What can you do to make a difference in the life and future of your child?

I have posted these 3 video you tube links for my Kumon families. If you are interested in knowing what the latest statistics and trends in the field of education are in America, then you cannot afford to miss these short, but extremely informative videos. Please feel free to pass on the links or the blog website address to fellow parents.

While the statistics and the focus of the message covers the American Education system, the questions we must ask ourselves are, "Can we relate to any of this?" "Could this statistic include our child too at some point?” “Does what happens in America affect us here in Canada?” By relating this to a wider thought of 'Western Education' rather than just 'American Education' we allow ourselves to see the bigger picture. In addition because the U.S. and Canada are so strongly aligned, the information in these videos is vital to helping parents develop tools to address the most important question of all: "What can I do to make a difference in the life and future of my child?"


2 Million Minutes Offers Exclusive Video of Whitney Tilson

When it was announced that Whitney Tilson was going to be giving a speech in Washington D.C. about closing the achievement gap, the 2 Million Minutes crew packed their gear and headed up to the nation's capital to capture it. Tilson is vice chairman of KIPP Academy Charter Schools in NYC, co-founder of the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, and a director of Democrats for Education Reform, a group of Democrats who support parent and student choice in schools and diversity in available education opportunities in service of that choice.

This most informative presentation is in 3 parts with the you tube video links given below. Please copy n paste if you are not able to click on the link directly to open them.

Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr5ehoDKiP0

Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFntgPQCz8Q

Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q36HxoVhYVU

What I found quite interesting and thought provoking was the statement in the the last video which shows how it is mainly the 'Adults' or the 'Educators' or the 'system' itself that are benefitting today from the education system of today. Unfortunately it is the children, our children, that are largely left to suffer the consequences in the long run. Having said that, of course we must take this with a pinch of salt, for we all have memories and moments with teachers and educators that have made every difference to our personal lives and continue to do so in the lives of our children by giving so much of themselves personally as well as professionally.

WITH REPORT CARDS, BEING SUPPORTIVE IS KEY

When the report cards come home, it can be just as stressful for parents as it is for students.

As a parent, it is important for you to know how to interpret your child's report card and what to do if your child is struggling. Whether your child is a high achiever who needs more challenge or a struggling student who needs more help, it’s important to discuss your child’s successes and failures, and to follow up.

A report card can be a valuable tool as a guide to your child’s progress. But like any tool, it has to be used properly. Parents should not simply read the report card, but should understand what it says and talk with their children and their teachers about what it means. Educators at Kumon Canada have compiled the following tips to help parents better understand their child’s report card:

PRIMARY STUDENTS
· Pay particular attention to the comments regarding Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Steps sometimes the teacher’s comments mean more than the actual grades that are given.
· Look at the grades that your child is getting in areas that he/she is interested in; this provides a view of your child’s potential.
· Expect highs and lows – very few children are talented in all areas of the curriculum.
· Use the report card in a practical way; get help immediately for subjects where your child is failing or receiving low grades.
· Look for key phrases like “organizational skills”, “focusing”, “non-completion of work”, and “lack of preparation” to track down what is going wrong in a particular subject.
· Pay attention to the section that deals with “days absent” and “times late”; this may provide a clue that you, as a parent, may not have been aware of.
· See if your child is having difficulty in specific areas that could be improved with an addition of some technology, either high- or low-tech (e.g. computers, calculators, electronic organizers, etc.).
· Always fill out the section on the report card where parent comments are requested; these are read by teachers, and as a last resort you may have to contact the principal if you cannot reach an accommodation with the teacher concerning your child’s needs.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
· If your child's grade is relatively low in a particular subject, compare your child's grade to the rest of the class before you panic.
· If the class average or medium is below 60 per cent, parents should talk with the principal about whether the teacher is too stringent in marking -- obviously, many in the class are not learning.

SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS
· Pay attention to the I.E.P. (Individual Educational Plan) box; if it is not checked off, then your child’s program has not been modified for his/her special needs.
· A child should never be receiving a failing grade in a subject where the I.E.P. box is checked off; this is grounds for an official grievance by the parent to the school.

Bear in mind, a report card should quantify what you are already aware of. Any surprises should alert you to a changing situation in your child’s educational progress which should be immediately addressed.

Do let your Kumon Instructor know when you feel the program has made a difference in your childs report. It is always a thrill for us to know that we have played a small part in your childs success.

