Posted on: 01-12-05 13:46:47
Why there are so many kids going to Kumon to learn Maths? Here in Ottawa, it's a rage, sort of rat race also. I have come across parents whose kids are abt 6 yrs of age going to Kumon to learn Math. I dont get it. Are the parents (and kids) so dumb in Maths? I thought we desis are good in maths.
Maths that's taught in grades 1-5 are pretty simple. Even educated parents are sending their kids to Kumon (because other kids are attending?). Sort of peer pressure (or rat race).
Is there something very special abt Kumon? Are they preparing kdis to get their PhD by age 15?
DIO
Quote:
Orginally posted by desi in ottawa
Why there are so many kids going to Kumon to learn Maths? Here in Ottawa, it's a rage, sort of rat race also. I have come across parents whose kids are abt 6 yrs of age going to Kumon to learn Math. I dont get it. Are the parents (and kids) so dumb in Maths? I thought we desis are good in maths.
Maths that's taught in grades 1-5 are pretty simple. Even educated parents are sending their kids to Kumon (because other kids are attending?). Sort of peer pressure (or rat race).
Is there something very special abt Kumon? Are they preparing kdis to get their PhD by age 15?
DIO
I would think time constraints not letting parents devote as much time as they would like to.
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"Progress comes from deviation".
On a side note if anybody finds my comments or posts offensive or irritating please ignore it and if that still bothers you; please write to me and I will demonstrate.
Quote:
Orginally posted by Azazf
Quote:
Orginally posted by desi in ottawa
Why there are so many kids going to Kumon to learn Maths? Here in Ottawa, it's a rage, sort of rat race also. I have come across parents whose kids are abt 6 yrs of age going to Kumon to learn Math. I dont get it. Are the parents (and kids) so dumb in Maths? I thought we desis are good in maths.
Maths that's taught in grades 1-5 are pretty simple. Even educated parents are sending their kids to Kumon (because other kids are attending?). Sort of peer pressure (or rat race).
Is there something very special abt Kumon? Are they preparing kdis to get their PhD by age 15?
DIO
I would think time constraints not letting parents devote as much time as they would like to.
DIO and Azazf,
In my opinion, both of you are wrong and reading your posts, I am forced to assume/believe that none of you have either visited or known what kids at Kumon do.
Kumon is not any other tuition centre for Math. Its curriculam (if you may call it so) is designed to teach a kid to develop his mental mathematics, which unfortunates lacks sorely in Canadian Public school system. They teach children to solve Math problems mentally (without using calculators) and time each exercise they do. So first they stress on speed and follow it up with accuracy. So the ultimately they teach the kids to solve more math problems accurately and without using calculators in a speedy manner.
Three years ago I had sent my daughter to Kumon classes, though she was much above average in her class - but was inclined to use calcultors and do the problems leisurely. I saw a tremendous change in her in the six months she attended Kumon, as she was able to mentally calculate a lot of things which she could not, or did not, pre-Kumon. Now once again I am seriously thinking of sending her back there (she is now in grade 10) just because I find that once again she is reverting to her old habits.
My personal advise would be that you should go and visit a centre and see the kids working on Math - and you will wonder how concentrated effort they put in. On each paper they do, they have to write the time taken to complete and then a supervisor checks and marks the paper and the grading is based on correct answers v/s time taken.
Chandresh
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Chandresh
Advice is free – lessons I charge for!!
I don't really see the point about not using calculators. They were designed to make life simpler, quicker, and more accurate. Why would you stop using those and revert back to the primitive way of learning???
I understand that you want to develop good mental health and common sense but, doing math problems by not using calculators is not exactly helping your lifestyle. Only frustrating you more.
They could teach children other things at that centre if they are stressing on mental health. By having them think critically about situations affecting life and polictics etc. Doing math without calculators?? Hmm... Not helping much.
Quote:
Orginally posted by chandresh
In my opinion, both of you are wrong and reading your posts, I am forced to assume/believe that none of you have either visited or known what kids at Kumon do.
Kumon is not any other tuition centre for Math. Its curriculam (if you may call it so) is designed to teach a kid to develop his mental mathematics, which unfortunates lacks sorely in Canadian Public school system. They teach children to solve Math problems mentally (without using calculators) and time each exercise they do. So first they stress on speed and follow it up with accuracy. So the ultimately they teach the kids to solve more math problems accurately and without using calculators in a speedy manner.
