At what age are Kumon Arithmetic B materials?
Kumon Arithmetic B is the equivalent level of 7 years old.
After the A materials, the alphabet is designed in such a way that as one letter of the alphabet is advanced, the grade level is also advanced by one. Although there are some parts where the grade level and the alphabet diverge somewhat, it is safe to assume that the alphabet basically corresponds to the grade level.
What kind of material is Kumon Arithmetic B?
The aims of the Kumon Arithmetic B materials are as follows
Based on the ability of addition and subtraction up to the A materials, the students will develop the ability of addition and subtraction strokes and move on to the C materials.
The students will be able to do arithmetic by brush strokes. Kumon math is often structured in such a way that students complete a single task in a single material, but here, too, students are given a clear task: brush strokes.
Let's take a closer look at the materials in more detail. Arithmetic B is composed of 200 printed pages, and the contents are divided into the following categories.
| Material number | Contents | | --- | --- | 1-10 | Addition (review of A) | 11-40 | Addition to sum 100 | | 41-70 | Addition of two digits | | | 71-100 | Addition of three digits | 101-120 | Subtraction (review of A) | | 121-150 | Subtraction of two digits | | 151-160 | Addition of two digits Addition and Subtraction | | 171-200 | Addition of 3-digit numbers
The first half deals with addition, and the second half deals with subtraction. Now that written arithmetic is handled, 2-digit and 3-digit calculations are also handled.
What is the key to Kumon Arithmetic B?
The written arithmetic is different from the conventional addition and subtraction in that it deals with the size of numbers and carry forward and backward numbers. How to deal with each of them will change the degree of difficulty.
Practice, not understanding, is the key to dealing with large numbers.
Brush strokes are originally a technique for calculating numbers with a large number of digits. The larger the number, the more difficult it becomes to visualize the specifics, but the technique of penmanship makes it possible to calculate large numbers.
If you try to grasp this theoretically, it will be difficult to understand. It is difficult for children who are old enough to learn this material to understand abstract concepts, and it is also very difficult for them to visualize three-digit numbers in concrete terms. For example, if asked to picture 359 apples, it would be impossible for them to actually picture 359 apples.
It is of course important to understand the principles, but this will only become possible at a later grade. At this stage, I think it is fine to focus on acquiring simple techniques.
Kumon uses mental arithmetic to solve written arithmetic.
Next, let's look at carry-forward and carry-back.
Kumon's method of doing written arithmetic is unique.
In the usual way, you write down the number of carry-ons and carry-offs. For example, if the sum of the first place in addition is 10 or more, you write "1" in the place of 10, which is the basic way of writing addition.
In Kumon, however, students do not write down the numbers, but solve the addition and subtraction by rote. This is true not only for addition and subtraction, but also for multiplication and division. The speed of solving written arithmetic increases when you do it by rote, and because you have to remember the number of carry-overs and carry-overs, you must be able to do basic addition and subtraction with ease before you can proceed.
It is often said that students who study Kumon math are fast in calculation, and this is the reason for this. Kumon does not deal with applied content, but the basics can be mastered at a high level.
You should get used to Kumon's unique way of solving brush strokes first.
The key point is to get used to the Kumon way of solving arithmetic operations first.
Even if we put aside the debate about which is better, the regular way or Kumon's way, there is no disagreement that Kumon's way is more difficult.
If there is an easy way and a hard way, you should get used to the hard way first. If you can do it the hard way, it will be easier to adapt to the easy way. Once you are accustomed to the easy way, the cost of learning the hard way will remain high, and it will be difficult to see the point in going to the trouble of learning the hard way.
So what can we do to get used to the Kumon way of solving puzzles first?
The best way is to learn Kumon's "B" material before they start learning how to write at school. If you start Kumon math before preschool, your child will be well on his way to learning the B material by the time he starts writing math at school. It is difficult to intervene in your child's learning speed, but you can accelerate the time when your child starts learning Kumon. One good way to do this would be to start Kumon early, and learn Kumon's written arithmetic as soon as possible.
You can be careful about your attitude toward your child if he or she learns how to write at the same time as school or at the same time as school. If you are told that the way they learn at school is different from the way they learn at Kumon, and you take the attitude that one way is wrong, your child will proceed with their learning with doubts and dissatisfaction.
By knowing the Kumon method in advance and being prepared, you will be able to answer your child's questions without causing unnecessary anxiety.