Kumon Reading Curriculum - Learning Material

The Kumon Reading Table of Learning Material consists of the following levels; 7A 6A 5A 4A 3A 2A AI AII BI BII CI CII DI DII EI EII F G H I J K L

7A
In this beginning level of the Kumon Reading Program, young children start to build the necessary pre-reading skills they will need to become beginning readers. Children will begin to connect words to familiar objects and will repeat words starting with the same sound.

6A
"In 6A, children are exposed to rhyming words, phrases, and sentences. Students continue to develop critical pre-reading skills, including phonemic awareness," in preparation for later phonics study in 5A and beyond.

5A
Phonics exercises help students learn individual letter sounds and consonant-short vowel combinations. Students increase concentration, improve hand-eye coordination, and develop writing skills.

4A
More sound parts, including consonant clusters, are introduced. Students trace words and begin freehand letter writing by filling in missing letters within words. These exercises, as well as exercises that focus on rhyming words, help develop students' spelling skills.

3A
Students develop greater pencil control by writing properly proportioned and spaced letters within box guidelines. Students develop their ability to read longer words through exercises focusing on syllables. Spelling skills are developed throughout the level, and for the first time, students demonstrate reading comprehension through matching exercises.

2A
Students identify nouns, verbs and adjectives, and use them within sentences. Students learn the singular and plural forms of nouns and verbs, and the comparative and superlative forms of adjectives. Spelling skills are reinforced throughout the level.

AI
Level AI marks the beginning of the Sentence Building Block. Students study the structure of simple sentences and learn expressions which convey attitude or intention, such as "can," "must," "may" and "should." Students learn to write negative sentences, questions, and sentences using the past tense. Punctuation exercises appear for the first time. Students continue to develop their vocabulary and reading comprehension skills.

AII
Through reading stories and answering questions, students improve their reading comprehension and writing skills. Technical skills such as punctuation, spelling and capitalization are also solidified. Students develop the ability to recognize a sequence of thoughts developed within a short paragraph.

BI
Students refine their ability to identify subject and predicative in longer sentences containing modifiers such as adjectives and adverbs. Students conjugate irregular verbs, as well as study pronouns, prepositions and irregular plurals of nouns.

BII
Students focus on reading comprehension and vocabulary building. Students develop their ability to define words using context clues in the stories; to identify main ideas that occur within a story to better understand the story as a whole; and to compare and contrast actions, characters and information from a passage.

CI
In Level CI, students further refine their ability to identify subjects, verbs and objects, as well as learn how to conjugate the future, progressive and perfect tenses. Students' punctuation study continues with commas in a series and singular and plural possessives. By the end of the level, students write complete sentences independently.


CII
Level CII is the last level on the Sentence Building Block. Children continue to develop their reading comprehension, vocabulary and writing skills. Students develop their ability to construct and respond to questions using who, what, where, when and how; to interpret information in charts as well as take information from passages and organize it into a chart format; and write answers independently.

DI
Level DI marks the beginning of the Paragraph Building Block. Students learn to write compound and complex sentences by combining simple sentences. Then, students learn to extract statements from paragraphs to identify a statement as a single unit of thought. Students also expand their vocabulary by studying selected words from expository passages.

DII
Students continue to build their reading comprehension by identifying the topic and then the main idea. Using their knowledge of main idea of a paragraph students then develop their understanding of how paragraphs flow within a passage. Students also practice expanding their vocabulary by studying selected words from literary and expository passages.

EI
Students learn how clauses can function as nouns, adjective, or adverbs. In addition, the student learns to convert direct speech to indirect speech and vice versa. Diagramming exercises enable the student to visualize information within a passage, which helps develop his or her ability to follow and organize content logically. Students also expand their vocabulary by studying selected words from expository passages.

EII
The student develops a better understanding of a story's sequence of events and imagery. Diagramming exercises help the student visualize a story, and learn how events in a passage affect a certain result or outcome. Reason and logic exercises build the student's ability to compose answers and develop skills of rephrasing. Students also expand their vocabulary by studying selected words from literary and expository passages.

F
Level F is the last stage of the Paragraph Building Block. Paraphrasing and concision exercises show students how to combine, condense and rewrite information found in a reading passage. The ability to identify the main topic and elements of a paragraph is emphasized and practiced. Vocabulary exercises also assist students in successfully paraphrasing.

G
Level G marks the beginning of the Summary Block. Students learn to condense all the important information from a passage into a summary one third of length of the original passage. Students are formally introduced to story elements such as plot, character and setting. Included in the level are excerpts from the writings of Edgar Allen Poe, Louisa M. Alcott, and Oscar Wilde.

