Kumon maths

[Villagedad]

I used to not really see any value in Kumon, repetitive and boring. Where is the fun?
However it does cover the basic arithmetic skills solidly. My 11+ pupils who have worked through Kumon have a very solid base on which to build. They also spell well.

Thanks "moving" for the words of encouragement.

Another question to Kumon advocates is how far do you need to go with Kumon maths in the various levels to give greatest benefit to 11plus learning before finishing.

The levels are:

2A - Addition and subtraction
A - Addition and subtraction (of larger numbers)
B - Adding and subtracting in columns
C - Timetables, multiplication and division
D - Long multiplication and long division
E - Fractions and Decimals
F - Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of vulgar fractions and decimals
G, H, I - Negative numbers, algebra and equations,square roots, graphs, and Pythagoras
J-O - Trigonometry, series, calculus, vectors, matrices, probability, and statistics

Appreciate any comments
Villagedad

[essex-mum18]

Hi, Villagedad

My DS had been to Kumon Maths class for about 2 years and finished at about level G or H as I could not remember exactly ( a while ago).

All I wanted him was to have a very solid base in Maths, able to do mental arithematics with confidence, accuracy and speed. Then, he left Kumon with the skills he has learnt to tackle more problem solving types of questions for the 11+.

He is studying in GS now and I think Kumon definitely help him to be more confidence in dealing with numbers such as fraction, percentage etc...

Of course, this is only my personal experience ,or should I say my son's experience. I do understand if some posters have some other views on Kumon.

[Josa]

Hello Village Dad,

My DS started Kumon the 2nd term in to year 2 on level 4A and 2 yrs down the line he has moved on to level F. Our main reason for sending him to Kumon was his love for numbers at an early age and wanted a learning tool that will challenge him as he was getting bored at school. Currently in Yr 4 I can certainly say that Kumon has given him a solid foundation not just in mental maths but also in other areas of maths. His knowledge of the subject is way above his fellow classmates and thankfully this has now been recognised by his school after so much fuss. He recently represented his school in a national maths competition which they won and came home the other day saying he was given work from a level 5b workbook to do which in his own words was easy peasy.

I guess kumon is not for every child but the programme has worked for us, however we plan to stop it when he gets to year 5 so he can concentrate more on the dreaded 11plus

[Villagedad]

Hello Village Dad,

My DS started Kumon the 2nd term in to year 2 on level 4A and 2 yrs down the line he has moved on to level F. Our main reason for sending him to Kumon was his love for numbers at an early age and wanted a learning tool that will challenge him as he was getting bored at school. Currently in Yr 4 I can certainly say that Kumon has given him a solid foundation not just in mental maths but also in other areas of maths. His knowledge of the subject is way above his fellow classmates and thankfully this has now been recognised by his school after so much fuss. He recently represented his school in a national maths competition which they won and came home the other day saying he was given work from a level 5b workbook to do which in his own words was easy peasy.

I guess kumon is not for every child but the programme has worked for us, however we plan to stop it when he gets to year 5 so he can concentrate more on the dreaded 11plus

Thanks Josa for the feedback

It would be interesting to know how many sheets your DS does each day.., and also if you've had any problems motivating him to do the papers and what techniques you have used to overcome any problems there..?

[Josa]

Hi Village Dad,

The sheets varies from 2-3. Ds definately needed more motivation when he started doing long division as he struggled with this and it took him longer to complete the sheets.We had days where he would rather not do it because he didn't know it than do it and get them all wrong. However, his Kumon teacher is fantastic and he really takes the time out to explain any difficulties to Ds, and I guess this has kept him going plus the fact that he's still on target for a Gold certificate. Must admit he's excited at the propect of stopping in Yr5 and will have to wait and see his reaction to the daily 11plus revision papers

[deontological]

It's interesting to note that there seems to be a general concensus among advocates and sceptics alike (at least within this discussion thread) regarding opinions and expectations on the value of Kumon maths in that: (1) it works wonders for some kids, but not others, (2) it tends to be a relatively expensive method of learning and (3) kids typically stop using the service by around Year 5.

I just want to add a final comment that children tend to deepen their conceptual understanding if they're exposed to different methods and approaches to tackling similar problems (say, basic arithmetics) as they explore through comparing and contrasting different ways of doing things. Obviously some methods can be a lot more efficient in mathematical terms than others but, nonetheless, present a good opportunity for learners to develop their analytical skills in deciphering the differences.

[yoyo123]

good point deontological, it is very interesting to ask a group of children during a plenary session, how they got to that answer, what did they do ?

Often there are 3 or 4 different strategies applied to the same problem.

[Villagedad]

It's interesting to note that there seems to be a general concensus among advocates and sceptics alike (at least within this discussion thread) regarding opinions and expectations on the value of Kumon maths in that: (1) it works wonders for some kids, but not others, (2) it tends to be a relatively expensive method of learning and (3) kids typically stop using the service by around Year 5.

I just want to add a final comment that children tend to deepen their conceptual understanding if they're exposed to different methods and approaches to tackling similar problems (say, basic arithmetics) as they explore through comparing and contrasting different ways of doing things. Obviously some methods can be a lot more efficient in mathematical terms than others but, nonetheless, present a good opportunity for learners to develop their analytical skills in deciphering the differences.

Hi deontological

Sorry to sound a bit thick but is this a + or - for the kumon teaching methods.., and what's your position on the debate ?

Thanks, Villagedad

[deontological]

Personally, I would not put my kids through Kumon - but that decision has more to do with my own assessment of the method's (in)compatibility with my kids' learning styles than an indictment of the effectiveness of the method.

Like I always say: if in doubt, try it for size and see if it fits. If it doesn't, change it. I've a sneaky suspicion that we may not have heard the last on this debate ...

VillageDad, my position is unchanged since I wrote the above back in March. I've no strong feelings for or against the method though, from a viewpoint of "learning to understanding", Kumon may not be that good for young learners.

[rachag]

My daughter did it from year 1 to year 5. cut down number of sheets when became more time comsuming with more homework as got older.

Good for my DD I think because now when looking at maths questions, she can whizz through the arithmetic components and only has to look at how to work out true mathematical parts.

Like reading, unless its a hard word, adults just look at it and know what it is. Similarly with maths, dd just looks at, say 13 and 52 and knows relationship between them.

You don't have to think about it on a day to day basis, unlike doing stuff from books.

Like many have said, not for everyone though.