Did anyone here themself took Kumon or get their kids to take Kumon certification?
What age do you consider best for it ?
Re: Kumon ..
Both my brother and one of my cousins have taught at Kumon centres. The feedback wasn't so good, the children there have pretty low ability in general.
You'd be better off teaching at home. When it comes to preparation for 11+ entrance exams for Private and Grammar schools, you'd need to consider a Private 1-to-1 tutor or small group tuition by someone who has a proven track record in preparing children appropriately.
Re: Kumon ..
Thanks yet again Stoppit for your brilliant first hand insight. does it differ from center to center?
I think I will need to understand the tuition phenomenon to prepare for entry into Grammar School , I still have no idea what kind of preparation is needed and I thought Kumon actually helps .. But now that you have stated the otherwise , I am going to be looking at Kumon from a critical perspective.
How long does the course last? Does it take years or is it upto you for how long you wish the kid to be there ? Are there any other Kumon alternatives?
Re: Kumon ..
Kumon will differ from center to center. It's not really a course, although there are milestones. People generally send their children there for as long as they can afford or they think it is making a difference in that subject area.
I personally think it's a waste of money. You can teach the same at home.
You have to look at what you want to get out something. If the outcome is success in the private/grammar school entrance exams, then course/centers are of little help. You need to find a Private tutor specifically for this. Each school will have their own entrance exam and your child needs to be prepared for a breadth of material.
Re: Kumon ..
Going to open a separate thread on two different questions one of them relates to Preparing child for grammar school entrance exam and the other one will be related to top Medical universities in the UK and how to get into them. Will be opening them shortly and will really really be looking out for your guidance in those two threads.
Jazak Allah , for your help and kindness :)
Re: Kumon ..
Hi everyone,
I wanted to provide some input I had in regards to Kumon through my teaching opportunity with an after-school enrichment program. I had 3 students that needed to get their math skills up to speed. We had a variety of teaching materials at the after-school program. I used different workbooks and also Kumon worksheets. Originally it went well but then the students started becoming tiresome from the tedious worksheets. They even started asking me why they were doing the same worksheet! (It really wasn't but the concept of Kumon is continuous drill worksheets.) I then started using other workbooks and also an online website called Beestar. Beestar provided my students with worksheets that helped them stay engaged and interested. The students were also able to focus on their weaknesses and one of them even recently received 100% on his test. I was also able to track my student's progress through these worksheets for all the subjects it offers. The students also enjoy seeing their own progress and their names on the honor roll. It really helped with their confidence in tackling harder problems and subjects in school.