H
Students develop greater sensitivity to authors' use of descriptive language. Summation exercises help students focus on specific points within passages. Vocabulary exercises introduce Greek and Latin suffixes, prefixes and roots. Included in the level are excerpts from Jane Eyre, Treasure Island, and The War of the Worlds.

I
Students analyze the persuasive writing style found in speeches, advertisements and political documents. They also learn the components and strategies of the more formal 'argument'. The level concludes with a study of précis, the most complex form of summary. Among the readings included are speeches by Dwight Eisenhower and Albert Einstein, and fiction by General Durrell and Agatha Christie.

J
Exercises which focus on more subtle details of structure, theme and character lead students to a closer reading of text than in previous levels. The reading selections develop students' understanding of how a writer's intentions are reflected in various aspects of the work under review. Students read extensive excerpts from To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

K
Level K continues to develop students’ critical reading and thinking skills through the study of advanced literature. In introductory sets throughout the level, students read non-fiction pieces introducing and explaining various literary terms such as Plot, Setting and Atmosphere, Irony, and Comedy. In subsequent sets, students then read extracts from novels, plays or poems, demonstrating these devices in action. Students read extensive excerpts from classics such as Macbeth, Hamlet, and King Oedipus, as well as from more modern works such as The Spy Came in from the Cold, and The Importance of Being Earnest.

L
Students gain a greater ability in understanding the meaning of a text beyond the obvious, common meaning of the vocabulary the author uses. Students are exposed to the basic elements that comprise figurative language and the interpretation of it, making them better able to decipher the plot, the values in which the author might believe, and the virtues and vices of the characters involved in the story.

How Kumon is filling US Public School gaps

Something magical is happening at many Kumon centres in North America, students are studying beyond school grade level and actually enjoying it. Not surprisingly, their parents have great things to say about Kumon.

One mom, Sandy Frazier, said: "Kumon gave my son the challenge that he needed. He wasn't challenged in school. I started him in Kumon in the fourth grade and he reached algebra before middle school."

Another mom, Kim McCarley, said: "We initially got our children into Kumon to help with giving them a foundation for math and reading. The thing we really like about Kumon is that our children don't just learn math and reading, but it's set up in a way that allows them to master math and reading. They don't progress until they master something. Whereas in school, it's once you have knowledge of, an awareness of, you move on. At Kumon, it's once you master it. And I think that's a big difference in that foundation for them."

Adoline Shodiya, credits Kumon for the success of her two daughters. Tayo recently graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a degree in biomedical engineering, and Titi is in her final year at Penn State University studying material science engineering with a minor in math.

What is Kumon? It's an after-school math and reading program that employs a unique learning method designed to help each child develop the skills needed to perform to his or her full potential. The curriculum ranges from preschool to high school.
Founded by Toru Kumon in 1958 in Japan, Kumon has 26,100 centers in 46 countries and regions serving over 4.1 million students worldwide, making it the largest and most established program of its kind in the world.

Kumon broke into the North American market in 1983. Now boasting 1,300 centers and 194,000 students in the U.S., Kumon has surpassed competitors Huntington Learning Center and Sylvan Learning.
The shortcomings of public schools have fueled Kumon's robust growth. In less than a decade, the number of Kumon students has doubled.
As public schools have progressively embraced reform math over traditional math and whole language over phonics, the continent has fallen farther behind other nations in scholastic performance.
Many U.S. public schools are not doing a good job of teaching students basic skills in math and reading, which is why many parents are sending their children to Kumon.
Kumon has found what works and has not tinkered with that successful formula for over fifty years. During those same fifty years, the U.S. public education system has gone through several waves of reform, none of which have led to a successful formula.

In "Learning for Life: The Kumon Way", author Reiko Kinoshita writes that the foundation of the unique learning method used by Kumon—called the "Kumon Method"—can be traced back to the Edo period (1603-1868) in Japan. During that period, private educational institutions known as "terakoya" taught basic skills. The terakoya were abolished in 1872 when the Japanese government established a compulsory public education system. However, the tenets and practices of the terakoya would resurface 86 years later through the work of Toru Kumon.

