I got this interesting question from a Maths Insider reader, about Kumon:

Hi came across your site and would like to thank you for this. I have a 5 year old boy in reception class who also attends Kumon. He has been doing Kumon now for 8 months. I find it very difficult to get him motivated to do his Kumon intially this was not a problem but for the last 3 months I feel he has become very bored. He has started addition on the +1 and if in the mood can complete this in a matter of minutes but when not in the mood which is now most of the time it can take upto 45 mins but we normally stop him after 15 mins as advice given by kumon instructor. The Kumon instructor has now taken him back to repeat previous number worksheets to improve his handwriting. This worksheet is v easy for him. I have had a chat with the instructor and raised my concerns but he has told me that he needs to get his handwriting correct before he can move on. His handwriting can be good  when he wants it to be but when he is bored his handwriting suffers.

What do you think should I stick at it or what I am now really frustrated. Please help.

Thanks for your question, I know how difficult it can be being a Kumon parent, it wasn’t much easier for me even though I was an instructor and knew the system inside out! However based on my experiences as a Kumon instructor, a Kumon parent (my youngest started Kumon at 3 years old) and the articles I’ve been reading about maths education since starting Maths Insider, there are 4 different options:

1) Stop Kumon

photo credit: Afroswede

Stopping the Kumon would be the easy option, No more complaining from your son, no more marking those workbooks and no more fees to pay out. However since it’s likely you started your son on Kumon to support and or extend his maths learning then you’d want to replace it with something else. If you do 10 – 15 mins a day of maths practice using workbooks from the bookstore, an online maths program (I like Maths Whizz) or practical maths games this will help your son do well at maths.If you want the lightening fast arithmetic, you’ll need to replicate the 100 arithmetic questions or so each day, although doing these orally or on a computer may be more appealing. Also by not doing Kumon, there’ll be more time for your son to work on his problem solving skills (which Kumon does very little of)

2) Follow the Kumon instructors advice

photo credit: Frodrig

Moving your child back to an easier level is a standard Kumon strategy. It does actually work. The idea behind it is to give your son easy work again so that he can rebuild his confidence (and in your son’s case improve his handwriting) My own son, and many other young Kumon students (particularly boys) have the same problem; their calculation skills are more advanced than their writing skills. It’s tiring for a 5 year old to be gripping a pencil, especially if he’s been writing all day at school as well. You may find that the writing fatigue won’t be such a problem during the summer holidays since he’ll be writing less. If your son is tolerating the easier work and making progress with it, then it’s a good idea to go with it. In the meantime, you can help your son to overcome writing fatigue by getting him to do more with his hands – no , not more writing, but practical activities which will exercise his hand and wrist muscles such as Play Doh, model building, cutting out, Lego.

3) Insist he stays at the same Kumon level

photo credit: buzzybee

This is what most parents would want. When my son was 5 years old and found the writing part of the Kumon hard, I kept him at the same level, even though he once took over an hour on a 10 minute worksheet. I never advised other Kumon parents to do that, but with my own child I thought it would be different. Big mistake! It worked in that it only took a week or two for him to reach the target time, but it was a miserable 2 weeks for both of us. If you do want him to stay on the same level, I suggest you ditch the pencil and do the worksheets orally, with you writing the answers, or even, do it so that your son writes 1 page, then you write the next. This should only be done for a few weeks, and your instructor would probably want to give him the same sheets again to make sure that he was able to finish them on time.

4) Take a break from Kumon

photo credit: loungerie

You could just take a break from Kumon. It used to be the case that you could take up to 3 months off without having to pay the registration fee again, I’m not sure if this is still the case. You could spend the time doing workbooks, an online maths program, maths games, lego, play-doh. However when your son returns to Kumon, he’d likely be doing the number practice workbooks again (but hopefully whizzing through them!)

I’ve given you 4 realistic options, each of which has a positive and a negative, but each should have the end result of helping your son do well with his maths. It’s up to you to choose which one would work best for you and your family. If you do stick with the Kumon, and it certainly is a program that works in the long term, then do take time to do some practical maths with your son, even just once a week or so, just so he knows that there’s more to maths than fast arithmetic. I hope this helps!

Are you a Kumon parent? What do you do when your child complains about Kumon? Tell me in the comments below!

