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Has anyone tried Kumon for a child weak in Math?


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My dd is weak in Math and I'm trying to figure out how to help her. I've researched the Kumon program and have mixed feelings from what I've read. If you've tried Kumon, has it helped your highschooler? How many years did you use it? I'm wondering if it would make more sense to hire a tutor to focus on areas that she needs help in rather than her spending a lot of time doing Kumon worksheets.

 

Thanks for any insight you can give based on your experience.

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My dd is weak in Math and I'm trying to figure out how to help her. I've researched the Kumon program and have mixed feelings from what I've read. If you've tried Kumon, has it helped your highschooler? How many years did you use it? I'm wondering if it would make more sense to hire a tutor to focus on areas that she needs help in rather than her spending a lot of time doing Kumon worksheets.

 

Thanks for any insight you can give based on your experience.

 

Kumon is meant to supplement whatever math program the child is already doing. So if you are looking for a supplement, Kumon is an option, but there is that monthly fee ($80-100 around here). I'd probably go with a comprehensive math program and/or a tutor who could zero in on her needs and work more efficiently than all those worksheets.

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I am a Kumon veteran which I used when my oldest was in grade to middle school. (perhaps about 3 or 4 years?) It seemed like forever.

The history--as we were involved with Suzuki music, and I had read all the books (talent development with love, etc) a friend said that Kumon Math was just the same as Suzuki music! (Follow this analogy?) So we embarked on Kumon with the same techniques as music--must practice everyday, small steps lead to large blah, blah.

Well- it doesn't feel (or sound the same). The fractions become mandated torture when you do them for hours with denominators of 316, or 256, and numerators of 27 or 89, . My husband commented that this would never be used in real life! At some point she was throwing them on the floor even at the Kumon center. Some days she would sit for three hours in front of the paper and not do it. I got so I would drop her off and come back when they closed. (my friends that saw her said they felt sorry for her) The one owner ignored that behavior, but the second owner (different center) demanded respect and it didn't work at that point. (she was in school and I was trying to make sure that her math levels would develop the way they should) My thought was to enrich what the PS's do so I would have peace of mind and wouldn't have to worry if they were getting enough math.

I don't know the cost any more, but it's more than 100 dollars per month I believe. For me --it just became a big headache that I had to enforce the work, using a timer, then correct the work, and make them fix it, then drive to the center (traffic hassles), sit there for at least an hour with a baby, and then pay the money! I have a friend whose daughter reacted similarly, and we both said when we quit Kumon it was the greatest relief.

That said, she still tested weak in fractions upon going into 8th grade algebra!!. The teacher recommended those "Key to Algebra, fractions, etc) and the price looked good for ...paper booklets, just like Kumon. (but more fun) When she wanted out of the school, and started homeschooling, we redid Algebra 1. I was amazed to see how much trouble she was still having with these basic concepts. (we did Indiana Univ. HS) and you have to prep for 2 hour 14 page tests, that were 30 % of your grade. (no calculator)That in a nut shell was the best thing for her, but she was in 9th grade. The algebra 1 was a tough course, and long, and she was so embarassed to still be in Algebra when her friends were in PreCal. I would quiz her on random concepts, all keeping in mind that the tests were timed so you had to be comfortable with the problems. Well, in retrospect, that was the best thing for her, and she was so prepared for college. ( Really pulled up her scores on the SAT's) However, you need the maturity to face the endless review, so high school is a good time for this. Get an old Dolciani text with TE, and go through each chapter, do chapter tests and the quizes throughout the chapter. It may feel like work, but at least you don't have to pay for it!, nor drive anywhere. At this point I started financial rewards, because I figured if I was willing to pay for Kumon, then I could give a small fraction to the student directly, if they would do the work. At least the money stays in the family. Then as you progress to SAT prep you actually review many of these same concepts. (that they didn't get along the way) PS. She's doing great in college, while her friends have struggled to some extent. (and they were in the gifted programs, etc) It's nice for her to keep up with the top kids after years of feeling lesser. I honestly feel that some people are not ready to learn these concepts earlier, and you can drill it in, but if it becomes torture, then you wonder what it can accomplish! Was this what you wanted to know?

