Does you child go to Kumon while at private school?

[Anonymous]

4 year old at home (no formal pre-K) started Kumon math exactly 3 years ago. He will turn 7 in a week and is finishing Grade 1. He is now working with fractions (adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying) and will move on to decimals this summer. Best time for this 20-min/day drill is early to build the math foundation, for good, prior to leaving elementary school.

Of course, what he is now doing in school mathematics in Grade 1 has absolutely no correlation with his present knowledge and comfort level with basic mathematical principles and concepts

Buy a math homeschooling curriculum, start when your kid's young, spend 20 min. 3x a week doing this, and you too can have a kid who excels in math. Really not too hard or time consuming, and can be done on the cheap.

Nice alternative plan. I'm sure it has worked for you. My approach worked to a T with my eldest child. I do not plan to fix what ain't broke. I'll stick with what's worked in the past and present.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

4 year old at home (no formal pre-K) started Kumon math exactly 3 years ago. He will turn 7 in a week and is finishing Grade 1. He is now working with fractions (adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying) and will move on to decimals this summer. Best time for this 20-min/day drill is early to build the math foundation, for good, prior to leaving elementary school.

Of course, what he is now doing in school mathematics in Grade 1 has absolutely no correlation with his present knowledge and comfort level with basic mathematical principles and concepts

Buy a math homeschooling curriculum, start when your kid's young, spend 20 min. 3x a week doing this, and you too can have a kid who excels in math. Really not too hard or time consuming, and can be done on the cheap.

Nice alternative plan. I'm sure it has worked for you. My approach worked to a T with my eldest child. I do not plan to fix what ain't broke. I'll stick with what's worked in the past and present.

Actually the you was not directed at YOU pp. It was a general you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the 11:30 poster. Just to clarify, I previously work at a Sylvan Tutoring Center which I assume is very similar to Kumon. While the vast majority of students did make considerable progress, I almost felt guilty working there...I really wanted to take the parents aside and tell them they could save themselves tons of $$$ by loading up on workbooks and doing the drills themselves. The only reason I can see for spending money to send a child to one of these places if if it's a very high level of math that the parent doesn't feel comfortable teaching, or if the parent and child truly clash. As far as preferring to spend the time with your child on other things... Well, you could probably cover the same amount of material that they would learn at Kumon just in the amount of time it would take you to transport your child to and from the center, thereby leaving you the time to do other, more fun activities with your child.

Didn't you just provide at least two answers (advanced math and clashes) to your "why the hell" question? As far as transport time, it of course depends on your travel route. Why so judgmental about how others choose to help their kids with today's failing math system?

Signed,
A mom whose son started Kumon at the strong suggestion of two math professor relatives (but they've never taught at Sylvan, so perhaps we shouldn't listen to them)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
4 year old at home (no formal pre-K) started Kumon math exactly 3 years ago. He will turn 7 in a week and is finishing Grade 1. He is now working with fractions (adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying) and will move on to decimals this summer. Best time for this 20-min/day drill is early to build the math foundation, for good, prior to leaving elementary school.

Of course, what he is now doing in school mathematics in Grade 1 has absolutely no correlation with his present knowledge and comfort level with basic mathematical principles and concepts




Buy a math homeschooling curriculum, start when your kid's young, spend 20 min. 3x a week doing this, and you too can have a kid who excels in math. Really not too hard or time consuming, and can be done on the cheap.


Nice alternative plan. I'm sure it has worked for you. My approach worked to a T with my eldest child. I do not plan to fix what ain't broke. I'll stick with what's worked in the past and present.






Actually the you was not directed at YOU pp. It was a general you.

Agreed. There are many ways to skin a cat. And the forum benefits from the different and successful approaches used when our school systems fail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the 11:30 poster. Just to clarify, I previously work at a Sylvan Tutoring Center which I assume is very similar to Kumon. While the vast majority of students did make considerable progress, I almost felt guilty working there...I really wanted to take the parents aside and tell them they could save themselves tons of $$$ by loading up on workbooks and doing the drills themselves. The only reason I can see for spending money to send a child to one of these places if if it's a very high level of math that the parent doesn't feel comfortable teaching, or if the parent and child truly clash. As far as preferring to spend the time with your child on other things... Well, you could probably cover the same amount of material that they would learn at Kumon just in the amount of time it would take you to transport your child to and from the center, thereby leaving you the time to do other, more fun activities with your child.

