Does anyone have experience of 'Kumon' learning?

[misterL]

My youngest is struggling a bit with arithmetic and I have heard that 'kumon' can help.

Anyone know how much it costs too?

[DSJ]

Don't know how much it costs but the results are amazing. My friend's son is now in his first year at Trinity College, Cambridge, after a course of Kumon when he was young & struggling.

[Godmancunian]

I'm a teacher and have had children in my class who have undergone Kumon tutoring. It is hard to notice a discernible difference. Sorry. Having said that, extra support of any kind can only help a child. If I were you, I would spend time playing boardgames based around counting on and back to build his number concepts and language. I would also use some of the excellent activities/games on the web. Google Ambleweb, Coxhoe Durham and Woodland Junior School as excellent examples. I would also take any opportunity to reinforce mthematical understanding applied to everyday life eg. through cooking, timing tv programmes, exchanging money in shops etc. A real life context makes the subject more meaningful and builds confidence.

[factor-fiction]

Kumon maths involves doing hundreds of similar questions on a topic (eg adding two single digit numbers) in a stated amount of time.
It can work for some people but my experience is that it often just turns the kids off arithmetic even more. Far better as Godmancunian said to make it fun and apply it real life.
If you want to try the idea, first buy/make your own lists of questions as that is much cheaper than paying for a kumon class

[misterL]

Thanks a lot for your answers. Ive been reading up on the kumon learning techniques, some good and some bad. Seems similar to 'rote' learning. I will take your advice re making learning fun and have a gander at those websites.