Kumon emphasises repetition. Children have to solve the same kind of problem again and again on a single worksheet and then complete several more worksheets that are only slightly different. After that, they face very similar problems in the worksheets of the next set and then complete even more of the same problems in the Achievement Test at the end of that level.
This is not poor planning on the part of the Kumon worksheet designers – Just the reverse. Decades of Kumon research have shown that there is nothing more helpful for students to master their basics than lots of practice.
Pictured: Toru Kumon’s original worksheets
Consider one of the addition worksheets at the start of the Maths Programme. The student begins addition with problems involving adding 1 to another number. The first 90 worksheets will ask the student to add 1 (and always 1) to a series of numbers. Of course, the student quickly masters this process and goes on to the next step: adding 2 (and always 2) to another series of numbers. Accuracy is easy to achieve and as the student understands each process gradually speed is developed and the student is ready to move on.
To an adult, this seems incredibly boring. Constant repetition of very simple exercises seems a sure way to kill anyone’s interest in any subject. To children, however, it is just the opposite. How many times have you seen your child spend hours playing with something that you tire of watching in the first few minutes? The “tedious” aspects of Kumon are much more the perception of adults watching the work than they are of the children doing the work.
Moreover, children delight in solving problem after problem, especially solving them all correctly. They are achieving visible mastery over something highly abstract. Who could be bored with that?
Repetition helps the student. It should never be looked at as a punishment because repeating worksheets is a completely normal part of the program. Some of the very best Kumon students complete hundreds of worksheets for each level. Kumon’s records indicate that almost every child who has studied with the Kumon Method for the past forty years has had to go back and re-do worksheets.
The Kumon philosophy accepts that this is an important part of learning. Repetition fosters improved understanding, which inevitably results in improved performance and confidence.