Tuesday, November 9, 2010

What is Your Kumon Story?

This story just came up today in our Kumon instructors forum and I have choosen to forward it via my blog too.

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We received a terrific blog post from an influential mom blogger today. The blogger’s name is Pauline Karwowski and she writes a personal blog called “Classy Chaos.” The post is titled “Our Kumon Story”, and shares Pauline’s two-year experience in Kumon with her 8-year-old son, Jay, and how he ultimately achieved confidence and a love of math – which is priceless.

Please read the parent responses to the post. You’ll see first-hand how a personal experience can relate to many of your sentiments and and help share the true value of Kumon learning.

Direct link: http://www.classychaos.com/links-topmenu-20/685-allaboutkumon

Congratulations to the Ohio Instructor leading Jay through our math program!
Sincerely,
Branding Department

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Learning English - A Mania or here to stay?

Learning the English language to make a better world. Ever thought about it from that perspective?
Jay Walker explains why two billion people around the world are trying to learn English. He shares photos and spine-tingling audio of Chinese students rehearsing English -- "the world's second language" -- by the thousands.
Watch this video to understand how English can be considered a mania or if its here to stay.

http://www.ted.com/talks/jay_walker_on_the_world_s_english_mania.html
click on the link above or copy and paste it on your browser.


Kumon’s founder, Toru Kumon, firmly believed that reading is a fundamental part of all education. Children who acquire strong reading skills at an early age often enjoy a more successful educational experience. While we think children should establish a passion for reading early on, we also know that reading skills can be improved at any age. Starting with basic phonics, Kumon Reading progresses all the way through advanced comprehension. Kumon Reading continues to be our fastest-growing program.

Example areas covered:
· Prereading skills
· Phonics
· Vocabulary building
· Grammar and punctuation
· Reading comprehension

The Kumon Reading Program is perfect for:
· Giving prereaders and early readers a solid foundation and a head start.
· Improving overall reading and writing skills at all grade levels.
· Increasing your child’s vocabulary and reading comprehension.
· Developing a love of reading and appreciation of great literature.
Through a series of progressive worksheets, children advance through the Kumon Program, mastering skills and concepts, acquiring invaluable independent study habits and learning techniques and the confidence needed to succeed.
Students complete worksheets at their Kumon Learning Centers and at home. The assignments take approximately a half-hour, leaving children plenty of time for extracurricular activities.

Worksheet Benefits
Kumon’s assignments build on each subject to develop a comprehensive understanding of reading. Each worksheet not only covers specific concepts, but also helps students interpret information, expand their vocabularies and enhance reading, writing and overall comprehension.

The Kumon program is present in 46 countries and regions of the world. As of August 2010, there are 4.250, 000 children enrolled in this program.



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Transition to High School

Transition to High School - Tools and resources for students and parents.

WHAT CHANGES FROM GRADE 8 TO GRADE 9?
•Choose your classes - you can choose the classes you are interested in, after grade 9.
• Class Length - all classes are 75 minutes long, not 40 minutes.
• Course Options - you can choose between Academic, Applied, Locally Developed or Essentials classes.
• Exams - you must write exams at the end of many courses.
• Learn the course codes for HS
• Semestered Classes - you have up to four classes per term.
• Summatives - you will be completing summative or "end of course" tasks as a part of your final evaluation.

OCDSB Resources
Colonel By High School International Baccalaureate Program - General Information
List of OCDSB Secondary Courses - description of various program.
OCDSB Special Education Publications
OCDSB Special Education Services Guide for Parents
OCDSB Website
What is the IPRC process?

Ontario Ministry of Education Resources
6 Ways - Proposed changes to improve Secondary Education in Ontario.
Ministry of Education - Grade 9 curriculum.
New Transition Plan To Help Struggling Students Prepare For High School (article)
Ontario Ministry of Education - Frequently Asked Questions
Ontario Ministry of Education - Transition to Grade 9
Programs, Strategies and Resources to help students succeed in Grades 7-12.
Student Success - Learning to age 18 (for parents)

Other Practical Planning Resources for Success in High School
EQAO - Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test and Grade 9 Math Test
Future Building Program - Ottawa trades
Jump Start Your Career - career planning ideas.
Ontario Exam Bank - previous exams used for student practice (membership fees).
Ontario Secondary School diploma Requirements
Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP)
Ontario's Designated Provider of Distance Education Independent Learning Centre
Planning for Secondary School - Tips to help parents and students plan their secondary experience. Courses are explained and identified in 11 different languages.
Secondary Schools guidelines for assessment, evaluation, grading and reporting.
Skills connect - trades site.
The Boomerang Project - High School Transition Program Types of courses in grade 9 and 10 - explanation of academic, applied, essentials and locally developed courses.