Three years ago I had sent my daughter to Kumon classes, though she was much above average in her class - but was inclined to use calcultors and do the problems leisurely. I saw a tremendous change in her in the six months she attended Kumon, as she was able to mentally calculate a lot of things which she could not, or did not, pre-Kumon. Now once again I am seriously thinking of sending her back there (she is now in grade 10) just because I find that once again she is reverting to her old habits.
My personal advise would be that you should go and visit a centre and see the kids working on Math - and you will wonder how concentrated effort they put in. On each paper they do, they have to write the time taken to complete and then a supervisor checks and marks the paper and the grading is based on correct answers v/s time taken.
Chandresh
Hey chandresh.......first of all you assume wrong I know about Kumon and second remember what happens when you assume!!!
I am pretty sure what they do at kumon is not magical and parents can do the same thing at home.........Hence time constraint theory being floated by me. The basic philosophy is practice makes perfect.........you can say that in a million different ways and put thousands of twists on it but it does not change the basic concept.
But people dont have the time to devote the time and effort required.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Progress comes from deviation".
On a side note if anybody finds my comments or posts offensive or irritating please ignore it and if that still bothers you; please write to me and I will demonstrate.
Quote:
Orginally posted by MadammeX
I don't really see the point about not using calculators. They were designed to make life simpler, quicker, and more accurate. Why would you stop using those and revert back to the primitive way of learning???
I understand that you want to develop good mental health and common sense but, doing math problems by not using calculators is not exactly helping your lifestyle. Only frustrating you more.
They could teach children other things at that centre if they are stressing on mental health. By having them think critically about situations affecting life and polictics etc. Doing math without calculators?? Hmm... Not helping much.
You are really funny............My stomach is hurting from all the laughin.
Dont want to even argue your points.......they are just not worth arguing.
But I want to point out one thing though.............Given the kind of thought process people are having and the amount of computer usage......and believing that theory of evolution is correct than pretty soon or after a few hundred/thousand years all humans will be left with in their body is huge fingers to type and a big ass to sit and huge melon eyes to see the screen.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Progress comes from deviation".
On a side note if anybody finds my comments or posts offensive or irritating please ignore it and if that still bothers you; please write to me and I will demonstrate.
Quote:
Orginally posted by Azazf
I am pretty sure what they do at kumon is not magical and parents can do the same thing at home.........Hence time constraint theory being floated by me. The basic philosophy is practice makes perfect.........you can say that in a million different ways and put thousands of twists on it but it does not change the basic concept.
But people dont have the time to devote the time and effort required.
You are right in saying that what they do is not magical- but I do not agree that parents can do the same thing at home.
These institutions are developed with a particular concept which is developed after various studies of human behaviour, their actions and reactions to different situations, availability of resources and specialisations in some fields. Why can not a Math teacher (normally) teach Accounts or History while he is educated, has the time and common sense? It is simply because he has specialised in some subject. Similarly people at Kuman developed a methodology which normal parents cannot, unless they study varius children at work, play, and perform different tasks in different manner. And if they do, they are no longer normal parents, but specialists in that field besides being a parent too.
Similarly, Oxford learning centres have developed a methodology where they increase the self confidence of a child, which parents and teachers in school do not specialise in. They have come up with their own curriculam which also teaches basic subjects like English, Math, communication etc., but in a manner different from how it is taught in school or by parents. And therefore, the parents find a remarkable difference on the positive side once the child has been at Oxford for 3-4 months.
About time availability, well .........I would not agree to that simply because most parents spend more time in dropping their children at such Kumon or oxford classes and then picking them up, and infact some parents just wait outside the hall for 45-60 minutes while the child is attending the class.
About research.......that again has nothing to do with time. I am a professional accountant and my wife a teacher, but both of us combined could not come up with a curriculam designed by such organisations, unless we had devoted our other valuable time, which presently is used up by other important responsibilites like attending office and looking after the family's normal chores to doing research and developing methods to teach our child math and english. And if we had done that, that would have become our profession instead of accountant and teacher!
And you are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT in your comments in response to post by Mad......, the only difference being that you laugh and I pity the very thought put in by him.
Chandresh
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Chandresh
Advice is free – lessons I charge for!!
