Kumon’s math program is a very effective way to increase your child’s math ability and improve their school grades in math. However, one of the main problems parents face with the program is that many students find the handouts repetitive and boring and are very resistant to completing the work.

For many students, this is particularly the case when starting a new Kumon level and the handouts become more difficult and require more concentration. This is why Kumon’s math program begins with an easy start level, in which the student begins the program at a level that they can complete quickly and easily, thus gaining confidence in their own abilities. It is inevitable, however, that as the student progresses through the program, she will eventually find a new level that is more demanding. This is when many students become reluctant to complete their work.

One of the first ways to overcome this problem is to consider if the student is struggling so much that their workload has become too heavy. When encountering a new level, some students find the work so difficult that it can take up to an hour to complete a single booklet, especially if they have difficulty concentrating. In a case like this, it may be beneficial to split the booklets into two parts and complete only half a booklet a day. This makes the work seem less overwhelming and can help motivate the student. When they can complete the work in the standard completion time, they can go back to doing a full booklet every day.

One of the methods Kumon uses to motivate students is by giving them stickers on a chart for completing their workbooks. When their board is complete, they are awarded a small prize. This works very well for young children, for whom rewards are often a great source of excitement, but is less successful with older students who may not be motivated by such techniques. In this case, parents can often successfully identify some type of achievement and reward structure that works for their child. Goals for this can be set by the parent in conjunction with the Kumon instructor; an example would be the successful completion of a level. Parents can then identify what reward would be appropriate. This can be an amount of money, an outing, or another privilege that the parent believes is an appropriate reward for the goal achieved.

One of Kumon’s goals is for students to develop advanced study skills and be able to study independently. This is best accomplished when the student really takes ownership of her own learning. One of the best ways to accomplish this goal is to hold the student accountable, under her age-appropriate guidance, for grading and marking her own work. This not only makes them find the mistakes they make, but also requires them to identify where they went wrong with the problem and correct it accordingly.

Using the above methods, it should be possible to get even a student who is highly resistant to using the Kumon Method to take responsibility for their learning, complete their booklets in the standard completion time, and do so as accurately as possible.