Note: The following is a first-hand account from a Thinkster Math parent and their experience with our math program.
Last month, my daughter came home with her CMT (Connecticut Mastery Test) report for the 4th grade. We were surprised to see the results.
Before I talk about the results, let me share some background.
My daughter is 10-years old and is in the 5th grade in one of the best school districts in Connecticut. The town spends close to $16,000 per pupil per year. While more money does not necessarily mean better schools, the general impression is that the schools in our district are as good as private schools.
Circa 2012, I saw the same report and was very puzzled.
She was right there at the district average. Her score was 485 while the district average was 482.
My wife and I used to think our little princess was very good in Math but the CMT report negated that claim.
3 Years of Kumon®, and Perhaps Some Good Genes, Did Not Help!
Suhani had started Kumon when she was only 4 years old. Over her three years on the Kumon program, she had progressed to the stage where at least in Kumon terms, she was way ahead in math compared to her age, as she had already completed F series (fractions skill set) twice at Kumon. Her ranking at Kumon was at or better than the 90th percentile amongst Kumon students.
Generally speaking, the parents of the Kumon students are very focused on academics and are determined to make sure their kids excel in school or have an academic advantage. Therefore, we thought if she was 90 percentile in Kumon math she ought to be far above average in the school district; of course, that’s why we would send her to a Kumon center.
So, what happened?
But still, she was average, per the CMT report.
Why?
We, as parents, focused on Suhani’s education quite a bit. She also had a home environment that had a good academic influence because her dad (i.e. me) is a Math and Computer Science graduate from IIT Delhi (the equivalent of MIT in India) and her mom is a Chartered Accountant and a CPA.