I learned that the Kumon Method consists of seven principles:
1 Students experience success from the start. After taking a placement test, students begin learning at a level below their current proficiency level. This reduces frustration and builds confidence.
2 Students advance in small, manageable steps. Each new assignment is only slightly more challenging than the last. Advancing is gradual and easy.
3 Students learn primarily by teaching themselves. Kumon instructors assign worksheets that provide examples of concepts to be learned.Students solve the worksheets on their own. If they have problems, instructors are there to help. Self-learning fosters independence and a sense of accomplishment.
4 Students master concepts before advancing. Mastery means earning a perfect score on a worksheet within a prescribed period of time. There are 200 worksheets for each level of learning. Some students may develop mastery after one worksheet while others may require several. Mastering basic concepts establishes a strong foundation for more advanced concept.
5 Students practice daily. As the saying goes, "Repetition is the mother of all learning."
6 Students learn at the "just right" level. Each student studies according to his or her own pace and level regardless of age or grade level. In a Kumon classroom, each student is studying different concepts. Learning at the "just right" level prevents students from becoming bored with a pace that's too slow or frustrated with a pace that's too fast.
7 Students realize their potential. Unlimited by age, grade level, prescribed teaching agendas, or the needs of a group, each student can advance according to his or her ability and initiative.
The Kumon Method works. It works for the 4 Million children around the world that do Kumon.

As long as public schools fail to provide students with a strong foundation in basic math and reading skills, Kumon will be there to fill in the gaps.

Bill Costello, M.Ed., is an education columnist and blogger. He can be reached at www.makingmindsmatter.com.

LETS GET BACK TO WORKSHEETS

Lets Get Back To Worksheets

The U.S. is falling behind the world in math. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said, "We are lagging the rest of the world, and we are lagging it in pretty substantial ways."

A special analysis put out by the National Center for Education Statistics found that the math performance of U.S. high schoolers was in the bottom quarter of the countries that participated in the most recent Program for International Student Assessment.

Results of the 2009 ACT and SAT show that U.S. students are no better in math this year than they were last year. Math performance has improved in other countries while it has remained stagnant in the U.S.

These findings are disturbing in an increasingly global economy where careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are becoming progressively more important for nations to compete internationally.

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the proportion of students obtaining STEM degrees from U.S. universities has dropped from 32 percent to 27 percent over the past decade. At the same time, the percentage of non-U.S. students earning these degrees from U.S. universities has increased dramatically.

In The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Friedman argues that getting more Americans to pursue careers in STEM fields is critical to the future of our nation's economy. Friedman is not alone in his opinion.

The National Science Foundation reports that non-U.S. graduates from U.S. universities accounted for more than half of the doctorate recipients in physics (58 percent), computer sciences (65 percent), engineering (68 percent), and mathematics (57 percent). The most numerous of these non-U.S. graduates were from China, India, and South Korea. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that over 40 percent of non-U.S. doctoral degree recipients intended to leave the U.S.

Not only are we losing ground to non-U.S. citizens at our own universities, but we're also falling behind other nations. The U.S. is no longer the leader in STEM education. In absolute numbers, Japan and China are producing more graduates. Our rate of STEM to non-STEM graduates is roughly 17 percent while the international average is nearly 26 percent. We're not even keeping pace with some developing countries.

President Obama has acknowledged that other countries--especially Asian countries--are performing better in math than the U.S. How does he plan to prevent us from falling farther behind?

In the U.S., we used to focus on basic computation skills when we taught students traditional math. Ever since the U.S. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics developed standards for school math in 1989, many U.S. schools starting teaching reform math.

Recently, I visited schools in Japan and Taiwan. I found they're teaching math the way we used to teach it; they're focusing on basic computation skills.

Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea--all top performers in math--are also focusing on the basics. Even the cram schools, which are prevalent in Asia, focus on the basics.

The largest and most established cram school in Asia is Kumon. I visited their head office in Tokyo to interview public relations executives Mayu Katata and Shinichiro Iwasaki about the Kumon method. In a nutshell, they focus on using worksheets to help students master basic computation skills.

Traditional math emphasizes basic computation skills and algorithms that lead to the correct answer while reform math places more value on the thinking process that leads to any answer.

Both of these skills are needed. However, the major problem with reform math is that it puts the cart before the horse by trying to teach students abstract concepts of math before they have built strong foundational skills. With traditional math, students often work individually on worksheets. With reform math, they often work in groups cutting, pasting, and coloring.

Sure, worksheets and algorithms are boring compared to gluing stuff and explaining how you came up with an answer that may not even be correct, but which method will better prepare our students to compete in an increasingly global economy?

America, let's get back to worksheets.

This very interesting article is by;
Bill Costello, training director of Making Minds Matter, teaches parents and teachers the best strategies for education. He can be reached at www.makingmindsmatter.com

TEN COMMANDMENTS

TEN COMMANDMENTS THAT APPLY TO MY ROLE AS A KUMON INSTRUCTOR

My job is to awaken the possibility in my students. I know I am successful when they are able to progress steadily, are confident enough to ask for a review or to move on, are actively involved in feedbacks with me and when this independent learning has a trickle effect on other subjects and areas of their lives.

