We love your passion for Singapore math!
Echo Thomas

CEO

A Bit of History

1995

The Southeast Asian island nation of Singapore ranks number one in the TIMSS for the first time, meaning Singapore's students show the highest competency in mathematics in the world. The U.S. ranks in the middle.

1997

Echo attends first grade at a public school in Singapore and uses the original Primary Mathematics curriculum in math class.

The Thomas family moves to West Linn, OR, bringing along Echo’s math books.

1998

Singapore Math Inc. is founded. We are the first to bring the Singapore math curriculum to the U.S.

The news that a highly effective style of teaching math has washed ashore quickly spreads by word of mouth to those invested in math education in the U.S.

1999

Madge Goldman of the Paul and Gabriella Rosenbaum Foundation is an early supporter of the program.

Forward-thinking educators in the school and homeschool spaces start championing the Singapore math pedagogy.

The Thomas family runs the warehouse operation from their home garage.

2000 - 2001

We start creating supplementary content and adapting Primary Mathematics for the U.S. Professor Richard Askey and Professor Yoram Sagher advise on adaptation of Primary Mathematics.

Primary Mathematics is adopted by several public school districts in the U.S.

This NPR feature comes out as the buzz around the Singapore math approach grows.

Jenny Kempe (still our head curriculum advisor!) comes on board.

2003

We complete the adaptation of the first Singapore math curriculum specifically for U.S. use, bringing wider interest.

2008

Singapore ranks number one again in the 2008 TIMSS.

School adoption and homeschool interest accelerates.

2010

The New York Times captures Singapore math's unique position: "Singapore math’s added appeal is that it has largely skirted the math wars of recent decades over whether to teach traditional math or reform math. Indeed, Singapore math has often been described by educators and parents as a more balanced approach between the two, melding old-fashioned algorithms with visual representations and critical thinking."

2013-2015

After years of feedback about Primary Mathematics from schools and homeschoolers, we're inspired to evolve the Singapore math experience and embark on developing a new curriculum.

The Dimensions Math PK-5 writing, review, and design team is formed. Professor Richard Askey signs on as academic advisor.

We move to our current warehouse and office location in Tualatin, OR.

2018

After several years of intensive work behind-the-scenes, Dimensions Math PK-5 successfully launches!

2023

The influence of Singapore math is now widespread and its techniques are used in many programs and by millions of students.

Singapore Math Inc. celebrates 25 years of raising educational standards through Singapore math.

Our Mentors
Our Mentors
“The central idea of all of mathematics is to discover how it is that knowing some few things will, via reasoning, permit us to know much else—without having to commit the new information to memory as separate facts. Mathematics is economy of information, not its unnecessary proliferation. Basic mathematics properly presented conveys this lesson. It is the connections, the reasoned, logical connections, that make mathematics manageable. Understanding the structure of mathematics is the key to success.” — Madge Goldman
The generous support of our mentors has been instrumental to our success. Madge Goldman (1929–2024), President of the Gabriella and Paul Rosenbaum Foundation, saw the power of the Singapore math pedagogy and was a dedicated supporter of improving K–12 math education in the U.S. She was a true guide who helped us adapt teaching materials and introduced us to mathematicians who were passionate about early math education.
Dr. Richard Askey (1933–2019), Professor Emeritus at University of Wisconsin-Madison, played an essential role as our academic advisor for nearly 20 years, and was the key academic consultant on Dimensions Math PK–5, ensuring the mathematical integrity and accuracy of the content.