It's called family. Supplementation is paying for someone else to teach your kid.

Then education for a child without a family is 100 percent supplementation (if not by tax payers). Of course, if one doesn't pay for it and it is free it is not supplementation.

Anonymous wrote:

It's called family. Supplementation is paying for someone else to teach your kid.

Nonsense. So a brother, an engineer and computer scientist educating my kids after school in computer science and physics (no fee) is not supplementing their education?

My spouse, the medical professional talking about chemistry, biology, health care policy, medical ethics, anatomy and physiology with her inquisitive and wanting children is not a form of educational supplementation beause it's family?

My grandfather, an accomplished writer and poet, living with us 6 months out of the year, who reads to the children and vets multiple drafts of their writing product, is not engaged in supplementing their education?

And, if a family is not fortunate to have literate or educated members without any intellectual expertise paying for a tutor for the above services is really supplementation and therefore out of bounds and unleveling the playing field?

You have a rather bizarre notion of the definition of educational supplementation indeed.

Bless your heart! You must be so proud of your intellectually superior family!

It's called family. Supplementation is paying for someone else to teach your kid.

Nonsense. So a brother, an engineer and computer scientist educating my kids after school in computer science and physics (no fee) is not supplementing their education?

My spouse, the medical professional talking about chemistry, biology, health care policy, medical ethics, anatomy and physiology with her inquisitive and wanting children is not a form of educational supplementation beause it's family?

My grandfather, an accomplished writer and poet, living with us 6 months out of the year, who reads to the children and vets multiple drafts of their writing product, is not engaged in supplementing their education?

And, if a family is not fortunate to have literate or educated members without any intellectual expertise paying for a tutor for the above services is really supplementation and therefore out of bounds and unleveling the playing field?

You have a rather bizarre notion of the definition of educational supplementation indeed.

I completely agree with the home supplement, esp when parents are in math-related fields. I don't get why people are disparaging the playing of math games, talking about math concepts at the dinner table--these are probably much better than Kumon. I think it makes a lot of sense. I'm also guessing that the people who make fun of these "at home" lessons are not in professions that lend themselves to teaching. It is absolutely not surprising that a child of mathematicians would do advance in math faster than his/her peers. Studies have shown that children of professors, for example, tend to have advanced verbal skills compared to their peers.

Similar supplementation in domains of expertise happens with families of professional athletes and coaches; musicians, writers, journalists, Supreme court justices, IT professionals and computer programmers and drug addicts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So your logic (or illogic as the case may be) to avert this problem (of being too advanced) is to slow a precocious child down?

Have you ever heard of this strategy for music (e.g., piano and violin) , art, language, sports development?

Would anyone (parent, teacher or administrator) with a teaspoon of brains slow a 4-year-old down from a voracious appetite of reading multiple chapter books and novels for fear this 4-year-old is too advanced for chronologic and peer group age in school (now or later)?

Why on earth would anyone put the breaks on a budding mathematician (or artist or musician)?

Its not a race. Thats why.

Not the OP or the PP, but must speak up here. A child who has a talent in logic that leads him/her to doing well in math doesn't see it as a "race" . He/she just sees more advanced math as interesting problems to solve vs lots of mindless boring repitition. These kids tend to be self motivated by curiosity, not the type motivated by some more crass motivators like it being a "race" or a competition. You are projecting, IMHO.

Anonymous wrote:

I completely agree with the home supplement, esp when parents are in math-related fields. I don't get why people are disparaging the playing of math games, talking about math concepts at the dinner table--these are probably much better than Kumon. I think it makes a lot of sense. I'm also guessing that the people who make fun of these "at home" lessons are not in professions that lend themselves to teaching. It is absolutely not surprising that a child of mathematicians would do advance in math faster than his/her peers. Studies have shown that children of professors, for example, tend to have advanced verbal skills compared to their peers.

If one can teach the students of these parents math and science in a lecture hall, around a Harkness table or over coffee for decades how difficult must it be to talk with one's kids over dinner or weekend drives up the coast?

No rocket science here. No need for Princeton review, Khan online academy or Kumon. But, this is supplementation nevertheless.

It's called family. Supplementation is paying for someone else to teach your kid.

