^ yep. play a sport. any sport. It's drill, drill, drill. Develops muscle memory, which isn't so much different from developing the brain to be able to take on more difficult tasks.

Kuman sucks. It's skill and drill. Our young children need to experience the joy of reading and math at ages 3-5, not skill and drill.

A child cannot experience the joy of reading without reading over and over and over and over again.
A child cannot experience the joy of mathematics without solving problems over and over and over and over again.
In both instances, to develop expertise, booster confidence and develop passion and joy, the reading and problem solving must get progressively harder, and harder, and harder, and more difficult, over and over and over and over again.

Who cares what you call or don't call this? Skill, drill, drilling for joy, repetition, letting the child choose for themselves, letting the child lead, letting the child drive to school?

Children that don't read, or speak, or write, or solve problems and socially interact will have major problems down the road. Children who play all the time without reading, writing, solving problems and socially interacting will also have problems down the road.

Playing is not the sole activity happy and joyous children must engage in.

Skill and drill is one very important component of learning and attaining expertise. Ask any academic, athlete, or artisan.

This explains why many without it always think it sucks. The world is full of suckers.

Kuman sucks. It's skill and drill. Our young children need to experience the joy of reading and math at ages 3-5, not skill and drill.

I am 17:27 again - I am clearly doing a bad job at explaining myself but I am definitely either being misunderstood or misrepresented by others here. I am starting to feel like there is some higher level of argument going on here about the term " supplementation " that I don't quite get and have accidentally jumped into the fire with both feet. I have no big agenda here and no experience with terminology in the education field so perhaps I should not have commented on how I interpret the word supplementation in an academic subject. I guess Like some other "words and/or phrases" on this board -it is a third rail topic.

I am mostly saying I just engage with my children like any other parent does when it comes to their interests in a subject or activity. No opinion on supplementation -whatever that may be.

My original post was to suggest this family with a preschool aged child might find a montessori preschool program to be a good match for a child who was interested in math because some Montessori programs will allow a child to progress in that area as far as they are interested.

I actually have no opinion on or experience with Kumon and wish the OP luck. I hope you find what you are looking for for your child.

Sorry to have riled others up and will leave this thread for now.

I think the poster is only saying the only way to supplement education in the 4 walls of a classroom is to send a child to a program outside of the 4 walls of the house and pay for it. Everything else is not considered supplementation.

I think this gets to the point of the difference between supplementation and not. I am the one who "discusses math" with my child and is in a math heavy career. If I was also teaching him new topics to get ahead or sending him to a program outside of school because they were not stretching him in math..that is supplementing.

Discussing math, science, history, books at home is simply how we as parents are engaging with a curious child. Just as we go out and play soccer, tag, hide and go seek when our child wants to be active.

This poster seems to brag that one can discuss, daily, math, science, books (school subjects when last I was in a classroom) with their engaging and curious child while artfully managing not to teach him new topics (outside of classroom subject material) and hence not supplement education.

Absolute brilliance. One gold star and to the head of the classroom line!

I think this gets to the point of the difference between supplementation and not. I am the one who "discusses math" with my child and is in a math heavy career. If I was also teaching him new topics to get ahead or sending him to a program outside of school because they were not stretching him in math..that is supplementing.

Discussing math, science, history, books at home is simply how we as parents are engaging with a curious child. Just as we go out and play soccer, tag, hide and go seek when our child wants to be active.

To calibrate your discussions of math and science purely as a means of engaging your curious child and not intended to teach, educate or guide your child smacks of preposterous disingenuity. I find parents who distance themselves from the notion of teaching (politically incorrect in your world view) their kids about life, table manners, ethics and subjects covered in the classroom and the athletic fields laughable. I learned more during my primary school years (science and soccer) from my father than any teacher or coach in school. And this treasure did not cost a penny. It's a pity you don't teach your children. If you did it would supplement their education in school. Perhaps, you are a lousy teacher. But, at least they will get their best elementary education and teaching in school.

Anonymous wrote:

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

Why would an academic in math or physics pay someone else (likely less capable and talented) to teach their own kids these subjects if these parents and children are willing and prefer to absorb the "opportunity costs" in the home?

