The son of a Japanese math teacher had difficulty with this subject at school and his father came up with the idea of developing a specific learning method to help him. Thus the Kumon method was born, which is currently divided into two programs: one for reading and the other for mathematics.
This happened in 1954 and the teacher, Toru Kumon , was convinced that all children have capacities that can be exploited and great potential that it would be a shame not to take advantage of. It is only necessary to properly stimulate learning and the capacity for abstraction to focus on something concrete and for that the method works by focusing on nurturing the child’s self-confidence and improving their academic performance, as well as developing concentration.
Designed to be practiced as an after-school activity, attending the center twice a week and working the rest of the days at home, the Kumon method is present in 71 countries around the world and in North America alone there are more than 1,500 centers .
Always focused on the student moving forward thanks to his individual effort, a diagnostic test is made at the beginning to locate the moment of knowledge of the child, regardless of his school level, and from there he is provided with his own teaching material and self- instructive, which encourages you to solve the exercises with minimal intervention from the counselor and to move towards content even beyond your grade level.
The content consists of basic exercises, based on repetition until the child achieves the necessary skill and thus continues to advance in level and difficulty. The mathematics program consists of 23 levels ranging from preschool through high school. Whereas, the reading or language program focuses on the different stages of reading and the formation of words. There is no pressure as each student evolves at their own pace . The only commitment is to learn. Progress will depend on the time spent and your goals. Even so, a forecast of objectives is made according to the performance of the child.
The important role of parents
Parents are one of the vertices of the triangle of success at Kumon , along with students and teachers. They are insisted on the invaluable contribution they will make by correcting the exercises their children do at home. Don’t worry, there are templates to make this very easy and fast. It is also essential that children see the interest of parents and feel their support and encouragement. It will help them move forward.
Feeling a little more capable, organized and self-taught every day is more than enough reason to continue, but as in everything, the active intervention of parents or family in this educational project will make you more proud and see yourself valued, which it will result in a maximum use of this new and efficient way of learning.
It only remains to say that we can target the little one at any time, even on vacation, and that there is no recommended age. Parents who have tried Kumon say that the sooner the better, so if you need school support or accelerate skills already acquired, it may be a good option to consider.
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