I completely agree with the home supplement, esp when parents are in math-related fields. I don't get why people are disparaging the playing of math games, talking about math concepts at the dinner table--these are probably much better than Kumon. I think it makes a lot of sense. I'm also guessing that the people who make fun of these "at home" lessons are not in professions that lend themselves to teaching. It is absolutely not surprising that a child of mathematicians would do advance in math faster than his/her peers. Studies have shown that children of professors, for example, tend to have advanced verbal skills compared to their peers.

If one can teach the students of these parents math and science in a lecture hall, around a Harkness table or over coffee for decades how difficult must it be to talk with one's kids over dinner or weekend drives up the coast?

No rocket science here. No need for Princeton review, Khan online academy or Kumon. But, this is supplementation nevertheless.

Thx 22:27, 22:24 here...glad someone got what I was saying

Are you @ liberty to share where your kids go to school ?

Public school magnet programs.

I completely agree with the home supplement, esp when parents are in math-related fields. I don't get why people are disparaging the playing of math games, talking about math concepts at the dinner table--these are probably much better than Kumon. I think it makes a lot of sense. I'm also guessing that the people who make fun of these "at home" lessons are not in professions that lend themselves to teaching. It is absolutely not surprising that a child of mathematicians would do advance in math faster than his/her peers. Studies have shown that children of professors, for example, tend to have advanced verbal skills compared to their peers.

Thx 22:27, 22:24 here...glad someone got what I was saying

Are you @ liberty to share where your kids go to school ?

I am in a math related field and I talk to my children about math related topics from all vantage points. No supplementation by your definition and both kids are at east 4 years ahead of their peers in math. No coincidence here.

Anonymous wrote:

To OP - have you considered putting your child in a Montessori program? Our child has always been interested in numbers and math and has done great in a Montessori program..@ K is doing multiplication and division.

I should note that it is true that we face an issue of being so far ahead in school but he would have been there anyway. We don't do any supplementing but are in math related careers so can "talk about" numbers in a detailed way when our child wants to talk about them.

Good luck.

I like your nuanced definition of supplementation...an act that cannot occur in the home with professionals. That's cute. I wonder whether supplementation at home from mathematicians beats supplementation in a Kumon center with high school students?

I am the one who posted above and not sure what you are saying? my reference to being in math related fields and being able to discuss numbers means that when our child asks us something mathematical (which he will do often) we normally will see several different ways to answer the question and if we answer it one way and he keeps talking about it, we might tell him about another way to think of the same thing. We do that because he thinks making those connections is funny and because we actually make those connections automatically in our own minds (when many other people might not) This is all verbal and part of a regular conversation before moving onto the next topic (which could be about dinosaurs? The playground, etc.) It is not sitting down and teaching math facts - it is never writing problems and there are no formal lessons involved. Just a small part of the many conversations we might have in a day.

For what it's worth. We resisted Kumon and any drilling/practice with our DC. We figured she's bright and she'll eventually learn everything - let them be kids and play! She'll have plenty of time to stress about Advanced Calculus or reading Derrida later in life...

Too funny. A common theory of leaving learning to eventuality!

Carry on. Sounds like you've found a groove for your child in math to get her to speed. Both the child and you are pleased with the progress and confidence building your daughter is getting. Your are doing the right thing. You know your child. Listen to your gut. I'd disregard, with pleasure, the naysayers. You might want to transition to Art of Problem Solving after the Kumon math program or in a few years if she really develops a knack and passion for math.

For what it's worth. We resisted Kumon and any drilling/practice with our DC. We figured she's bright and she'll eventually learn everything - let them be kids and play! She'll have plenty of time to stress about Advanced Calculus or reading Derrida later in life...

This past fall, our Kindergarten teacher at a local private school indicated our DC was performing a bit "slower" than the rest of the kids. I realized that the average is skewed/changed and we needed to enrich. I enrolled DC in Kumon and DC LOVES to go and do the KUMON each night. The program is great because it builds their confidence and the work is always exactly where it needs to be.

My DC was resisting reading as DC has a math brain and my efforts in getting her to read were doing nothing but upsetting her. DC doesn't like things that are hard for her. Now, DC is so proud to bring me simple books to read to me after 4 months. IT WORKS!

As for math, she's making easy work of progessing through their program. It does kind of scare me in terms of getting too far ahead of her peers.

ALL children have strengths and weaknesses. KUMON is great at building up both aspects. I recommend the program wholeheartedly!

P.S. I know from experience that kids in Europe have a much harder curriculum than the USA.