Kumon - what happens at the assessment?

[WhatDoYouKnow]

My seven year old has an initial assessment at Kumon Maths this week. DD is capable of doing Maths but lacks a lot of confidence, which affects overall school work, as progress can be slow whilst she thinks about committing to an answer on to paper, etc.

School teacher says she is very able, working at the right level, is very logical, etc. but feels she could be doing better - that her confidence is holding her back.

We agree. We have seen this in Maths for a while now. She can do all the wrking out on paper stuff, working her way through it all. But we feel the basic stuff is not stuck yet. She still has to think about number bonds and uses her fingers for more simple maths rules, etc.

So, after some research, we are looking at the free trial at Kumon to see whether it might help - at least short term, until her confidence with the basics is there. We have not committed to it yet and won't until after the fortnight's trial.

What actually happens at Kumon? How do they assess her?

DD (7 in March)has done Kumon for about a year now. I signed her up when I realised the school was infested with the attitude that boys are better at math than girls are. DD is quite good at math (not a born genius, but above average) and I knew she was never going to get the encouragment from her school, so I turned to Kumon. It has been really good for her. It is all about doing small amounts often and not about cramming a lot all at once. Now, in year 2, she runs cirlcles around most of the girls (and boys!) when it come to numeracy. She is not as strong on word problems (which Kumon has not covered).

The assessment is basically a test where they will guage her level. They will probably start her at a level that is quite easy for her so she can progress quickly, which is of course good for her confidence. Some early easy wins.

DS (4 in May and in Reception) also does Kumon. He struggles more and I have to keep asking the Kumon teacher to put him back in his level of work. He's only 4, and I want him to do the easy stuff so he will enjoy math and not push him to progress at age 4. So, he works on tracing / writing his numbers (something he struggles with more than most).

I am a big fan of Kumon. It definitely has filled the gap left by the school's Victorian attitudes for DD.