A Look at Cram School Materials by Subject: English, Math, Science, Japanese, and Social Studies—Points for Parents to Watch

In my previous article, I looked at the materials my daughter brought home from cram school before starting middle school and considered the school's policy based on their overall structure.

Overall, the materials were centered on basics that align with school textbooks.
However, there were advanced materials for math, and workbooks for regular test preparation were also provided for science and social studies.

So, this time, I would like to summarize my thoughts after looking at the materials in a bit more detail, subject by subject.

This is not information confirmed with the teachers, but rather a record from a father's perspective based on looking at the materials at home.
Since materials and how they are used may change depending on the year and the cram school, please be sure to check for yourselves if you are considering them.

English: Materials for 'Securing Points' Rather Than Just 'Understanding'

For English, the materials were primarily textbook-aligned.

For children who are good at English, the content itself might not be too difficult.

However, in middle school English, 'just sort of understanding' doesn't translate into scores.

What is important is:

・Spelling of words
・Distinguishing between 'be' verbs and action verbs
・Patterns for interrogative and negative sentences
・Word order
・Listening
・Understanding the textbook text

These are the fine details.

Even if you can read it intuitively, you can lose points due to spelling or word order mistakes.

Therefore, the English materials seemed designed to ensure students secure points in school English rather than to significantly expand their English proficiency.

For children who are good at English, it is important not to stop at 'I understand, so I'm fine.'

Bringing it to a level of precision where they can aim for a perfect score.
I think that in middle school English, that accumulation is what makes a big difference.

Math is a two-book structure. This seemed the most important.

Among the materials, the one that caught my attention the most was math.

Only for math was there a two-book structure:

・A book covering standard problems
・A book covering even advanced problems

This was the setup.

I think this is quite meaningful.

It is structured to use both materials that solidify foundations with standard problems and materials that cover slightly more advanced problems.

In other words, for math,

“ensuring standard problems can be solved reliably”
“and on top of that, being exposed to problems for higher-level students”

It appeared to be a two-tiered approach.

Considering the goal of aiming for top-tier public schools, it makes sense that math is given more weight.

However, it is dangerous to chase after advanced problems from the very beginning.

In first-year junior high school math, rather than difficult problems,

・Positive and negative numbers
・Algebraic expressions
・Equations
・Units
・Organizing conditions in word problems
・Reviewing calculations

are far more important.

In math, there are times when students lose points even though they understand the material.

Mistaking signs.
Overlooking units.
Skipping over conditions in the problem text.
Not doing a final check.

I think how much these mistakes can be reduced is very significant in junior high school math.

Precisely because there are two math textbooks, as a parent, I felt I would want to watch whether they are properly re-solving the problems they got wrong, rather than just how far they have progressed.

Science is quite comprehensive

There were three science books.

・Material to solidify class content
・Material to assist understanding
・Workbooks to finish before regular tests

This is the structure.

I felt this was quite comprehensive.

Science is a subject where gaps tend to widen quickly once students enter junior high school.

There are more terms to memorize than in elementary school science.
Furthermore, it is not just about rote memorization; students also need the ability to read charts and tables, understand the purpose of experiments, and organize conditions.

The skills required for science are surprisingly broad.

・Reading diagrams
・Understanding the meaning of experiments
・Organizing conditions
・Writing terminology accurately
・Explaining why things happen

Therefore, it makes sense that there are multiple science books.

However, it is difficult if you try to treat all the materials with the same level of importance just because there are many of them.

Use basic materials for daily study.
Use supplementary materials for units you don't understand.
Use regular test preparation workbooks before exams.

I felt that using them selectively in this way is important.

Japanese seems a bit thin

There was only one book for Japanese.

Of course, I think it is good that there are materials aligned with the textbook.
However, compared to other subjects, Japanese seemed a bit thin.

Japanese is not a subject that suddenly improves just by doing one workbook.

In junior high school Japanese, you need skills such as:

・Finding evidence in the text
・Answering in a way that fits the question
・Including necessary words in descriptive answers
・Not missing kanji or vocabulary
・Differentiating how to read expository texts versus narrative texts

These are the kinds of skills required.

“I can read the text, but I can't write out the answer.”

I think there are many children like that.

Regarding Japanese, rather than leaving it entirely to the cram school materials, it is something I want to keep an eye on at home as well.

For example,

“Why did you think that?”
“Where is it written in the text?”
“Are you answering what is being asked?”

These are the kinds of prompts to use.

As students advance in grade level, Japanese language skills impact all other subjects.
That is why I believe it is a subject that should be monitored carefully from an early stage.

Social studies is structured for regular exams.

In addition to geography and history, social studies included a workbook for regular exam preparation.

It seems to be very focused on regular exams.

Social studies is a subject where effort easily translates into higher scores.
However, simple rote memorization will not lead to consistent results.

For geography, you need to understand:

• Maps
• Climate graphs
• Agricultural products
• Industrial regions
• Reading data/materials

For history, you need to understand:

• The flow of eras
• Key figures
• The chronological order of events
• The reasons why things happened

It is necessary to understand these points.

Social studies is often thought of as a 'memorization subject,' but in reality, it also requires the ability to interpret materials and explain terminology.

With this material structure, I believe the flow would be to organize geography and history content regularly, then finish up with the dedicated workbook before regular exams.

I felt this was a very practical combination for scoring well on school regular exams.

Points for parents to watch

With this material structure, I don't think what parents should be looking at is 'how many pages have been completed.'

What is important is how the student handles the problems they got wrong.

Specifically:

• Is the student re-solving math problems?
• Is the student leaving spelling errors in English uncorrected?
• Can the student explain science terminology?
• Is the student able to handle data-based questions in social studies?
• Can the student explain the evidence for their answers in Japanese?

These are the areas I would want to monitor.

There are plenty of materials.
The rest depends on how they are used.

Going to cram school, attending classes, and doing homework.
That alone is already quite commendable.

However, to translate that into better grades, I believe it is important not to leave mistakes unaddressed.

Don't just end at "I understand it"; take it to the point where you can "get it right next time."

I feel that this difference becomes significant in middle school studies.

Summary

If I had to summarize this lineup of materials in one phrase,

"A structure that aims to secure high scores on regular school tests while also looking ahead to top-tier schools in mathematics."

That is what I think it is.

Overall, it is quite solid.

English is focused on building precision to get perfect scores in school English.
Mathematics is a two-tiered approach that solidifies standard problems while also handling advanced ones.
Science has a thorough structure that is conscious of both understanding the material and preparing for regular tests.
Japanese has the bare minimum as far as materials go, so reinforcement at home is important.
Social studies is quite practical for regular test preparation.

I feel that this material structure has the potential to be a good fit for my daughter.

However, because there are so many materials, she might get tired if she tries to perfect everything.

What is important is not just getting through the materials, but being able to use them.

From "understanding" to "securing the points."

I believe this is where the big turning point lies in middle school studies.

Furthermore, from the structure of the materials, I felt the cram school's intention to foster children interested in the sciences. I also felt that if my child's interests do not lie in the sciences, I would have to consider whether or not to continue with the cram school at that point.