Has anyone done Kumon for K literacy?

[Anonymous]

DD will be in Kindergarten next year and is completing pre-k this year. She has a late summer birthday and is the youngest in her class. I was chatting with a friend about the lack of summer camps in our area (all begin at 5 which she won’t be until right before school starts) and she suggested I put DD in Kumon to help keep her learning and occupied this summer. I mentioned it to DD’s teacher who agreed it’s be a great idea to help DD get ready for K.

Has anyone put an almost 5yo in classes at Kumon for early reading? How did you like the program? Did you find it beneficial? Was it private or as a small group? It’s high cost in our area and I’m reading mixed reviews, that instructors are more like facilitators and mostly assign worksheets to be done at home. Any reviews from parents who have used Kumon classes?

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t - it’s just worksheets. It can be helpful if the kid needs practice, but it can also kill a love of learning and internal motivation.

Find a college kid babysitter.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t. Grab some workbooks off of Amazon and have her work through them with a babysitter, read to her and get some letter magnets for the fridge so that she can start to play with words and sounds. That’s enough before Kindergarten.

[Anonymous]

How old is your DD? My son is not yet 6 and the first level (A) of Logic of English Fundamentals got him reading CVC words with pretty minimal effort on my part. It is also full of games that were appealing to my space cadet boy. I am sure it is cheaper than a summer of Kumon.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your input from OP.

If it’s just worksheets that’s a definite no go for me as I already do worksheets with her each day, I read a ton to her, she “reads” to herself many times a day, and I am working on sight words with her already. She has been able to identify and write upper and lowercase letters for almost a year and knows letter sounds and beginner phonics. I was hoping Kumon would be a program more like teaching reading so she has a bit of a leg up heading into K in the fall as she’s on the young side (will turn 5 a week before K begins). Maybe an individual elementary level tutor would be better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for your input from OP.

If it’s just worksheets that’s a definite no go for me as I already do worksheets with her each day, I read a ton to her, she “reads” to herself many times a day, and I am working on sight words with her already. She has been able to identify and write upper and lowercase letters for almost a year and knows letter sounds and beginner phonics. I was hoping Kumon would be a program more like teaching reading so she has a bit of a leg up heading into K in the fall as she’s on the young side (will turn 5 a week before K begins). Maybe an individual elementary level tutor would be better?

It is low normal to be finishing up first grade still not reading. It sounds like she will be at least in the upper half of her class despite her age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for your input from OP.

If it’s just worksheets that’s a definite no go for me as I already do worksheets with her each day, I read a ton to her, she “reads” to herself many times a day, and I am working on sight words with her already. She has been able to identify and write upper and lowercase letters for almost a year and knows letter sounds and beginner phonics. I was hoping Kumon would be a program more like teaching reading so she has a bit of a leg up heading into K in the fall as she’s on the young side (will turn 5 a week before K begins). Maybe an individual elementary level tutor would be better?

OP, I have a late-summer birthday DD now in K. Based on my experience, your DD is right where she needs to be for literacy in K. I would focus on making sure she has a fun summer, works on social skills, and has the independence skill she needs for K. I would not worry about preparing her academically based on what you are describing, especially if this is where she is 9 months before K starts.

For my DD, the two biggest challenges of Kindergarten have been (1) adjusting to a much more academically focused classroom after two years in a Reggio Emilia preschool program that did incorporate plenty of literacy and math but was extremely play based, and (2) being among the youngest and smallest kids in a much more sophisticated social environment. Her literacy is great -- she's in the top reading group for her class and can now read Beginning-level readers (Bob Books and 1st Grade readers) on her own or with very little assistance from us for the odd new sight word. I have zero worries about her there and she was about where your daughter is now by last May or June.

The bigger thing is that she finds K a lot more stressful with less downtime (it's not just more academics, it's more rules in general, more moving around the school, higher expectations for behavior like sitting still and staying quiet). For this reason, I would focus more on having a relaxing, fun, social summer and not worry about literacy beyond the stuff you are already doing. At most, I'd get some Bob books or similar and maybe a Kindergarent readiness workbook for any traveling you do, but I wouldn't emphasize this. It sounds like she's very academically prepared for K. Focus on the other stuff.