I hope you will have the opportunity to go through some of these sites and forums. If you find the information practical and relevent, do drop me a line or two to let me know. It is encouraging to hear that and gives me the pleasure to continue to post relevent articles for students and parents at our Kumon Math & Reading Centre.
Thank you,
Sanjit

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Our Children....the leaders of tomorrow, we must listen and learn from them.

As a certified Kumon Instructor, part of my mandate is to attend monthly meeting along with other instructors, participate in workshops and study groups and keep working on my worksheets............yes even I do my daily Kumon worksheets and try not to complain about it, especially in front of my children!
Part of our workshops have always included learning from excellent students. For a long time there I just couldn't grasp this idea of learning from excellent students. They are already doing so well so why so much focus on them? Why not focus on those falling behind, those struggling, those trying so hard to catch up to grade level?
At some point, hard to say exactly when this was, I did get my epiphany, my 'aha' moment and realised that indeed only when I observe my excellent students am I able to learn from them in order to apply to my less able students the same strategies, thoughts, styles and motivations. Only when I learn how my excellent students continue to excel and work well beyond their grade level, continuously surprise me and go well beyond my expectations, do I continue to grow and become a better and more learned instructor. When I am limited in my beliefs I hold back my students too, thinking they cannot go forth beyond their age or level. And I am pleasantly surprised at every class day. Every center day brings a new revelation and I continue to learn from all my students, the excellent ones and the ones working hard to excel.

Let me share this lovely, thought provoking video with you.
A voracious reader from age three, Adora Svitak's first serious foray into writing -- at age five -- was limited only by her handwriting and spelling. (Her astonishing verbal abilities already matched that of young adults over twice her age.) As her official bio says, At age seven, she typed out over 250,000 words -- poetry, short stories, observations about the world -- in a single year.
Her breakthroughwould soon come "in the form of a used Dell laptop her mother bought her." Svitak has since fashioned her beyond-her-years wordsmithing into an inspiring campaign for literacy -- speaking across the country to both adults and kids. She is author of Flying Fingers, a book on learning.

http://www.ted.com/talks/adora_svitak.html
If the link does not work, please copy and paste into your browsers. Do share these videos with your children and other family members too.

The only limitations in life are the ones we set for ourselves. As I always say, "Dream big dreams, for only big dreams have the power to motivate us" Enjoy.
Sanjit

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

The Logic of Language

The British playwright George Bernard Shaw, in an attempt to reveal the inconsistencies of English spelling, once pointed out that under the “rules“ of English spelling, it would be perfectly sensible to spell the word fish as ghoti.
His reasoning went something like this: if you took the “gh“ from cough, the “o“ in women, and the “ti“ in nation, then “gh-o-ti“ would have the same sound equivalence as “f-i-sh.“ His point is well taken........and a good thing our daily reading doesnt involve such decoding drama!
Whereas other languages such as Italian and the Japanese kana script have much simpler and direct correspondences of sound to symbol, English, it seems, is all over the place. There are more than 1,100 ways that letters in English can be used to symbolize the 44 sounds in the spoken language. This diversity gives rise to sentences that would baffle just about anyone trying to learn the code. Some examples: “The bandage was wound around the wound.“ “The farm was used to produce produce.“ “The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.“

Fortunately for us the very structured way in which our learning program is laid out, allows us to build upon our strenghts and quickly solve what may seem as linguistic puzzles.
Regardless whether its working with children with various learning disabilities and learning challenges or just the 3 year old who is trying to put the new sounds together to make sense to her, its amazing and extremely rewarding to watch when it all begins to come together and the student in the Junior Kumon cannot wait to carry her worksheet to me and show off now that the struggles of the decoding drama have paid off and finally she can read now!
Like one child who painted at my last award ceremony "I can read". How empowering. How powerful. How blessed we are to be able to part with this gift of learning and be allowed to share the opportunity. How humbling too.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Animal School - Do give your child the tools to write their own success stories.





From Good to Great..................Every Child An Achiever. Every child at our centre is special and we stress this at our regular assistant trainings. To express how individualised our program is and how very special your child is at our centre, I request you to enjoy this video I have posted and share your comments with us.