Didn't you just provide at least two answers (advanced math and clashes) to your "why the hell" question? As far as transport time, it of course depends on your travel route. Why so judgmental about how others choose to help their kids with today's failing math system?

Signed,
A mom whose son started Kumon at the strong suggestion of two math professor relatives (but they've never taught at Sylvan, so perhaps we shouldn't listen to them)

Yes, but this thread doesn't seem to be dealing with people who are sending their kids for advanced math; and it's hard for me to imagine clashing with my child over tutoring to the extent that I would shell out $2,000 instead of figuring out a way to work with my child in a more harmonious manner. I'm not judging parents for sending their kids to these places, I'm just bewildered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:4 year old at home (no formal pre-K) started Kumon math exactly 3 years ago. He will turn 7 in a week and is finishing Grade 1. He is now working with fractions (adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying) and will move on to decimals this summer. Best time for this 20-min/day drill is early to build the math foundation, for good, prior to leaving elementary school.

Of course, what he is now doing in school mathematics in Grade 1 has absolutely no correlation with his present knowledge and comfort level with basic mathematical principles and concepts.

I think this is supposed to be impressive but I would want far more return on my 3 years worth of tuition at the Kumon place. After 3 years, I would hope my child would need the basic math skills drills anymore.

[Anonymous]

I think this is supposed to be impressive but I would want far more return on my 3 years worth of tuition at the Kumon place. After 3 years, I would hope my child would need the basic math skills drills anymore.

I am sorry to disappoint. My child was not able to complete the program through Calculus in 3 years. He is an average child. He is taking the scenic route and is on schedule to complete Kumon through Calculus in middle school (just when things start to get bored on the drill front but exciting on the extracurricular front)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think this is supposed to be impressive but I would want far more return on my 3 years worth of tuition at the Kumon place. After 3 years, I would hope my child would need the basic math skills drills anymore.

I am sorry to disappoint. My child was not able to complete the program through Calculus in 3 years. He is an average child. He is taking the scenic route and is on schedule to complete Kumon through Calculus in middle school (just when things start to get bored on the drill front but exciting on the extracurricular front)

LOL! I love that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think this is supposed to be impressive but I would want far more return on my 3 years worth of tuition at the Kumon place. After 3 years, I would hope my child would need the basic math skills drills anymore.

I am sorry to disappoint. My child was not able to complete the program through Calculus in 3 years. He is an average child. He is taking the scenic route and is on schedule to complete Kumon through Calculus in middle school (just when things start to get bored on the drill front but exciting on the extracurricular front)

Then why bother? If he is on grade level and an average learner? I could understand if you said he went for 3 years and it produced some actual result but too me it just suggests that developmentally he wasn't ready to learn the Math they were teaching, and then when he was, he would have learned it anyway - Kumon or not. It sounds more like in your case, you are just wasting money and his time for no reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the 11:30 poster. Just to clarify, I previously work at a Sylvan Tutoring Center which I assume is very similar to Kumon. While the vast majority of students did make considerable progress, I almost felt guilty working there...I really wanted to take the parents aside and tell them they could save themselves tons of $$$ by loading up on workbooks and doing the drills themselves. The only reason I can see for spending money to send a child to one of these places if if it's a very high level of math that the parent doesn't feel comfortable teaching, or if the parent and child truly clash. As far as preferring to spend the time with your child on other things... Well, you could probably cover the same amount of material that they would learn at Kumon just in the amount of time it would take you to transport your child to and from the center, thereby leaving you the time to do other, more fun activities with your child.

Didn't you just provide at least two answers (advanced math and clashes) to your "why the hell" question? As far as transport time, it of course depends on your travel route. Why so judgmental about how others choose to help their kids with today's failing math system?

Signed,
A mom whose son started Kumon at the strong suggestion of two math professor relatives (but they've never taught at Sylvan, so perhaps we shouldn't listen to them)

Yes, but this thread doesn't seem to be dealing with people who are sending their kids for advanced math; and it's hard for me to imagine clashing with my child over tutoring to the extent that I would shell out $2,000 instead of figuring out a way to work with my child in a more harmonious manner. I'm not judging parents for sending their kids to these places, I'm just bewildered.

Then you are very, very easily bewildered.

[Anonymous]

Then why bother? If he is on grade level and an average learner? I could understand if you said he went for 3 years and it produced some actual result but too me it just suggests that developmentally he wasn't ready to learn the Math they were teaching, and then when he was, he would have learned it anyway - Kumon or not. It sounds more like in your case, you are just wasting money and his time for no reason.

