American students' performance on science and math tests has lagged compared with that of other countries. Previous studies on students who work reveal mixed findings. But some research suggests that when a high percentage of students at a school hold part-time jobs, the school's teaching and learning atmosphere shifts because teachers begin to lower their expectations for student performance. The Kumon method, which quickly swept Japan and now enrolls 2.6 million students on six continents, holds that children can teach themselves math by tiny increments, but only if they master each step before proceeding to the next one. More like boot camps than tutoring services in their stress on discipline, Kumon centers promise benefits to children with all skill levels, who devote about two hours a week to its exacting regimen.
Some parents enroll their children to keep up with or move ahead of their classmates.
But other parents do so because they believe that their children aren't learning enough, and hope that the centers will compensate. That many schools teach a newer form of math, one that stresses concepts over precise calculation, is another factor in the growth of tutoring centers that rely on older methods. The Kumon system is built around 4,000 work sheets spanning 23 skill levels, from basic counting to calculus. New operations are presented at the top of each sheet, sometimes with sample problems and a cursory explanation. In twice-weekly sessions, children complete from 3 to 10 work sheets within an allotted time.