We have plenty of ducks, eagles, bears, zebras, kangaroos, fishes, squirrels, and bees enrolled with us at our centre. And each one is special to us. Each one comes with their own charm and skills, strengths and weaknesses. We try to build upon the strengths while keeping the weaknesses in mind.

"This program aims for every child to reach their full potential. Every student starts out at a comfortable pace, so they’re feeling motivated from the very beginning. We Customise Kumon to suit your child's needs............Sanjit Kaur, Kumon Instructor.

Do give your children the tools to write their own success stories. Kumon, allows students of all ages and abilities to develop the skills necessary to have a richer, more successful educational experience. It’s where they gain the confidence and motivation to learn, accomplish and achieve more on their own. Kumon Math and Reading Programs can be tailored for advanced students who need to be challenged and are able to work well ahead of their peers, or for students who need help catching up. We will design individualized programs that allow them to advance at their own pace, instilling in them a passion and desire to learn more.

Junior Kumon is designed specifically with younger children in mind. It helps foster a desire to learn while also preparing them for their first academic challenges in math and reading.

The success of the program lies in its technique. With Kumon, children are able to fully grasp one concept at a time — at their own pace — before advancing to the next, ensuring that they completely understand each level and subject. Our program builds confidence and increases children’s desire to learn.While enrolled in Kumon, your children will gain a significant understanding of the core subjects, math and reading, as well as develop the skills — such as improved concentration, perseverance and dedication — needed to succeed.

Be it a Bear or a Bee, a Kangaroo or a Fish, we welcome all at the Kanata North Kumon Centre with a smile, lots of encouragement and high-fives! to reach out to their highest potential.

Friday, July 30, 2010

KUMON CONNECTIONS
SUMMER 2010 NEWSLETTER

Did you know?

Our Junior Kumon program catering for children from 4 years and above continues to grow successfully!
To date we have given away four $500 reading scholarships since we started this incentive!
Mathematics opens the doors to over 170 careers. It is recommended that all students should graduate with at least one Mathematics credit course.
English credit is a pre-requisite for entrance into most Universities.
A student’s top six credits are used by Ontario Universities to determine acceptability for entrance to the University and entrance scholarships.
Studying Kumon for 15-20 minutes per day over the course of a year is the equivalent of just 6-8 days in a year. The difference this daily study makes in a child’s life is profound and stays with them for years to come.

Centre Closures
Tue 3rd Aug, Fri 27th Aug, 31st Aug, Tue 3rd Sep
We re-open on Tue 7th Sep
Homework is always given during centre closures on the last class day. Please note that in order for your child to continue to progress well, all the homework must be returned timed, marked and corrected along with their names and times on every set.

The North America Kumon Instructors Annual Conference will take place in New York in July. The centre will be open as normal however the instructor, Sanjit, will be attending the conference from July 16th – 23th. For any questions/holiday plans over this period please send an email to: sanjitbirgi@ikumon.com. All phone inquiries will be returned after the class of Tuesday 27th July.

TUITION FEE INCREASE
As everyone is aware the new HST came into effect as of July 1st, 2010. While we knew we would be affected in some way and were quite willing to absorb the immediate increase, we now realise that this will not be possible. We have been affected from every corner with Kumon charging us for the increase not just with their monthly royalty and increased insurance rates but also with every service and additional material that they provide us with for the program. We are also affected by this increase through our payroll provider - Ceridian, the two companies that allow us to offer you both electronic fund transfers and credit card payments i.e Global services and RBC, as well as every other auxiliary service that we use from lawyers to accountants and financial services. In addition, minimum wage has gone up twice this year with the last increase of 8% in May 2010. Basically, the cost of operating our business has increased with the introduction of the HST.

We are now charging $110 per month per subject for all new enrollments effective August 2010.

New students enrolling from Grade 9 and above pay $120 per month.
As part of our loyalty incentive to existing families, we will absorb this increase for the next six months (Jul – Dec 2010) and only charge the new fees with effect from January 1st 2011 for all students. New forms will go out in October/November requesting you to sign the new tuition fee with your choice of payment; MasterCard, Visa, Electronic Fund Transfers (EFT) or Post-dated Cheques.

However even with this increase we believe that Kumon is still one of the most affordable, well researched and constantly growing after school supplemental programs. We also believe that our centre continues to add value every year for our Kumon families; with the introduction of;

Reading library in 2007,
Junior Kumon in 2008,
The $500 completers scholarship award for Reading in 2008,
Summer study incentives in 2009,
Annual Student Award Events & Activities,
Regular assistant training programs,
Offering our high school students the opportunity to collect their volunteer hours at our centre,
Partaking in workshops and study groups regularly.


