Experiences with Kumon We have enrolled our 5 year old son in Kumon which is an after school math and reading enrichment program of Japanese origin. 
While he is learning lots of things (currently learning how to add i.e., 1+4=?, 2+4=? etc) I am concerned about the utility of this approach to teach math. For example, he already knows that 4+2=6 but when he sees 2+4=? he needs to again start counting to figure out the answer. I know that he is still too young to perhaps appreciate that 2+4 and 4+2 give the same answer.
But, the above example suggests that Kumon's method of teaching math may not necessarily enhance his understanding of math. He may come to view math as a bunch of rules to follow- an outcome which would be a complete disaster. So, given the above background my questions are:


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*Does anyone know of any research/studies that have examined the effectiveness of Kumon? (A cursory google search did not turn up anything)

*Have any of you been part of the Kumon program? If so, how was your experience?

You might want to look at Nancy Ukai. (1994). The Kumon approach to teaching and learning. Journal of Japanese Studies, (20)1, 87-113. http://www.jstor.org/pss/132785
You might also want to search using the terms "east asian mathematics education" and "repetition with variation."
