I have never had my kids in Kumon, but have heard they use a "drill and kill" method of mastering worksheets. What exactly are you looking for for a 4 year old?

Carrie

My kids did it, as they went to a "progressive" school, and I thought that counting on their fingers would be a drawback in later life.

I think 4 is too young, as Kumon is heavy on repetition, and nothing kills enthusiasm like drills. Not that memorizing the multiplication tables is a bad thing. Kumon definitely works, but I'd wait til adding, etc. are introduced in regular school.

My child has been using Kumon for a while. We liked it at the beginning. It helped my child in math calculation skills. But over time, the benefit is no longer that visible and we feel more pressure on its monthly bills. Two months ago, my child started using Beestar. To my surprise, she really loves the 10 quick questions very much, and the math program is free. It??s fairly great. Plus, I also don??t have to drive her to kumon.
Lisa

My son started a new school and I want him to get a jump start on things. I am going to enroll him in Junior Kumon for both reading and math. We also do Handwriting without Tears. I've never heard of Beestar but will check that out. I was always very good at math, and therefore loved it. I was very weak in English, and hated that. I think that kids that do well generally enjoy school. I want to give him a running start. But, he IS only 4yo.

Okay, forgive the teacher in me coming out, but one of the most important things you can do for your wee one is make learning fun and make sure he has plenty of time to play with other kids. The hardest thing for kindergarten teachers is working with children who don't feel as though they need to listen to the teacher, follow directions, take turns, or share. If they are bored, that can be a problem as well and lead to behavior issues, so make sure he is challenged when he starts kindergarten. I admit I am somewhat "old school", but I think playing outside, going places and doing things with family-parks, museums, real restaurants, concerts, art activities at home, etc.-and just "being a kid" help develop a child who will be successful in school and in life. Also, at four years old, he may not even have the fine motor skills needed for handwriting and you may be setting him (and yourself) up for frustration (and ironically, tears) which is the last thing you want. I don't worry about handwriting too much until second grade.

We all have strengths and weaknesses and with time and good teachers, your son will find his passion and do fine in everything else.

cyn-
At my son's school, his class is expected to know how to write their first and last names, how to write their address, count to 100, and know the sounds of all the letters of the alphabet by the end of this year. They also take classes in French, Spanish, and sign language. Thats all apart of his school. He goes to a private school and the kids are tested before they are accepted, even at this age. They wont accept kids that arent above their grade level. The average kid at his school is 3 grade levels ahead of where they should be. It goes from pre-K to 12th grade.

I cant help but chuckle. I know thats an awful lot. I was thinking of Kumon only because I know that if he isnt challenged, we will have a problem. He WILL be bored! I figured that Kumon will keep his little mind active. I find that if he gets bored with toys / friends / activities, he wants to watch cartoons. I'm not completely opposed to him watching cartoons but certaintly would like to throw some other things into the mix before boredoom stricks. Hence Kumon.

He spends little time outside of school doing anything other than playing.

OK after I read that it really sounds like "spending little time outside of school doing anything other than playing" seems appropriate :)

My 2 boys were in Kumon for about a year--- half a year for both reading and math, then we dropped reading. My kids were so bored because of the repetition. The reading part was just too beginner for both my boys, and they hated it. And I didn't like it because I have to check their papers everyday. I didn't think it help them. Maybe, if we stayed for years, they'll get the benefits.
My younger son still gets A+ in math with or without Kumon. His classmate/best friend has been in Kumon for 5 years now, but my son still gets higher grades (by points, but they both get A+).

I don't get it-- you are worried he will not be challenged at home?

I'm not sure I understand the problem with being bored. A bored child is not a problem-- it's an opportunity. It's not our job as parents to entertain or stimulate our children every second. Actually, I think we do them a tremendous disservice if we do.

You might be interested in the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Race to Nowhere

I wonder if some of the "outside the box" school stuff I did when I homeschooled my DD would be interesting to him, more interesting than Kumon. My kiddo loved the Miquon Math workbooks. They open up different ways of thinking about math, IMO. If you look for Montessori homeschooling materials, there are lots of fun learning manipulatives that look and feel more like games.

That said, learning the multiplication tables, etc. is something we really fell short on and I think my daughter still struggles because of it. She didn't want to do the drills and I didn't fight with her. She is very advanced in math but slow to complete the work and tests poorly as a result. If I could do one thing over again, it would be that.

I think I'd consider filling some of his free time with a martial arts class instead of more academics. Give him a chance to do something that helps him focus, feel grounded, develop an awareness of his body, things we all could use a little more of.