Studying Kumon – LET YOUR CHILD AMAZE YOU

Get Hooked on both Math and Reading this summer!
Summer is a great time to add on the Second Subject as the child has no pressure of school homework and will still have time to have fun in the summer.
Did you know? Throughout the summer months the average student forgets up to 50% of the Math and Reading skills obtained during the school year. Kumon can help retain knowledge during the summer months and remain sharp for the upcoming school year. Majority of students who continue studying Kumon over summer, fare better when returning to school in September.

Enroll your child in a Second Subject in the summer or in the New School Year!
If you are interested, please speak to Sanjit to schedule a free placement test
Homework Made Easier! Resources to Provide Your Child

Please provide quality pencils and erasers for Kumon study, especially when attending class. For Reading, learning resources include a dictionary, as well as a thesaurus.
Reduce household noise and distractions during homework time. Set aside approximately 10-15 minutes per subject on a daily basis before school homework or earlier in the day and stick to it!
Regular attendance, completion of daily homework assignments, and consistency with the time of day homework is done are just a few ways to improve the effectiveness of Kumon in your child’s life.
Keeping in close consultation with us on any concern is important to your child’s course of study.
Setting clear, attainable goals has a great impact on your child’s motivation to continue studying during the upcoming year.

Long Term Study and pereverance
Anything truly worthwhile takes time to achieve – If the Kumon Curriculum is different from your child’s school curriculum, please bear in mind that we are preparing your child for excellence in Grade 8, Grade 9 and High School. If Kumon does not correspond now, it will certainly do so at a point when your child has acquired the core curriculum, i.e. essential fundamentals taught the right way.
In Math, the foundation is taught without any use of calculators up to University Level so your child truly understands and integrates Math. Math skills are lifetime skills and transferable to many other areas and subjects in your child’s lifetime.
In Reading, students develop a more sophisticated understanding with analysis of advanced texts. This will allow your child to understand comprehension, advanced concepts and train them to read complicated reading passages and apply this knowledge to any subject be it arts or the sciences. By the time we can stack your child’s completed Kumon worksheets into a pile that is taller than your child, you will have realised the most dramatic effects of Kumon!

Advanced Study and Retention – Let’s Keep Learning One Step At A Time!
Introducing advanced concepts before children have grasped the fundamentals is like solving probability before your child learn subtraction, or like trying to decipher Shakespeare before acquiring strong reading comprehension skill!
In Math, Kumon helps to avoid ‘Number Crunching’ – where numbers are not being calculated easily in your child’s mind.
In Reading, Kumon helps to improve Reading Fluency, Comprehension and Vocabulary.
Our aim for all Reading students is to have them reading at least 1 to 2 grades ABOVE their Grade Level.
Students usually read at a higher Grade Level than they write; so, if a student reads above Grade Level, then they will find that their writing skills may also improve.

STUDENT PROGRAMS:

Kumon Programs; Advanced Student Honor Roll, Kumon Cosmic Club, C4, E4, G5
Kanata North Kumon Centre programs; $500 reading completer scholarship, summer incentives, Refer & Win

Advanced Student Honor Roll (ASHR)
This Kumon incentive program recognizes all Kumon students working ahead of their school grade level. More than a small share of our enrollment consists of ambitious students who remain in the program to stay above grade level and obtain more challenging material than they are receiving at school in pursuit of their academic aspirations.

Kumon Cosmic Club
Designed to make learning fun, the Cosmic Club allows students to collect points that may be redeemed for prizes based on their progress in the Kumon Reading and Math Programs. The program encourages students to reach Kumon learning milestones by rewarding them with Cosmic Club Points and Collectible Cosmic Club Cards as they excel in their Kumon studies. Especially popular among younger Kumon students, they become automatic members when they enroll in Kumon.

Visit our Cosmic Club web page (http://www.cosmic.kumon.com/) to learn how students earn points that can win them a gift certificate from a national bookstore chain, a camcorder or a camera, and so much more. See all the great prizes available at each prize level. (Your cosmic id card is attached with this newsletter)


E4 & C3
The E4 award is for students who are in grade 4 or below and have advanced to level E, and the C3 award is for students who are in grade 3 or below and have advanced to level C. These awards recognize students who are well on their way to earning the G by 5 star. These awards are presented at our annual student awards night.

G5
This award is for students who are in grade 5 or below and have advanced to level G which includes high school level algebra in the Math program and high school level comprehension in the Reading program.

