one of PPs here.to each is their own. but I would suggest to start Kumon around first 1/4 of KG. He will get the biggest impact at that time. BTW well structured activities like Kumon (done in moderation) will only improve info absorption since it improves ability to consecrate. Kumon only take max 20 min out of the day so it is not like he will not have time to do all the other fun stuff.
good luck!

OP here. We decided to hold off on Kumon until at least DS turns 5 in a few months or maybe even after kindergarten. He is like a sponge and absorbs information constantly. He does imaginative play and loves playing with his legos. I will let him just play for a while longer. We have been reading with him constantly since he was an infant.

Anonymous wrote:My son turns 5 next month. He is at the cusp of learning to read. I am considering enrolling DS in Kumon to build a strong foundation for elementary school. We also are zoned for a not great elementary school. Kumon would give me peace of mind that my child will be learning all his fundamentals in case he does not get everything from school. Zoned elementary has 30% ESOL/FARMS.

Do you think it is a good idea to supplement with Kumon?

Kumon is working for us. The math is done through drills. The goal is to achieve both accuracy and speed. It works for kids who care about these two elements and who enjoy their progress in these two dimensions. The limitation is that it does not have much word problems. We also do Singapore Math word problems to supplement. The reading is also working for us. Kumon's targeted exercise is very efficient to get my son to read. English is not my son's first language. He learns the phonics together with the meaning of each work with the help of pictures. Going to the center also provides an incentive to the kid to work on workbooks. They want to see that other kids are also doing it.

I think it is worth a try. If your son likes it, that's great. If it does not work out, try something else.

Anonymous wrote:I am not a fan of Kumon. I think it is more important how kids learn than how far ahead they can learn.

We are lucky to have found a great school that challenges DC so we do not need to worry about enrichment. I like how they introduce math topics and work towards mastery. It is the Singapore curriculum. Also, reading is such a small part of learning. It is developmental. In the early grades it is more important to focus on comprehension, story themes, and love of reading.

As far as reading, parents need to stop focusing so much on levels like it is some video game to be won, and instead worry about how their child's relationship with literacy at each level. Barring disability, our kids are all going to be reading the same things in the later grades. The exact same things, and reading level doesn't matter.

It is important to make sure there is a strong foundation in math, and Kumon is great for this, but I'm not quite sure how acceleration fits into this. What is the end game? Most kids will not be ready for calculus until high school. There are many years to fit in all the math instruction they need before then without pressure. Let them marinate in it. Math is a subject you can easily explore deeply without needing to be accelerated.

This.

I am not a fan of Kumon. I think it is more important how kids learn than how far ahead they can learn.

We are lucky to have found a great school that challenges DC so we do not need to worry about enrichment. I like how they introduce math topics and work towards mastery. It is the Singapore curriculum. Also, reading is such a small part of learning. It is developmental. In the early grades it is more important to focus on comprehension, story themes, and love of reading.

As far as reading, parents need to stop focusing so much on levels like it is some video game to be won, and instead worry about how their child's relationship with literacy at each level. Barring disability, our kids are all going to be reading the same things in the later grades. The exact same things, and reading level doesn't matter.

It is important to make sure there is a strong foundation in math, and Kumon is great for this, but I'm not quite sure how acceleration fits into this. What is the end game? Most kids will not be ready for calculus until high school. There are many years to fit in all the math instruction they need before then without pressure. Let them marinate in it. Math is a subject you can easily explore deeply without needing to be accelerated.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so one of the PPs has mentioned that their kid is 2 grades ahead in math according to kumon charts. are there any Kumon parents out there that feel that kumon charts are accurate in that respect? i am just a bit skeptical that this might be a sales pitch from a pricey tutoring center. parents, if your kumon center tells you that your kid is 2 y ahead do u agree with that assessment?

Most kids that go to Kumon and have stuck with it for about 2 years are that far ahead. My older one (7 yo) has been going to kumon for about 2 years. he is in 2nd grade in school and tested between 4.2 to 4.9 in STAR Math.

We started reading later and tests at levels between 3.5 and 4.5 in STAR Reading.

What level kumon are they doing in reading and math?

He just started Level D in Math and CII in reading

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:why is it so important to be ahead by so much?

We don't do Kumon workbooks to get 'ahead'. (We can't afford the centers, so we do the cheap route!)

We do it to challenge DD. And, because we've watched him increase in confidence immensely. HE knows that he's doing well, and that makes a huge difference in his attitude towards school. It's corny, but he believes that he can do things because he's already seen it in his workbooks, and had practice.

very cool!

Anonymous wrote:why is it so important to be ahead by so much?

We don't do Kumon workbooks to get 'ahead'. (We can't afford the centers, so we do the cheap route!)

We do it to challenge DD. And, because we've watched him increase in confidence immensely. HE knows that he's doing well, and that makes a huge difference in his attitude towards school. It's corny, but he believes that he can do things because he's already seen it in his workbooks, and had practice.

Anonymous wrote:because its a normal part of this particular conversation.

to just say - yes , we did kumon and DS now knows all his times tables is rather boring - no?

my 5 yr old was accepted to Yale, now that is exciting!

so if you are trying to see if program is useful and you are comparing 5yo and 8yo and 12yo in the same program. "years ahead" is actually a good way to evaluate the program. it is a pricey program so people like to know if it is worth it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:why is it so important to be ahead by so much?

Being ahead is not important. Having solid foundation in basic math is.

then why are PPs discussing how far ahead their kids are (by grade level)?

i think every one understands that it is not about being ahead it is about how to measure progress in a simple consistent way and see how effective the program is for your kid. also kumon gives relatively nice charts that show progress in years and many kumon parents stat to think in terms of years ahead. many workbooks do the same so u will get parents taking about their kid working on a work book that is 1-2 grades above their current grade. it probably comes off snobbish . but all it is is just a convenient/simple measurement mechanism.

because its a normal part of this particular conversation.

to just say - yes , we did kumon and DS now knows all his times tables is rather boring - no?

my 5 yr old was accepted to Yale, now that is exciting!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:why is it so important to be ahead by so much?

Being ahead is not important. Having solid foundation in basic math is.

then why are PPs discussing how far ahead their kids are (by grade level)?

Anonymous wrote:why is it so important to be ahead by so much?

Being ahead is not important. Having solid foundation in basic math is.

Anonymous wrote:why is it so important to be ahead by so much?

one of the PP here, i dont think it is important for kumon-type parents to be ahead. i think most parents feel that it is important for their kid to be challenged and make consistent progress in their education. i think the idea here is that progress has to be measured in some format and grades is a simple way to measure the progress (one of PPers mentioned accuracy as a way to measure progress.) i dont think there are many parents that have a goal to have kids that are several years ahead. but there are a ton of parents that have goals of giving their kids a solid consistent multidimensional education and that typically leads to being far ahead of the common core or other standards.

why is it so important to be ahead by so much?