1. Be interested in your subject. (Being an instructor for a number of years now I realise this has to be as much a calling in life as well as a successfully run business)

2. Know your subject. (By attending regular training, going over case studies, completing worksheets, learning from excellent students)

3. Know about the ways of learning: The best way to learn anything is to discover it by yourself. (The same applies to adults as much as it does to children)

4. Try to read the faces of your students, try to see their expectations and difficulties, put yourself in their place. (Please parents do understand that center time is meant for your children strictly, you are free to call or email on non-center days)

5. Give them not only information, but "know-how," attitudes of mind, the habit of methodical work. (by timing your work, daily worksheets, daily marking & corrections, review when required, copy the example given and fully understand it before moving on, ask for help only after you have tried it first, discipline & routine, taking responsibility)

6. Let them learn guessing. (and then correcting!)

7. Let them learn proving. (and proving again and again sometimes!)

8. Look out for such features of the problem at hand as may be useful in solving the problems to come — try to disclose the general pattern that lies behind the present concrete situation. (too easy? too difficult? boring? takes too long? not enough motivation? frustrated? not enough support from home? scared to ask for help? perfectionist?)

9. Do not give away your whole secret at once — let the students work at it before you tell it (let them find out by themselves as much as is feasible, these are skills that are transferable to other subjects and other areas of their lives and that will last a lifetime)

10. Suggest it (do not force it down their throats, let them come up with the solution - learning how to learn, again a transferable skill)

KUMON READING PROGRAM COMPLETION

READING PROGRAM COMPLETION

Program completion is the ultimate goal of the Kumon Math & Reading programs.
`Every child has the desire to grow further as well as the potential to do so. As we respond to such desires that can be developed without limits - we believe this not only brings happiness to children and their parents, but is also very important for society.`

Students who have completed the Kumon Reading Program have built skills in close reading and reading comprehension, and can think abstractly, analytically and critically. They have built a strong academic background in preparation for advanced high school and university or college-level English courses. Students who have been exposed to the variety of genres included in the Reading program often have a richer understanding of history, math, science and literature. Kumon focuses on all of the skills that are necessary to help students succeed in their academic pursuits. The Kumon reading program is designed for `education that helps children understand how society in structured and how our lives should be`

WHY DO WE READ?

• for knowledge
• to learn
• for fun
• to do research
• for studying
• for information
• to relax
• interesting subject
• for instructions (`how to`)

HOW DO WE CHOOSE BOOKS?

• eye catching front cover
• information on the book cover
• interesting title
• authors we know and like
• great illustrations
• recommendations form friend, family, friends
• another book in a series
• books that are turned into moviesé tv programs
• genres that we like
• to try the beginning
• new and popular books
• heard it read aloud
• read it before and enjoyed it
• part of a book club

MAKING GOOD BOOK CHOICES EASY: want to relax, a favorite picture book or storyline, you have heard it read aloud before, a book you have read before, does not take a lot of effort to read and understand.
JUST RIGHT: understand it well and enjoy the flow of writing, enjoy the unfolding of the plot or the enjoy the topic at hand, only a few new words or phrases to think about, can get lost in the book and cannot wait to turn the next page, would highly recommend it further.
CHALLENGING: difficult for you to read, trouble in understanding many of the words or the phrases, too complicated a plot.

To find what is the right level or the recommended books, inquire about the Kumon Reading Recommended Library list (RRL). At the Kanata North Kumon Centre we have almost 80% of the recommended books plus a lot more for our students to read. We also offer the book tracker. This maintains a record of all the books you have read either while in the program or from an outside library too and has been designed for the child to write a `book report`in their own words and thoughts. This allows for creativity and a vivid imagination.

In addition, students enrolled in both the Math and the Reading Program at the Kanata North Kumon centre are automaticaly entered in the reading scholarship program ($500 plus gifts and certificates from the centre and Kumon head office) once they complete the reading program (Level L) successfully.

This year we are please to announce 2 reading completer's and winners of the reading $500 scholarship. These students are currently also enrolled in the Kumon Math program in high levels.

• Ravi Unhelkar in Grade 11 and
• Rathess Aravindan in Grade 10

Congratulations to these students who have persevered and enjoyed working through the reading program over the years. It has also been my pleasure as an instructor and personally very fulfilling to plan and lead them to a successful completion of the Reading program. I wish them the same success as they continue to work through the Kumon Math program.