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Post by lumo on Apr 2, 2016 1:42:41 GMT
We were thinking of trying them this summer for some math enrichment for DD (she's actually really excited about the idea!).
Any experiences to share? Also, what was their pricing like?
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Post by Delta Dawn on Apr 2, 2016 1:57:32 GMT
My son went to Kumon for math and reading when he was young. It was like pulling teeth to get him to do any of the homework. That said, the information he got was priceless and he was so much further ahead in math and reading for years because of it.
I thought because my son is part Japanese he would be OK with going to "cram school". His dad was on board with this as well as it is a Japanese educational theory. DS hated going. I made him go for 2 years and it was money very well-spent. You just have to trust me on that one.
What would I do differently? Just the same thing over again. I believe the benefits were so tangible that it was good for him.
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kate
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Post by kate on Apr 2, 2016 2:04:09 GMT
Every student I've had who's gone to Kumon HATED it.
But I also know many kids whose automaticity is lightning-fast, thanks to Kumon.
The biggest complaint I hear from math teachers is that Kumon doesn't teach "number sense" - however, my personal (non-math-teacher) belief is that one needs both number sense and automaticity, and Kumon can give the latter very effectively.
Slight hijack: has anyone sent an older child (5th-6th grade) to Kumon? I'm wondering if it's too late for my kid.
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Post by oliquig on Apr 2, 2016 2:05:30 GMT
I never found any of those tutoring places to be helpful. You work in small groups, so there is no one on one, and if she's stuck with a kid who is behind, all they'll have her do is work on worksheets by herself.
You could spend the same amount of money on a private tutor or look for a STEM camp.
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Post by blarneygirl on Apr 2, 2016 2:37:15 GMT
My son started Kumon for math enrichment at the end of the 5th grade. We initially checked it out like you, thinking it would be good for the summer, but it's really intended as a long term program. He had to relearn how to accomplish basic math facts using the Kumon method before moving forward. It takes a huge commitment because the students are required to do daily math packets. We've taken them on vacation with us (sometimes he will work ahead, or play catch up).
It's been a great experience for him, as he can learn more quickly than the classrooms have offered, and as a bonus because each packet is scored for speed and accuracy (which is needed to move to the next level) it's really helped him overall when it comes to regular testing in school.
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Post by paigewh on Apr 2, 2016 2:40:24 GMT
Every student I've had who's gone to Kumon HATED it. But I also know many kids whose automaticity is lightning-fast, thanks to Kumon. The biggest complaint I hear from math teachers is that Kumon doesn't teach "number sense" - however, my personal (non-math-teacher) belief is that one needs both number sense and automaticity, and Kumon can give the latter very effectively. Slight hijack: has anyone sent an older child (5th-6th grade) to Kumon? I'm wondering if it's too late for my kid. I am going to be placing my 10th grader in the math program on Monday. I really hope it helps him! |
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Post by blarneygirl on Apr 2, 2016 2:43:48 GMT
Every student I've had who's gone to Kumon HATED it. But I also know many kids whose automaticity is lightning-fast, thanks to Kumon. The biggest complaint I hear from math teachers is that Kumon doesn't teach "number sense" - however, my personal (non-math-teacher) belief is that one needs both number sense and automaticity, and Kumon can give the latter very effectively. Slight hijack: has anyone sent an older child (5th-6th grade) to Kumon? I'm wondering if it's too late for my kid. I answered before reading your question. This is just when my son started. The end of 5th grade. I am not a teacher, so I don't really know what "number sense" means, but my son took the SAT's for entrance into a summer gifted program when he was 12 had scored a nearly perfect math score, so he learned something there. lol I credit his diligence and desire to continue the program along with the test taking skills he has learned. It really is dedication. Every quarter when I'm given the tuition bill I ask if he wants to continue and he just agreed today. |
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paigepea
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Post by paigepea on Apr 2, 2016 4:33:04 GMT
We looked into it for my 7 yr old dd who wanted extra math. We ended up putting her in the spirit of math schools
program and she loves it. I picked it because they teach drills and they do group work / problem solving / number sense. My dd enjoys the weekly drills, skills and word problems. She also does 1 project a term, which she has really enjoyed. She is leaps and bounds ahead of her class, which isn't the reason she's in it, but it is a nice bonus. It is a true enrichment program, whereas kumon can be used for remedial work as well. The Spirit of math program doesn't overlap with her regular school curriculum at all - it focuses on more advanced concepts. Just the extra math focus gives her an increased interest in her school math. If I didn't have a spirit of math program close by I would have tried the kumon one.
As long as your dd enjoys it that is the most important thing. I find schools don't always do a great job with math, and for us we noticed that dd wasn't being encouraged enough in math at school. It's been great for us, but the homework is a major commitment.
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katybee
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Post by katybee on Apr 2, 2016 5:33:29 GMT
I can tell you that as a teacher – and one that has done a lot of math curriculum work – Kumon is the bane of my existence. Yes – they do a lot of rote memorization and can churn out facts. But like a previous poster said, they do not teach computational fluency. But more importantly, I have not seen any evidence that they do problem-solving. So although my Kumon kids can tell me what 9×6 is, they cannot solve a problem where they have to think outside of the box. Kumon is a very inside the box kind of place. So if you want your child to be good at critical thinking, problem-solving, higher order thinking skills-- Kumon is not the answer.
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Post by gar on Apr 2, 2016 6:34:46 GMT
My DDs did Kumon in the UK 15+ years ago and I found it was very helpful for them.