$500 Reading scholarship
A reading scholarship is awarded to students who are enrolled in both the Kumon Math & Reading program, and who complete the reading program while still enrolled in Math. This scholarship recognizes their dedication to program completion and their commitment to study both subjects. Note this scholarship is exclusive to our centre.

Summer incentives
This is the second year since we introduced the ice cream vouchers and already many of our children have been asking “…are we getting the same this year too?” How can we fail to reward and spoil those children that to continue to learn during the summer months while their peers while away their time? So YES! We have free ice cream vouchers in the 3rd week of July and August.
In addition this summer our centre has ordered the most amazing sticker album that covers all the teams participating in the FIFA world cup both as an incentive to summer students as well as a means of continuing to build an interest in sports, a very important facet of every child’s growth. These will be handed out in the first week of August. More information on this on our blog; http://kumonkanatanorth.blogspot.com/

Refer & win
As parents see their children succeeding, they want to share that success with friends, relatives, neighbours and others looking for a similar solution for their children. Over 80% of parents enrolling their child in Kumon for the first time tell us that they were referred to the program by a current Kumon parent.

How the Refer & Win program works:
· You refer a non-Kumon family to the Kanata North Kumon centre
· The referred family enrolls a child in Kumon
· Your name is entered into the bi-monthly draw for a $30 gift certificate
· Your card remains in the draw until you have been selected as a winner
· When your name is drawn, and so long as the family that you referred is still enrolled in the program at the time, you win a $30 gift certificate of your choice from Canadian Tire, Chapters, Petro-Canada, or Sobey’s.

Kumon Family Award
Behind every successful Kumon student is a committed “Kumon family”. This award recognizes parents/guardians who;
Have enrolled their children in both programs
Ensure that their children attend class regularly
Motivate their children to complete Kumon assignments everyday, even during the holidays
Home-grade all of their children’s work to ensure their mistakes are corrected promptly
Follow additional Kumon policies to foster the continued success of their children.

To date we have given out 2 awards to the successful “Kumon family” consisting of one year free membership to Costco.

We thank you for your support and understanding.
Wishing all our Kumon families a wonderful and safe summer!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Math & Magic.................amazing talent!

Why you should listen to him:
Arthur Benjamin makes numbers dance. In his day job, he's a professor of math at Harvey Mudd College; in his other day job, he's a "Mathemagician," taking the stage in his tuxedo to perform high-speed mental calculations, memorizations and other astounding math stunts. It's part of his drive to teach math and mental agility in interesting ways, following in the footsteps of such heroes as Martin Gardner.

Click on this link to watch his "Mathemagic"
http://www.ted.com/talks/arthur_benjamin_does_mathemagic.html

Benjamin is the co-author, with Michael Shermer, of Secrets of Mental Math (which shares his secrets for rapid mental calculation), as well as the co-author of the MAA award-winning Proofs That Really Count: The Art of Combinatorial Proof.

"After his lively shows, students often rush the stage, eager for more tips and tricks."Reader's Digest

While we cannot promise such amazing results at the Kanata North Kumon Math & Reading Centre, we can re-assure you that your child is sure to develop confidence, improved mental skills & speed and perhaps even a love of Math! Not to mention the ability to move at a pace which is challenging, motivating and exciting. Every time they complete a challenging set on their own and move on ahead it is an empowering and exciting feeling. This is bound to have a trickle effect on every other subject and area in your child's life.

We know this is possible for every centre day I come across children that move up a milestone or two and as an Instructor I continue to be constantly and pleasantly amazed by the "Magical Powers" of comprehension and perseverance and winning smiles that my students have.


Enjoy Mathematics!!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

KANATA NORTH KUMON CENTRE HAS CAUGHT THE FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 FEVER........!!!

What do Soccer players and Kumon students have in common......????
Both need lots of practice to stay on top!
Practice can be boring, it can be tiring..........however only with enough practice and only through making mistakes, can you learn to improve yourself and perform to the best of your ability.
You also need to carry your physical body to the field/class every time and you must be mentally present in order to focus...............and just like you cannot play soccer without a ball and cleats you shouldn't come to a Kumon class without a pencil and an eraser!

Success only comes with discipline, a positive attitude, a determination to succeed and constant goal setting. (Yes that's a pun!)
Success leads to recognition, awards, medals and increased confidence.

