At what age are Kumon Arithmetic C materials?
Kumon Arithmetic C is the equivalent level of 8 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 letter. 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.
In Japan, there is also an award system whereby if your child is three grades ahead of his/her grade level as of March 31, he/she will receive a trophy. If your child has completed the C materials in his/her senior year, he/she will be eligible for the award, so if your family is putting a lot of effort into Kumon learning, you may be able to make it one of your goals.
What kind of Kumon Math C materials are they?
The aims of the Kumon Math C materials are as follows
Based on the addition and subtraction skills acquired up to the B materials, students will acquire the basic calculation skills for multiplication and division, and develop the ability to move on to the D materials.
While subtraction was covered in the A materials, and writing was covered in the B materials, multiplication and division will be the theme of the C materials. This will be a turning point for the students as it will be the foundation for fractions that will continue through to the G materials.
Let's take a look at the materials in more detail. Arithmetic C consists of 200 printouts, and the contents are divided into the following categories.
| Material number | Contents | | --- | --- | 1-10 | Review up to B | | | 11-50 | 1 digit x 1 digit (99) | | 51-100 | 2 digits x 1 digit | | 101-110 | 3 digits x 1 digit and 4 digits x 1 digit | | 111-120 | Inverse of 99 | | 121-160 | Division with remainder | 161-180 | 2 digits / 1 digit | 181-200 | 3-digit divided by 1-digit
The first half consists of multiplication and the second half consists of division.
What are the key points of Kumon Math C?
The key to success in Kumon Math C is for parents to actively support their children in mastering the ninety-nine digits.
Multiplication, which is more difficult than addition, must be mastered in a shorter period of time than addition.
Multiplication is more difficult to understand as a concept than addition. This is because the numbers are larger and it is difficult to have a concrete image of the numbers.
The same is true of the B material, where three-digit addition and subtraction were introduced, so it must have been difficult for students to picture concrete objects in their minds.
However, using the technique of penmanship, the calculation itself can be completed by repeating single-digit addition and subtraction, and since the maximum number for single-digit addition is 18, you can manage to visualize a concrete object. By relying on that image, I was able to master even three-digit arithmetic.
The story changes when it comes to multiplication. Even in basic one-digit multiplication, the largest number is 81, which is a size that is difficult to visualize concretely. From the learning stage, it becomes necessary to rely on memorization to some extent.
Moreover, the amount of material devoted to multiplication is not as large as that for addition. From the first appearance of addition to subtraction, students will have to solve 310 pages of printouts, but from the beginning of multiplication to division, there are only 100 pages of printouts. Even though the difficulty level of learning multiplication has increased, it is necessary to learn it in a shorter period of time.
It is highly likely that home study of 99 is assumed.
One possible reason for this is that multiplication is assumed to be studied at home to some extent.
The tool used for learning multiplication is the ninety-nine, which involves reciting the numbers 1 x 1 to 9 x 9, and is a learning method that almost all students, without exception, have experienced if they have received schooling in Japan. There are a variety of teaching materials available, such as posters to put up in the bathtub, making it a very easy unit to study at home if you are so inclined.
Many Kumon classrooms also have students actually recite the ninety-nine, and if they succeed in reciting them, they move on to the next. However, since there are no instructions to recite the ninety-nine in the Kumon handouts, there is no opportunity to learn the ninety-nine unless you recite them at home on your own.
We want to realize the importance of home study at an early stage.
In light of this, the point of Kumon Math C is to realize the necessity of home study of 99 at an early stage.
Kumon's teaching materials, not limited to nine-nine, provide almost no explanation when entering a new unit. Because Kumon's teaching materials are based on the "get used to it rather than learn it" method, support is indispensable for those who do not have a clue about a new unit. In terms of the lack of a clue, the C materials have a degree of difficulty that is hard to find anywhere else in the world.
The level of difficulty of the material varies greatly depending on the presence or absence of support. Active support from parents is required.