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Post by lumo on Apr 2, 2016 14:31:18 GMT
Thanks for the feedback so far!
We also have a Mathnasium in our area, but the impression I got from their site is that they're more remedial tutoring rather than enrichment.
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oh yvonne
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Post by oh yvonne on Apr 2, 2016 14:37:36 GMT
I looked into Kumon but decided not sign up for the reasons already quoted here: too much rote drilling, over and over. And then teachers aren't too thrilled with it either.
I did my research and luckily for me we have a Mathnasium in town. DD (9, 4th grade) has been really struggling in math, having trouble keeping up. Mathnasium doesn't send homework, and they help her work on her homework for part of her hour there. She can go everyday if we want to, there is no limit. The recommend 3 days a week attendance.
First they tested her to evaluate what level is is at, and they focus on her weaknesses and from there she works on skill sheets for her level and keeps them in her binder on site. She gets little prizes for hitting milestones, spins a wheel, and then at the end of her hour session she gets to play math oriented games with the other kids who are done. She LOVES going. I can't even believe it. She's only been going for a couple of months, but already her teacher notices a lot of improvement, especially in her confidence with is huge to me. Math used to be all about tears. I'll be honest though, its not cheap, but it's still less expensive than individual tutoring, it's $300 a month but worth every cent.
If there is a Mathnasium in your area, I'd highly recommend it. They tutor all through high school and for the SATs.
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Post by Darcy Collins on Apr 2, 2016 14:52:53 GMT
In elementary school, I used to buy Challenging Word Problems from Singapore Math for my kids to do over the summer. Be aware that you may be very surprised what level your child is in with their program versus their grade - there used to be an line test to help with placement, but this is years ago - so I don't recall the url. Some of the challenge problems, were pretty challenging - at very young grades. Much more challenging than they typically saw in school. Singapore Math is known for multi-step problems and really making the kids think. When they were older, they'd do a bit of Khan Academy online over the summer. Nothing intense - just a bit of work to make sure things were fresh when they started again in September. Just a few options if you don't find a stand alone place that works for you.
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Post by lumo on Apr 2, 2016 17:09:53 GMT
The kid in their logo looks miserable. The face in the O, you mean? I kinda thought the same lol |
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Post by moveablefeast on Apr 2, 2016 17:14:55 GMT
Lots of parents here use Kumon to build skills for their kids who are going to the GT centers to help them be competitive in the GT math classes. It seems to get the job done for them but not one of them has ever described it as fun.
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Post by blarneygirl on Apr 2, 2016 18:01:58 GMT
Lots of parents here use Kumon to build skills for their kids who are going to the GT centers to help them be competitive in the GT math classes. It seems to get the job done for them but not one of them has ever described it as fun. I'm not certain my son would describe it as "fun" either, but he's very goal orientated and the way this is structured, it satisfies that in him. He also likes that he learns at his pace and not a structured classroom schedule. He has developed a nice relationship with the father and daughter he has been learning from for the last 4 years. It's really only been a positive experience for us. Like I mentioned earlier, I don't insist that he continue, he chooses to. |
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Post by StacyinUT on Apr 2, 2016 21:23:22 GMT
My son has been going to Mathnasium for about 2 months. He's in 10th grade. We pay $306/mo (that's with a 10% discount we were given.) He goes 2-3x/wk or more if he needs help with homework. He had an assessment done which showed his weaknesses and they developed a curriculum based on what he needs help with. It's been great not having him get frustrated with me trying to help him. He actually likes going. His teacher also sends via email what will be upcoming so they know what to plan for.
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Post by kristi on Apr 2, 2016 22:23:54 GMT
My 10th grader is going to Mathnasium for help in pre-cal. She likes the 1 on 1 assistance.
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IAmUnoriginal
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Post by IAmUnoriginal on Apr 2, 2016 23:08:32 GMT
The kid in their logo looks miserable. Lol. My ExH works for Kumon. Their logo used to be a "fanciful K" Then, they hired the same company that developed the Nike swoosh to come up with that miserable new logo. When exH showed it to me, I dubbed him Constipated Boy. They paid $1M+ for that dumb thing. ODS did Kumon for quite a few years, as it was one of exH's benefits. The approach is compared to learning to play an instrument. They intentionally start your child at a level where they are very comfortable to build speed and confidence before moving up. It's not typical tutoring. ODS's Kumon experience gave him a very strong math base and excellent study skills. Marching, concert and pep band take up too much time for him to continue going in HS, but he has gone back a couple times over summer break when he feels like he needs a tune up in his study skills or math speed. His instructor has offered him a part time job to come in as a class assistant starting this summer. |
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Post by worldwanderer75 on Apr 3, 2016 8:48:54 GMT
We sent one of our kids to Sylvan for math tutoring one summer. We live overseas and were only in the US for a couple months and they were great about making an intense customizable plan for her. She went about 10 hours a week for 6 weeks. Honestly, it turned her life around - in a good way. She came back for her 4th grade year so much more confident and went from getting 60-75% on tests to routinely scoring 100% or very close 2 years later. She also qualified for the advanced math program in 6th grade. Life changing. And it has just overall improved her confidence in school to conquer tough material. We are thinking about putting her in again this summer for some additional language arts tutoring. If you can afford it, do it. She really loved Sylvan and never complained about going. They have fun incentives and fun apps to make the learning more enjoyable.
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