Kumon Math and Reading Center of Torrance – West

I signed up my little cousin here a couple of months back now and she has been somewhat enjoying it. She has been doing a bit better so I would say the program works. The issue is that it is quite dependent on help at home from the parents and if the parents are not as involved it makes it much more difficult which is the situation I am in. She has not made dramatic strides that I had hoped for, but it’s better than where she would be. The staff here are pretty friendly, but are quite by the book. If they were more involved they would not need to refer to their last exam to know her overall progress. It’s not a bad place, but there is definitely room for improvement

In general:
As a teacher here for 4 years, may I suggest Kumon to enhance your child’s proficiency in math, English, and Japanese? For young children this program works wonders – if they’re willing to stick with it and if they actually do the work. (Most students study at least one grade level higher than their school grade).
Kumon focuses on accuracy and TIME (preparing students for California State Testing, Exit Exams, SATs, and ACTs). For students in middle school or high school, this program may be frustrating. If students do no past tests within a specified time, they cannot move on to the next level. So a student in the 8^th grade who can add, but cannot add accurately or quickly will not be able to move on to higher levels. BUT math builds on the basics, so Kumon develops the strong foundation that is needed for the more complex ideas. (In every level there are 200 worksheets to prepare the student for the test.)
Tuition is pretty pricey ($ 105 a month per subject), and the student comes twice a week for about an hour each session. Honestly, for students who need specific tutoring in a specific field (say, only in geometry), hire a private tutor.
Specifically:
The people who run this center speak predominately Japanese, but can also speak in broken English. (Don’t worry, the English staff speak and understand English with 100% fluency). The staff is predominately comprised of high school students who have passed a series of tests before being hired. Everyone is friendly and patient.