We looked at Kumon a few years ago. From what I observed, they focus on (complete) mastery. If I remember correctly, they won’t let a kid move up until he scores 100% on a test in a prescribed amount of time. The math I saw (DS was 7 then) was heavy on math facts and worksheets. My son wouldn’t have enjoyed it.

I worked with him on math facts until he could get ~80% on a quizlet. I figured he’d learn the rest by applying them in the next skill. So, for example, he learned the remaining 20% of his multiplication facts by doing long division, and we never did basic division facts. I didn’t see the point in making him do them (though I do for non-mathy kids). He knows both sets of facts cold now.

IMO, Kumon work is good stuff for getting high scores on straightforward high stakes tests, but it doesn’t address the kinds of more complex things that HG+ kids tend to appreciate. I agree with others who’ve said that the kids described on this forum might not enjoy the repetitive aspects of it.

Added: My other two kids go to a school that emphasizes math facts. I’ve found ways to get around the tedium of memorizing them by teaching little algorithms for math facts. For example, for multiplying the 9s up to 9*10, you subtract 1 from the number you’re multiplying by and that gives you the tens digit.
The two digits in the answer total 9, so you use this fact to derive the ones digit.

Thus, for 9*6,

6-1=5. The tens digit is 5.

5+?=9 and ?=4, so 4 is the ones digit. The answer to 9*6 is 54.

This let me bundle a wee bit of both algebra-think and concepts of patterns in mathematics into what had previously been straight memorization.

Presto! Math facts for gifties!

Last edited by Val; 02/21/12 07:21 PM. Reason: Clarity