Thinking of enrolling your child on the Kumon program? For the low-down on this popular after-school program check out The Ultimate Kumon Review

Want an alternative to Kumon? Read my post Is Thinkster Math a Real Alternative to Kumon?

At the start of the school year, parent’s attention starts to focus on ways to help their children make the most of the academic year.  When it comes to after school maths programs Kumon with 4 million students currently studying their maths and reading programs is LARGE!

Recently, while researching what makes  Kumon work well for some families and not so well for others, I had the pleasure of interviewing people who have had experience of the Kumon program. See what people are saying about Kumon in the extracts from 3 of the interviews below!

Josie Daga runs a website selling used wedding dresses and had 2 children studying on the Kumon program.

Jacquie Lewis-Kemp’s son started the Kumon program when he was in Kindergarten. She is the author of the book Blessed Assurance: Success Despite the Odds

Dr. Mary Mokris is the Education Specialist for Kumon North America.

1) Do you think the Kumon program improves mental maths skills?

photo credit: Patrick Hoesly

Andrew: Yes, my mental math skills are very good and are often superior to other people who may be excellent at math, but are slower, especially when it comes to quick division or multiplication questions (or those brain teaser games that test speed on smartphones).

Josie: I actually thought the “Kumon method” would be detrimental to him.  He would know 2+1 = 3, but would not understand the “why”

Dr Mary:Kumon improves a child’s mental math skills with daily practice. The short 15-30 minute assignments help student gain focus, concentration and problem-solving ability. Each Kumon assignment builds on to the next one, developing a child’s math comprehension

2) Does Kumon help with school maths?

photo credit: Paul Worthington

Andrew: I did do well at math at school.  There was certainly a point, however, where Kumon (probably because I didn’t make it to the end) stopped helping me as much as the math level in school became very advanced. My current job, as editor and contributor at Money Crashers, involves math to the point that we try to explain financial concepts in simple-to-understand terms, which often involve mathematical examples.  For example, trying to use helpful examples when explaining call and put stock options.  I also use math just to understand basic business and economic events, which I also sometimes apply to our stories. I even use it when I’m shopping and trying to implement extreme couponing, to figure out which coupons I can use and how much I will save.

Jacqui: The benefit in the classroom was that he always did math homework first because it was something he knew he could complete quickly and perfect.

Josie: My son was essentially memorizing.  1+1 = 2, 2+ 1= 3 etc.  Not the way he learns math in school with number lines, graphic representation, and 10 frames.

Dr Mary: Kumon helps children succeed in school math because of their improved study habits, confidence, and self-esteem. Math, like any subject, requires practice, and at Kumon students practice their math ability daily and develop their capabilities to the fullest extent to prepare them for high school, college, and beyond, so that they can be global players in the marketplace.

3) Is it true that Kumon is boring?

photo credit: Lutz-R. Frank

Andrew:  Yes, I did definitely find the repetition boring.  But, at the same time, my improvement was extremely exciting.  As I got better and better, it became less and less boring.

Jacqui: Great question! Yes, he found it boring many times. His grandparents even tried to talk us out of it because he “hated” it so. We insisted he continue–we never told him when the end would be, we didn’t know when the end would come. Our son later thanked us as he noticed himself excelling in high school, after Kumon was over.

Josie: Yes! Im a mother of 2 who used Kumon math but then stopped.  Dissatisfied.

Dr Mary: You’ll have to interview our North American students, however, I’ve worked in Kumon for more than 12 years now – and have traveled to many countries around the world – and kids from New York to the Philippines are children, and naturally, at times, would rather be outside playing than studying.

4) What do you think are the characteristics of a successful Kumon family?

photo credit: – Annetta –

Andrew: I would say hard working and determined. If you can’t stick with it and stay disciplined, it’s not the right program for you.  You have to be willing to overcome challenges and obstacles along the way.

Jacqui: Routine and work ethic. To create an expectation of “extra work”

Dr Mary: Kumon is extra work, and requires discipline and daily praise and support from parents. Since much of the work is completed at home, parent involvement is critical to a child’s success in Kumon. Kumon’s academic enrichment program is integrated into the daily family routine so students can grow and nurture their natural ability.

So tell me what you think! Is Kumon boring? Does it help with school maths?

If you’re a parent trying to make the decision about whether Kumon is right for your family? Check out Maths Insider’s Ultimate Kumon Review