What some of these children learn and gain in math from parent -- the mathematician -- may be worth much more (on the market) than what is paid to the lesser someone else? Still educational supplementation for the child.

I think this gets to the point of the difference between supplementation and not. I am the one who "discusses math" with my child and is in a math heavy career. If I was also teaching him new topics to get ahead or sending him to a program outside of school because they were not stretching him in math..that is supplementing.

Discussing math, science, history, books at home is simply how we as parents are engaging with a curious child. Just as we go out and play soccer, tag, hide and go seek when our child wants to be active.

Playing is so important at this age. I worry more about the potential extra stress we cause by demanding our little ones to perform so far above expectations in all areas. We leave too little room for them to become who they are on their own terms. There is more to a person than rote memorization and more for our wee ones to learn about being social, compassionate beings in this world and critical thinkers than drilling can provide. I don't worry that DD will be able one day to read a chapter book. If she does so at 4 or 6, I don't care. I am far more concerned that she'll be interested and engaged in what is being communicated and be able to provide critical thought. This is a skill you don't pick up at KUMON. I'm pro-KUMON, but there are other important things to instill in our youngest citizens.

Actually, I am in a math-based field and we don't push math at home in the same vein as KUMON. We don't drill or work on math problems. Our DC shows a proclivity for math (not suprising as both parents in those careers). We focus on providing materials that she needs when she needs them.

I think you may be weaving two completely different issues together.

1) Demanding little ones to perform so far above expections in all areas

vs 2) Actively impeding a child performing so far above the expectations of their peers for fear they are getting to far ahead of their peers

Both are wrong.

KUMON is done at home every day so I would disagree with you that you are not requiring completion of the daily exercises from your child. Your child would not acheive the results you mention if she was not daily engaged in this activity at home.

Anonymous wrote:

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!

Funny? OP of this sidebar here. I "get" that we likely disagree on education styles. We don't leave learning to "eventuality" BTW. We are very engaged and play chess and do lots of things DC expresses an interest in learning. Just last night, she asked how lightbulbs worked and we we're so excited to explain it in detail to include breaking a light bulb to show her the inside. Sorry carbon imprint. My approach is to take their lead vs. demand specific skills at a certain age. This is a normal night in our house. I was thoroughly anti-drilling but kept an open mind. KUMON has definitely helped DC in areas that don't interest her and in ways I couldn't help her learn specific skills - reading. I recognize that I have 0 experience in teaching little kids to read despite being a parent.

Playing is so important at this age. I worry more about the potential extra stress we cause by demanding our little ones to perform so far above expectations in all areas. We leave too little room for them to become who they are on their own terms. There is more to a person than rote memorization and more for our wee ones to learn about being social, compassionate beings in this world and critical thinkers than drilling can provide. I don't worry that DD will be able one day to read a chapter book. If she does so at 4 or 6, I don't care. I am far more concerned that she'll be interested and engaged in what is being communicated and be able to provide critical thought. This is a skill you don't pick up at KUMON. I'm pro-KUMON, but there are other important things to instill in our youngest citizens.

Actually, I am in a math-based field and we don't push math at home in the same vein as KUMON. We don't drill or work on math problems. Our DC shows a proclivity for math (not suprising as both parents in those careers). We focus on providing materials that she needs when she needs them.

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

Why would an academic in math or physics pay someone else (likely less capable and talented) to teach their own kids these subjects if these parents and children are willing and prefer to absorb the "opportunity costs" in the home?

What some of these children learn and gain in math from parent -- the mathematician -- may be worth much more (on the market) than what is paid to the lesser someone else? Still educational supplementation for the child.

It's both family and supplementation. To get back to OP's concern, her family is full of math-minded people. Why should she bother with Kumon when all she really needs to do for a 4 year old is to brush up on things she can do at home.

You are waffling and changing your definition?

How do you know what she needs to do at home? Are you at home with these "math-minded" people? And if she chooses to bother with Kumon why does this choice or decision disturb you so?

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It's both family and supplementation. To get back to OP's concern, her family is full of math-minded people. Why should she bother with Kumon when all she really needs to do for a 4 year old is to brush up on things she can do at home.

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

I believe the poster is disappointed at your narrow and perverse definition of educational supplementation? Don't you think so?