What is the best private tutoring company (ie Kumon)?

Question

What have you heard is the best tutoring company? I'm trying to find somewhere where I can learn advanced math for an affordable, high-quality education that will really help in school.

I've heard of Kumon, Silvan Learning Center, and Huntingdon or something like that and others, and am not sure where to go!!

Answer 1

There probably isn’t any one perfect tutoring system. You have to adjust to your child’s (or self) learning style and hope he or she gets a good teacher. Sometimes like karate or ballet, you have to shop for a program which matches your budget and academic goals. I do happen to know about Kumon, so I will share that with you: Lots of people start things and never finish or worst yet, give opinions, about Kumon, with no knowledge other than what they "think" it is. It was started by a Japanese father who was a H.S. teacher and felt that his son wasn't learning "mental" math. He broke down math skills into small increments and insisted on 100% accuracy for full mastery. It is NOT meant as the only teaching method but as an after school program for reinforcement. Later on reading was added.Same thing, small increments so you don't skip anything. One think that I like is that they teach to "mastery" 100%. This is the difference between "sliding by" and really learning and not forgetting.Kumon centers are franchises which follow a philosophy USA does not endorse: drill, rote learning, memorization, single minded pursuit of high skills and test scores-Where do you find that in public school?! American math methods lack the necessary repetition for students to achieve rapid calculation. Japan is way ahead of us. We are concerned with the child's "understanding." Kumon says; perform the skill and the child will understand.
If you look at your state's requirements you will see soooo many skills the teacher has to teach in one year- that's why they fly through it and never have the time to really get all the kids on board! ..another reason children are being “left behind”….
I think you can have a good balance with BOTH what they learn in school and with the Kumon after school program.
I was trained as a Kumon corrector and saw several hundred children come through our center. Those who bought into the program and stuck with it FAR exceeded those who were sporadic in their, twice weekly attendance. My older daughter started at 12 and I felt it was too late- too many bad habits to break, however she did become more accurate and to this day goes back and checks her work. My younger two started at 2 1/2 and 4 years. We stayed with it 3 1/2 years and both, were two years ahead of their same aged peers by the time they started school. Now in Jr and H.S. they are more than 3 yrs ahead- excellent test takers and straight A math students.
We did not do the reading program as I couldn't afford it at the time and I am a reading teacher so figured I could handle that, but I really wanted my kids to do well in math- My son is ADD and although I did not see the improvement in his behavior in other areas,(one of Kumon's claims) I DO think that math is the only place he can fully focus and he has always loved math- so what more could I want!?
It was very hard when the kids were little, to do the homework.(Kumon expects you to do a packet everyday) and they were so tired by the time I got off work that it was hard to go to the Kumon center, usually in a spare room in a church, and sit there at 4 or 5 pm, just when they are hungry and tired. But I am really glad I did!! We had many "meltdowns" but persisted
As a special ed teacher for the last 27 years, I have seen about all the math strategies there are and I have used the same technique, not the exact Kumon materials, with severely delayed kids with great success.
I commend you for looking into extra tutoring! The days of “letting the school take care of all the teaching” are gone! Any “edge” you can afford is going to help.Best of luck and be strong and give your child the discipline they will need for this competitive world!!
Source(s):
Japan LEADS the world in math.
http://www.arthurhu.com/index/math.htm...

http://www.kumon.com/

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What is the best private tutoring company (ie Kumon)?
What have you heard is the best tutoring company? I'm trying to find somewhere where I can learn advanced math for an affordable, high-quality education that will really help in school.

I've heard of Kumon, Silvan Learning Center, and Huntingdon or something like that and others, and am...

Answer 3

As a teacher, I don't like Silvan learning center. I haven't seen progress by my special education students that attend. We also have 1 to 1 learning. However, sometimes the best place to go is to the local school system. Many teachers also tutor on the side, as I do. Teaching doesn't always pay the bills! Check out the high schools for teachers that tutor or the local community college.

Answer 4

I Like Lindamood-Bell, programs they internationally recognized as one of the most effective methods for developing literacy skills. The Centers provide students with one-to-one individualized sensory-cognitive instruction. The other one are in small group learning.

Answer 5

He didn't tell me about it. How come I never heard? Why can't I get private tutoring when I'm failing, and you already get good grades?