Kumon for year-one child: good idea?

[choucroutegarnie]

Our DS is in year one at our local primary, which he absolutely loves. While the school is brilliant at making children feel happy, the staff do not provide much guidance on how to help children along. DS is well below average in reading and writing, according to his teacher. She recommends 'more practice' but I don't know where to start.

While searching for tutors online I came across the Kumon method and popped into our local centre today. It seems like a helpful method - a little every day, tailored to every child.

Anyone out there who's tried it? Insiders' views and tips much appreciated.

Do not do Kumon

I haven't tried it but for ideas about 'more practice' how about reading every day and perhaps writing practice - ie writing shopping lists, letters, postcards, small stories etc. Anything that helps with sentence structures - capital letters, full stops etc.

There are also some really good 'educational' games for key stage 1 on t'internet which my dc's love and it reinforces what they are learning at school.

Do you get a weekly newsletters telling you what they're learning or know what targets he's got for literacy and maths?

Waste of time and money, IME.

Can you explain why?

Personally I feel that 6 is far to young to be doing extra lessons outside school.

I meant - why do you think it's a bad idea, Poptyping?

No, our school is not very helpful, at least for parents. There are no newsletters or an explanation of goals in either maths or English.

All we are told is that we should start making DS 'work harder' and 'concentrate', and 'this is the time to get the basics right'. Hmm. I thought that the Kumon thing would be a little like homework in a box - almost as much for us parents, as for DS.

I don't know about Kumon specifically, but I think there's a big risk that you make your son feel that he's "failing" or even "stupid" by getting him in extra schoolwork/homework on top of what the school already gives him, because it makes it clear that you don't think he's doing well enough. Better to practice the skills yourself in other ways.

Reading - you can read with him, read headlines from the paper or magazines, read outinstructions or recipes. And if he's doing phonics, you can play games of thinking of other things that start with a "b" or whatever.

If it's focus he's lacking, then try to get him to sit still and focus on something for progressively longer - it could be colouring in or a jigsaw, or matching socks.

I tried Kumon English (for a whole month) with DS and DD.

It is not tailored to them. It's a set of worksheets you have to go through. The only thing that is tailored is which worksheet you start on and how many times you have to repeat them.

It is not a good way to teach reading and writing.

If you give us a bit more about what level he currently is at in reading and writing, we could all come up with loads of other (chepaer) suggestions....

He def doesn't need a tutor in Y1.

Kip McGrath is very good - would recommend

choucroutegarnie - basics knowing (instant recall) pairs of numbers that add up to 10 then 20 - knowing that numbers can be added in any order so that 3+4 = 7 and 4+3 =7, knowing that subtraction is the inverse of addition so if you know 5+7 =12 you also know 12-5 =7
know you can check your answer by using the inverse opperation

I use 10 chocolate buttons 2 dishes and get the children to split the buttons as many ways as they can...when they have found every possible way they can eat 1 button then do the same for 9 ...

Go back to the school.

Ask what NC level he is working at.

Ask what level they think he should be working at.

Ask specifically what they are doing to help him catch up.

Ask specifically what they want you to do.

Do not pay for Kumon or anything else, or do any work with your child at home until you have satisfactory answers to these questions.

I would say don;t do Kumon at all. It is boring, repetetive, expensive, time consuming and does not tie in to the national curriculum. And it plays on the natural concerns and inscurities of parents. In my opinion. Not Mumsnet's opinion. Other opinions are available.

Y1 Maths games - ICTgames

I would really recommend the following book, which demystifies how maths is taught in British primaries making it much easier to support your child at home. I've used it to help my DD1, who is now in Year 2. It's called Maths for Mums and Dads and I really rate it because before reading it, I totally lacked confidence in my own ability to help her and explain maths to her. I was afraid of using the 'wrong' language and confusing her with 'my' way of doing things. Now, I know I'm supporting her teachers' work in the classroom.

Kumon, I've heard is good for Maths. I know parents who have sworn by it. It is very very tedious, but apparently kids just get used to it and it doesnt become an ordeal after a while. But I've not personally heard the same about Kumon for English.

The children I've taught who have done Kumon are often totally lost if they are asked to do something that requires them applying what they have been taught.

If I was you, will start Kumon for 1 - 2 months and see if its benefiting DS.
If or DS needs practice and benefits from repetition, give it a try and judge yourself.
My DS is very good in numbers and he gets bored with repetition, so Kumon didn't work for him.

Not recommending this in any professional capacity as have no knowledge of it.

Maybe a more fun alternative to Kumon if you have a local one? Think they tend to be in the big Sainsbury's (that's where I've come across it). Maybe somebody else will come alsong who's actually used it.

www.explorelearning.org.uk/

I second Feenie's link. ICT games is excellent resource for literacy and numeracy games.
In my experience Kumon just seems to confuse a child when they have to apply their learning in a different context.

Only child I know who did Kumon was completely exhausted and, imo, actually needed more time just playing and not doing more lessons.

I would just schedule in half an hour each afternoon playing/reading/writing together, without it seeming like homework.

Half an hour with no interuptions, just devoted to him, is probably something he can look forward to. You can write comics, letters, play word searches, read the football reports in the paper.

Honestly - don;t start Kumon or anything until you;'ve got sensible answers out of the school.

Kumon is fine for older children who don't know their number bonds or tables but doesn't teach them anything, just recall of number facts.
As a primary teacher I would say it is expensive and nothing you couldn't do yourself with a book from WH smith or online ( education city is good) Agree with Seeker, go back to school armed with those questions, they should be working with you.
Also Yr 1 is very early to be labelling a child "well below average".

I remember having computer games - we thought mum and dad were amazingly cool letting us use the computer, and were teaching ourselves all the time. Win win! (My uncles and aunts thought we were very deprived not know about the sims or rollercoaster tycoon, but we thought the games on our programmes were awesome!)

I've heard Kumon described as arithmetics rather than mathematics - it will drill them again and again in tables and number facts but as mentioned above, does not help them at all with applying knowledge.

Agree with frim that Education City is good.

Also agree with other posters that a meeting at the school should be first port of call so you know the score with 'areas of difficulty', 'gaps in knowledge' and 'barriers to learning' before you decide what to do at home! Lovely educational jargon .