In the highly competitive environment of New York City private schools it is no wonder that many parents start tutoring their youngsters at a very young age in an effort to give them the extra edge. In "Fast-Tracking to Kindergarten" (May 15, 2011) the N.Y. Times highlighted the Junior Kumon program which tutors children in basic skills starting at age 3. Kumon asserts "the younger the better" and states that the repetition inherent in the program develops concentration. Parents described the benefits of the program as their childrens' knowlege increased,
What was missing in the article was any mention of developmental level and individual differences in children. While many of the youngsters seemed to take the tutoring in stride, there must be those with shorter attention spans, children who are just not ready to form letters, children who have special needs and just can't see the difference between letters and children who just aren't into it. What happens then? Are parents advised to stop with Junior Kumon at this point or do they soldier on thinking their children will benefit in the long run?
This program (and others) has the potential of frustrating children and impacting motivation in a negative way if individual differences aren't taken into account. The little 3 year old matching letters didn't look too happy in her picture in the N.Y.Times. Maybe that was because she'd just been told that her #12 was "sloppy". Given some time for her motor skills to develop, she'll no doubt make a beautiful 12.
At ParentConfidante Special Needs Consulting, we make the academic and school recommendations that are right for the child - one size doesn't fit all.
