Kumon - Discussion

[Rabbit02]

[quote="greenbean2011"]on Saturday morning at Novena Thomson branch, saw a number of pre-school kindergarten kids doing kumon wksheets quietly, steadily, studiously, no chit chatting.


all serious looking - working on their workshts independently.
like what i saw.
very good! Instil self discipline, self learning, from very young pre-school age.

Yup, that’s Kumon way - blind practising using worksheets - I wonder if the children are really learning Math concept or rote learning Math. Math and Science are like Art - children should learn to apply creativity not rote practising using worksheets.

[greenbean2011]

hello Rabbit02,


but many Kumon parents testified that their kids’ Maths improve a lot, after working on Maths worksheets for a period of time.

can share with us … how you teach yr children Maths and Science like Art, the creative way instead of by worksheets ?

thank you very much for yr sharing… appreciate very much,

[Maple leaf]

Hi,


I saw the bookstores selling Kumon workbook for English and Marh subjects. Wonder if the Chinese workbook is available,too?

TIA

[deardear07]

sleepy:

soup:

Hi sleepy. May I know when you started your kid on Kumon?


And where have you put your kid in now? I also believe that studying in depth is important.

When she was 3yo.

Just started with Sakamoto. Attended only 1 lesson, can't comment yet

Kumon got classes for 3yr old?

[deardear07]

greentea2005:

Hi All, need your advice.


My kids have been in kumon since 2.5yrs old. One is currently 5yrs old and the other is 3 yrs old. Both telling me the same question. they don't like kumon as alot of worksheets. thus I'm thinking whether should i switch them to mpm.

Had went through the link of mpm in this forum. But would like to know, do they have trial and is there alot of worksheet?

Curious...what do they teach at 2.5yrs old?worksheets too?

[deardear07]

greenbean2011:

hi,


i am new to kumon english.

just started my girl last week Monday first lesson.
wanted her to learn to be self disciplined, focus, concentrate well, learn to be indpendent to do her homework, via the kumon way.

may i ask - roughly how long then can a child read independently, after attending kumon english lessons ? or roughly at which level ?

now, my girl aged 3.3 - still can't read independently.

every night, i read storybooks to her.
I will point out word by word - using my finger to point to her, so that she can follow. This way, she can follow, she can read.

but after that, when i ask her to read out entire the sentence on her own independently, she is lost.

any parent encounter similar situation before ?

all advice from parents - are very much appreciated.
Thank you very much gratefully, for your kind advice.

Dun wori...seriously,most children don't read at all at nursery1 level.most start only when they r 4+.even then,in most preschools,those kids r fewer.Those who can read early at 3+,4 r usually those with home exposure.

Normal kids who dun have exposure will start reading only ard 5,k1 or later.

[greenbean2011]

hi deardear07,


if your child is mature enough >= 2.6 years old, child can sit down alone with Kumon teacher without crying if Mommy leave the child with the teacher to teach while go outside to wait, you can start your child for Kumon, if child is below 3 years old. You can bring down your child for a trial at the centre, to observe.

normally first 2 lessons, Mommy will sit down beside the child inside the classroom together. From lesson 3 onwards, Mommy will leave the child with the teacher, while go outside to sit down / wait. After a few more lessons, child tend to be independent, after getting used to teacher, familiar with teacher, not scared anymore. I saw some early 3+ kids carrying the small blue Kumon school bag sling across their shoulder, telling their mommies when they are dropped off by car right at the door step of Kumon, saying: Bye, Mom! I can go in by myself now. You no need to go in with me. You just come and fetch me when lessons end, ok?

for kumon English, no need for kids below 3 years old at this entry point to know how to write. Start off with lowest level 7A. At lowest level 7A and 6A, the centre will play the english CD for children to hear common nouns, vocabulary, verbs. The worksheets are A5 size (half of A4 size page), with colourful pictures with words one side, the other side of the page only pure words – to see if child can recognize word without the picture.

The only thing that kids need to do for level 7A and 6A is to hold the pencil and tick the box, after the child repeat what they’ve heard from the CD, page by page. Even if the child ticks the box very ugly, never mind, it’s ok. Let it be. It is just an expression of their creativity of ticking, at this age. Over time, they will improve.

level 5A english onwards is on Phonics, level 4A onwards must hold pencil, start to write properly. But if handwriting ugly, never mind. At that age, it’s ok.

I had seen cases of Hongkong kids who speak Cantonese 100% at home, who can’t speak English at all when they first started, or feel shy, lack confidence to open their mouth in English. But after sometime, the kids can rattle off English very fluently, no Singlish. Quite amazing!

for kumon Maths, lowest level is counting number dots and write down the number, beside the dots. So, maybe it’s better to train your child to practise writing 0 to 9 first at home, before start kumon Maths.

If your child is below 3 yrs old, you may try approach Novena Newton kumon branch, for a trial. I like the teachers there very much. They are all very patient, kind and loving towards kids. I observed that the kids going there are generally well behaved.

[greenbean2011]

also heard that kids who are trained in Kumon normally no need tuiton when go Primary school. Because Kumon method train kids from young to self study on their own, discipline … true ?

[greenbean2011]

for kumon Chinese, better start later around 4 years old, because need to practise writing chinese strokes.


so perhaps can start with English or Maths first, later then do Chinese. Even with one subject, the number of worksheets coming in everyday a lot already!

[greenbean2011]

you can obtain the detailed breakdown of kumon subject for english, maths, chinese at each level in detail what they teach, from any kumon centre.