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[quote=Anonymous]There are pros and cons to drill and kill techniques like Kumon.  On one hand, they can be useful for developing specific skills, particularly for kids who struggle to learn the same skills in more natural contexts.  If a kid is significantly behind in a skill (e.g. no letter names at 5, no sight words in mid K) a drill and kill program can give them critical skills that they need before the gap becomes so big that it's hard to catch up.

On the other hand, drill and kill techniques, particularly with a preschooler, can take the responsibility for learning away from a preschooler, and teach her to be passive about academics. Even if this leads to short term gains, it can result in long term losses, as the child stops seeking out the experiences that will develop her skills naturally.

It sounds like OP's daughter has a natural curiosity about reading.  She's motivated to try on her own, and is seeking out exactly the kinds of activities that will lead to the most reading growth.  In addition, by focusing on retelling and remembering, she's building the foundation for comprehension and writing.  In the long term, unless she has a severe reading disability (which is highly unlikely given what OP describes) OP's daughter will learn to recognize written words.  The make it or break it skills, the ones you need to score well on an SAT, or excel in college, or be competitive in the word world are comprehension and writing.

I would not do Kumon, or anything Kumon like with a 3 year old who is, according to the OP already doing well.  To me, the risk of taking away that curiosity and the internal drive, isn't worth the benefits of reading a few months earlier.  Since she's curious about the printed word, I'd naturally include activities that show her how reading and writing work in her day.  For example, I might point out letters on signs and talk about what sounds the letters make, or play restaurant, and put together a menu together (What should we serve?  Spaghetti, OK let's write it.  SSSSSSpaghetti.  Oooh, I'll start with an S . . . ).  [/quote]

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