Now that we know both Soccer Players and Kumon Students are in the same Group, (the winners group, if you ask me) the Kanata North Kumon Centre has a special incentive for you this summer. (in addition to the free ice-cream coupons you receive in the third week of July & August)

Start collecting your FIFA WORLD CUP stickers now!!

Every time you attend a Kumon class in the months of June – July – August 2010 you can choose a sticker of your favorite player from your favorite country! 2 stickers if you do two subjects i.e. Math & Reading and 2 stickers for every Achievement test you pass and move on to the next level.

In the first week of August all students who have been working through the summer months will receive a FREE FIFA WORLD CUP ALBUM WITH 8 STICKERS FREE OF CHARGE!!!

Note this cup will be seen throughout the world and will be relived over and over again through your collection of collectible stickers so don’t miss this great opportunity to trade and have fun this summer and long after! The album and its spectacular collection will bring the tournament to life with more than 600 images including special glitter stickers which makes this historic sticker album collection an essential collectors item for soccer fans around the world


FACTS!
  • The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is the 19th FIFA World Cup.
  • This will be the first time that the tournament will be hosted by an African nation.
  • This is by far, the most important sticker album collection of the year. The collection includes individual player images from all the competing nations plus stickers of teams, badges and the World Cup stadiums.
  • Your Instructor Sanjit was born and raised in Kenya so has a special affinity with Africa.
The matches will be held at:
  • Green Point Stadium (66,005), Cape Town
  • Durban Stadium (69,957), Durban
  • Ellis Park Stadium (61,639) Johannesburg
  • Soccer City Stadium (88,460) Johannesburg
  • Free State Stadium (45,058), Mangaung/Bloemfontein
  • Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (46,082) Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth
  • Mbombela Stadium (43,589), Nelspruit
  • Peter Mokaba Stadium (45,264), Polokwane
  • Royal Bafokeng Stadium (44,530) Rustenburg
  • Loftus Versfeld Stadium (49,365), Tshwane/Pretoria
(Compare these stadiums to Scotiabank Place, Ottawa that has a capacity for 20,500 only!)
  • There are stickers with pictures of each of these stadiums too.

The groups are as follows;
  • Group A - South Africa, Uruguay, Mexico, France
  • Group B - Argentina, Korea Republic, Nigeria, Greece
  • Group C - England, Algeria, USA, Slovenia
  • Group D - Germany, Serbia, Australia, Ghana
  • Group E -Netherlands, Japan, Denmark, Cameroon
  • Group F - Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia
  • Group G - Brazil, Ivory coast, Korea DPR, Portugal
  • Group H - Spain, Honduras, Switzerland, Chile


Wednesday, February 24, 2010

HOW CAN THE PROBLEM OF "BOREDOM" BE HANDLED EFFECTIVELY

How Can The Problem Of “Boredom”
Be Handled Effectively?

“One, two, plenty…”
- Tasmanian Method of Counting


Anything children do can either be boring or fun depending on their mood, how demanding the task is and their perception of its purpose. While some children enjoy swimming, others complain that it is tedious. While some kids love going to summer camp, others moan and groan about it.
When children study worksheets, some of them might utter the word “boring” at some point, especially if first suggested by a peer. It is helpful to understand exactly why a child might say that the assignments are “boring” to them. After all, many students really enjoy completing their assignments. Whether racing against the clock, striving for 100%, or because they enjoy being praised by their parents, many children look forward to completing their daily assignments.
In the beginning stages of Kumon study, nearly all children react favorably to the work. If at all, the word “boring” may sometimes be heard in a subsequent level of study when problems become more challenging and real effort is required. Often, boring really means “too difficult” or “too many pages per day.” As long as the child is studying at the “just-right” level, comfortably advancing day by day, and earning praise, the child should not feel bored. If this happens, parents can help by encouraging perseverance when their child is experiencing difficulty. If the student continues to complain that the work is “boring,” an assessment by the Instructor may be necessary.
Children thrive in an environment in which there is absolute clarity of expectations. Once a regular routine has been established most children react favorably to it, because it will become an activity with which they are accustomed to. Children enjoy meeting expectations and earning recognition. Kumon study provides an excellent opportunity for daily recognition and positive reinforcement.
Not everything children do is necessarily fun. There are days in adults’ lives during which we must do something that is rather monotonous (commuting, laundry, etc.), but we do these things anyway. We perform these tasks because their completion is necessary to keep our lives running smoothly. If your child were to say, “I don’t want to go to school anymore…” would you acquiesce to such protests? Parental perseverance, as well as enthusiasm for the child’s progress, are the most effective ways of handling this challenge.