Why bother? Because I want to bother. Is this a crime? How do you know what my child would or would not have learned sometime in the future?

My child is average. This is precisely why I encourage him to meet his goals--no matter how trivial. He will complete Calculus (Kumon approach) by the end of middle school. He has already set this as his 20min/day goal. And he is on schedule to meet this trivial goal. I don't believe 20 min/day less time in front of the TV letting him be a "kid" is wasting his time. If he were a genius there would be no need for private school or supplementation. You can't supplement a full tank. What goals do your kids have? Do you encourage and help them meet these goals? Or you prefer to let your kid be a kid? And when your kid is an adolescent you will simply let the adolescent be an adolescent? I am pulling for you and hope your kids reach productive adulthood. Unlike you, I have no crystal ball.

While I appreciate you believe your voodo is best for my child ... and all children... I'll stick with what works.

I am not wasting my money. The price of a product or service is based on what someone is willing to pay. For example, some, and maybe you are one of them, waste their money, $30,000 for the babby sitting services of private school (in the opinion of many). But, then again, it may be more than worth it for those that desire the product and are willing to pay for it.

[Anonymous]

Then why bother? If he is on grade level and an average learner? I could understand if you said he went for 3 years and it produced some actual result but too me it just suggests that developmentally he wasn't ready to learn the Math they were teaching, and then when he was, he would have learned it anyway - Kumon or not. It sounds more like in your case, you are just wasting money and his time for no reason.

Using this vodoo logic early average performers at golf, swimming, track and soccer (you name it, math) should not waste their money or time on supplementation to improve performance? Tell that to Michael Phelps when he was in grammer school? Does this illiterate PP even read biographies of accomplished people over the centuries (literary, scientific, political etc)? I doubt it. Starbucks and TV rules the day for folk like this.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but this thread doesn't seem to be dealing with people who are sending their kids for advanced math; and it's hard for me to imagine clashing with my child over tutoring to the extent that I would shell out $2,000 instead of figuring out a way to work with my child in a more harmonious manner. I'm not judging parents for sending their kids to these places, I'm just bewildered.

I do not encourage you to clash with your kid.

We do not clash with our kids over Kumon. The eldest has done it for 5 years and the younger simply follows suit -- as a naturally way of life. No bewilderment in our household. But, I agree with the poster, $1,200/year could be an expensive fight with your kid!

I had the same problem with piano for my eldest. What an expensive fight! Well, he is no longer in piano. But, it would be simple minded of me to conclude that piano, and piano lessons, are useless and a waste of time simply because one of my children refused to take to it. Nor would I stop exposing the kids to other experiences to find out what they have an inclination for.

The solution to your troubles is not to throw out the baby with the bath water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, but this thread doesn't seem to be dealing with people who are sending their kids for advanced math; and it's hard for me to imagine clashing with my child over tutoring to the extent that I would shell out $2,000 instead of figuring out a way to work with my child in a more harmonious manner. I'm not judging parents for sending their kids to these places, I'm just bewildered.

I do not encourage you to clash with your kid.

We do not clash with our kids over Kumon. The eldest has done it for 5 years and the younger simply follows suit -- as a naturally way of life. No bewilderment in our household. But, I agree with the poster, $1,200/year could be an expensive fight with your kid!

I had the same problem with piano for my eldest. What an expensive fight! Well, he is no longer in piano. But, it would be simple minded of me to conclude that piano, and piano lessons, are useless and a waste of time simply because one of my children refused to take to it. Nor would I stop exposing the kids to other experiences to find out what they have an inclination for.

The solution to your troubles is not to throw out the baby with the bath water.

No one's saying Kumon is useless or a waste of time - simply that you could get the same results by working with your kid yourself. Also, if I'm not mistaken, it sounds like Kumon assigns work for the children to do at home, so their progress is not entirely due to the time spent at the center but rather time spent doing work at home. If this is correct, what is the value of Kumon? Is it that they're the ones providing the assignments instead of the parents?

[Anonymous]

With all due respect, this is not the way to locate the best psychologist to do the evaluation. It would probably be better to ask who's experienced, skilled in working with young children and establishing rapport, etc.

Well, for some Kumon is a clash with parents. For others, it is not. For some, staying home with parents is a clash. For others not. What is your point if some families get superb results with Kumon? Some children get lousy results with their parents.