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Funny to see this now.

Here is the not-so-funny Kumon story that I just posted on the accelerated board.

 

Five years ago my oldest ds did Kumon Math during his 5th grade school year. He completed Math levels A-D. This year in 10th grade he has been doing Kumon English (while the little guy does math) and is currently working in English Level J. Yesterday I had him take the Math placement test. Guess where he placed. Yep, the last placement point in D!

 

I told the instructor that I would think about it and let her know when we return on Sat. As infuriating as it is, I have decided for him to start Kumon Math again on Sat. Good Grief! I know he has made progress since fifth grade. He is doing fine in Alg2, but when I had him take an ACT practice test it wasn't the Alg/Geometry/Trig problems that he missed. It was fractions and order of operations. So, after nearly 5 years he will be starting back in Kumon Math almost exactly where he left off!

 

So my answer would obviously be that I would use Kumon in high school. However, my ds HATED Kumon in 5th grade. He literally did a happy dance at the end of the year when I told him that we were finished. Now however he is more focused on the skills he needs to acquire to do well on the ACT. He has agreed to postpone the end of Alg2 and instead complete 20 sheets of Kumon each day to try and complete G (pre-alg) before the ACT.

 

All this being said, I would not try Kumon with an unwilling participant.

Hope my rather sad story was some help.

Mandy (who lives very close to the Kumon center)

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Also, ds did Keys to Fractions, Keys to Alg (most of them, but not all), and I have an old Dolciani Alg2 TE still under my bed that he hated and all but refused to look at.

 

He has been working through MUS Alg2 with a tutor.

 

And still... Hi Ho Hi Ho it's back to Kumon we go.

 

However, maybe it really is timing or positive peer pressure. My son wants to do well enough on the ACT to qualify for dual enrollment like so many of his friends and Nancy said that her daughter "was so embarassed to still be in Algebra when her friends were in PreCal."

 

Hope you find something that works-

Mandy

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We have done Kumon for about four years now, and I do agree with the posters that it is a hard, unforgiving program, in terms of needing to be quick and accurate before moving along-- but that is exactly why we have stuck with it! Our idea was that it is really helpful to be strong in fundamentals so that you can progress to higher levels, with good understanding...

 

Currently my 8th grade ds is working in Kumon Math Level J, which is factorizing and complex numbers I think. My dd in sixth grade is almost throug Level G, pre-algebra. But there is a sense of pride in graduating from each level, because it is a lot of detail work. For us, it takes about 10 minutes/day, and we don't do weekends (that was a decision we made last year since we realized we would be in Kumon for the long haul).

 

We also completed the Kumon Reading program, which I also highly recommend. There were some very difficult levels in there, studying T.S. Eliot and pretty advanced literature, but the work was challenging and helpful to us. My dd finished the program in fifth grade, but my ds finished it earlier this year, grade 8.

 

So, I can say that our work in Saxon Math has been easier since we took up Kumon, and I do believe it has helped overall in challenging our kids, but then we never hit the melt-down phase that some kids go through when looking at a stack of Kumon worksheets...

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It's funny, our Kumon center here has many Asian and Indian families-- probably about 75 percent of the clientel. And I can clearly see that the Anglo-American families are the ones with the most reluctant children at the Kumon Center... in other words, it may be that there is an expectation of hard, detail work that is more common in Asian and Indian families, than in other families. Just my observation.

 

In this case, with Kumon Math, I think it shows that the work is not beyond the ability of any child, just that it takes a lot of dedication and focus, which is not always something that comes easily. That's one of the benefits I see in sticking with the program.

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It's funny, our Kumon center here has many Asian and Indian families-- probably about 75 percent of the clientel.

 

Last summer I started Kumon with my then 4yo, because

 

1. His brothers were out of town for the summer and he needed something to do.

 

2. Most of the hs community (like 90%) is white; My husband is Persian; the Kumon center is owned by Indians; most of the Kumon students are Indian, Asian, or Middle Eastern (more like 90% at my center); I wanted my ds to see more people who looked more like his dad. LOL

 

Sorry for the rabbit trail-

I just couldn't help myself-

Mandy

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