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[myprincessgirlisa]

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[cigarboo]

I just buy the workbooks and have my kids work on them. Lately, we've been getting lazy.

My niece and nephew have been doing the Kumon math for about 4yrs now, since around 4yrs old. They take tests every week or so to see if they can get up to the next level. My niece who is naturally math inclined loves it, but my nephew "failed" all the time. Just couldn't do those math problems fast enough. I'm not sure if I would get them into it so early. My SIL seems to think it helps, but I just think it's a lot of pressure on the kids. 4yrs of kumon and I don't really see that my nephew is doing great in math. Maybe he would be doing worse without it. My niece would have done great in math regardless, just because she loves it and would spend all her time in preschool doing math pages.

 

[sadiebug]

My DD (9) just started Kumon a month ago. She really struggled with math - mostly just memorizing her number facts. She's a great student in all the other subjects, but for some reason math just has her baffled.

She has done extremely well on their program. She has a packet of worksheets that she does everyday of the week - and she goes to the center twice a week to get new worksheets. They do not do alot of one on one tutoring - it's more about learning from repetition and putting together a foundation for them to build on, but if a child is really struggling with something they will do their best to help. The children also will not start learning a new concept until they have mastered the one they are already working on. It has increased DD's self-confidence tenfold and her math grades have already improved!

It can be kind of a pain. You have to do the worksheets every day and they take anywhere from 15-30 minutes, and then you as the parent have to grade them immediately so they can fix any errors they may have made. The price is plenty reasonable - around $100 a month - as compared to Sylvan who might charge that per week.

Let me know if you have any other questions. It's been a great thing for my daughter!

 

[Russian-in-Kansas]

Oy, I worked for them for 1 1/2 years and honestly stayed away from their methods on my kids. Not that theirs are not good enough and I have seen enough children whom it has helped...but the greatest fun with math is not through worksheets. Look for books by Yakov Perelman, I am not sure if they have him in English or not, but he is a famous Russian mathematician with a whole series of books filled with logic problems and experiments to grasp the concepts of not only general math, but algebra, geometry, yes calculus, chemistry, physics.
Same with reading, the only true and tested way to improve is to read more.

 

[wlwilliams9]

As a teacher, I would discourage my parents from sending my students there. While they stick to state standards that are required for your child, they do not necessarily use the same curriculum as your school district.

I would ask your child's teacher about tutors. Many times teachers and high school students will tutor for extra $$. I teach 3rd grade, for the few students that have needed a little extra help, I have suggested student teachers as tutors and our local high school offers a program to all student in the district where high school students who plan on becoming teacher tutor for extra cash and college credit with the local university. See if your school district offers any extra help!

 

[ERMama]

I know some districts strongly discourage or forbid it but ours doesnt...

My sons special ed teacher has offered to tutor him for the summer so we are doing that (1 hr twice a week) vs. summer school.

I looked into Sylan last year and the class/structure they had would not have been a good fit for my son.

I would rather spend the money and give it to someone who already has proved to get my son to learn and respond to them positively.

 

[tjlovespooh]

I actually work at a Kumon center right now. I used to teach full-time before DS was born. I primarily work with the younger students (Jr. Kumon) because they require more one-on-one interaction/guidance. Most of these kids are between 3 and 5 years old. I have anywhere between one and four students under my supervision at any given moment. Most of my students do Reading exclusively, although some do both Reading & Math. I have spent a significant amount of time in the main center (older students) as well. Here are a few observations I've made in the time I've been at the center (over a year):

Basically, students do worksheets both at home and at the center. They start at a comfortable (often perceived as "easy") level to begin. The idea of this is to provide the student with a sense of success/accomplishment right from the start (generally speaking, students should not feel frustrated with their Kumon work - a little challenging but not overwhelming). The worksheets are "graded" based on both the number of correct/incorrect answers provided as well as the time it took the student to complete the work. Kumon emphasizes efficiency and accuracy - both are important factors (again, lack of efficiency indicates the student is struggling).

In the particular center I work at, I would say that almost all the students are not there because they are in need of extra "help". At least 70% of our center's students are enrolled to further challenge what they have learned in school (these kids are not going to Kumon for "tutoring" - their parents just want them to keep ahead of grade-level). From what I have seen, these students do remarkably well with the Kumon method.

On the other hand, the kids who are struggling when they come to the center (the ones who are in need of a tutoring program) appear to struggle with Kumon just as they would with their schoolwork, reading especially. I've seen Kumon help struggling math students since that discipline is much more cut and dry - there are specific sequences to solving math problems. Plus, math always has a clear right/wrong answer.

All in all, I would only recommend Kumon if you/your child wants to further challenge what they have already learned (they're doing well in school already and would like an extracurricular learning experience) or if you're child is having some trouble with math skills but isn't in need of intense tutoring. Also, both parents and students need to be committed to the program. It will only work if the child does the work regularly. Parents must correct worksheets (as a PP mentioned) and see to it that the child makes corrections to any mistakes. All grades/times for both homework and classwork are entered into the Kumon database and help determine future assignments. If you and/or your child slacks on homework then it will effect progress.

Regarding Jr. Kumon, I wouldn't waste my time or money with that program! Honestly, unless your child is already in kindergarten/first grade and is struggling I wouldn't bother. There are many, many excellent resources available to help teach ABC's and 123's that I personally wouldn't enroll my own DS in Kumon.

HTH

 

[tjlovespooh]

As a teacher, I would discourage my parents from sending my students there. While they stick to state standards that are required for your child, they do not necessarily use the same curriculum as your school district.

ITA - Kumon doesn't offer any sort of personalized lesson planning. Basically, students take placement tests to determine what "Kumon Level" they should begin their Kumon assignments. Sooo, you're child could be in need of help with fractions (a skill they may be struggling with at school) and yet if they don't place high enough on the Kumon scale then it could be weeks, perhaps months, before he/she even gets close to getting the "help" he/she needs to bring up school grades. That being said, Kumon could be worthwhile in this same scenario simply because the child would be able to backtrack and sort of re-learn significant steps they didn't fully master. I think Kumon prides itself on being a supplement to what schools offer.

 

[myprincessgirlisa]

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[sadiebug]

It is true that Kumon is not currently helping my daughter with the fractions, decimels, and "higher" math concepts, but she's definitely getting the foundation for those things.

My school district has gone to the "spiral" approach to math. They will touch on a subject and then come back to it again later. If the kids don't get it the first time around, the attitude is "oh well, move on, they'll see it again later." That is a direct quote from my child's teacher who is as dismayed about the whole thing as I am. I don't see how any child can succeed without first learning and understanding the basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Heck, I'm an accountant and have trouble understanding some of the homework she is bringing home!!

Okay, vent over!! If you cannot find someone who is able to tutor your child and you can't afford Sylvan, Kumon is a decent alternative. And, as with anything, it depends on the child involved.

Sadiebug