KUMON Maths and English, After-Schol Study Programme

A few months ago my eldest daughter was not keeping up with her lessons in school, either understanding the topic or understanding the teacher. She did ask for help but still she was struggling with her studies. I was concerned as I noticed that her spelling and maths were not up to what I would say they should be for her age. She could do the topics or questions if you explained them verbally, but she did not understand them if they were written down on paper. With SATS coming up soon, her situation was making me worry more.

KUMON’S HISTORY
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In 1954 a Japanese secondary school maths teacher called Toru Kumon devised a comprehensive system of worksheets. The intention was to help his son Takeshi with his maths studies. Later he founded the Kumon Institute, which planned to also develop native language programmes.

In 1991 the UK was introduced to The Kumon Maths programme. This was followed in 1995 by the English programme. Nationwide there are over 500 study centres.

Worldwide Kumon is studies in over 40 countries. Apart from Japan and the UK, Kumon is established in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, South Africa, Spain and the U.S.A.

WHAT IS KUMON?
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Kumon can be studied by a child of any age and no matter what their abilities are. Adults can also benefit from learning this way, but that does tend to be done by correspondence rather than attending a study centre. Students attend these study centres which are run by a fully trained Kumon Instructor. They attend either once or twice a week and each visit can vary in time depending on your child, usually it is between 30-45 minutes per visit.

The programme of study is individually structured to the ability of your child. The Instructor will use a diagnostic test, so that they can determine an easy starting point for each individual student. This is so your child will start off on day one with a 100% score total; this will mean that their confidence will be high from the beginning. The student will receive praise throughout the course.

You will watch your child progress at their own pace, they will not be moved on until they are at ease with each stage. We all know that different children take in knowledge at different rates. This way of learning will allow your child to learn at their own pace. You will find that their concentration and study habits will be greatly improved.

Kumon is compatible with the National Curriculum. My daughter is studying both the English and Maths courses.

MATHS
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There are 23 different levels in the Maths curriculum. The starting level is level 7 which covers learning to count; up to level Q which is university level mathematics. Some of the topics covered in the levels are addition and subtraction, times tables, multiplication and long division, fractions and decimals, algebra and equations, Trigonometry, calculus, probability and statistics plus much more. To make it easier for your child the levels are broken down into small steps which contain 200 worksheets. Your child will only be moved on to the next level when the instructor is certain that your child can demonstrate that they are comfortable with the topic that they are covering.

ENGLISH
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There are many levels in the English curriculum. These are also broken down in to small steps, which are contained in the worksheets. The range covers starting to sound out basic sounds and continues through to analysing Classical Literature. As with the maths your child will not progress on to the next level until they can demonstrate they are competent in their current tasks.

KUMON AND ME
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When I made the initial telephone call to the number in the advertisement, I spoke to the instructor who would be running the school. She told me that my daughter would undergo the assessment to find her starting level, this assessment was free. I was told the history and aims of Kumon, and I will say that I was impressed with what I heard.

Arriving at the assessment both my daughter and I were a little apprehensive as to what to expect. Once through the doors our worries were put at ease. Sue the instructor could not be any more pleasant and helpful. She listened to my daughter and she answered questions about any worries she had about the lessons at school. You are told what is expected by the student both at the school and at home. The total time we spent at this assessment stage was just over an hour but that included the time the instructor took to answer any question that we both had. Once we agreed that Kumon would help in learning skills, we were told to start the following week. We now go two nights a week, every week Mondays and Fridays. The class opening times may vary between each Kumon school. We were not given a set time to arrive for lessons as it is a drop-in situation. Once inside you follow a routine.

IN CLASS
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Firstly all students must hand in their homework. Homework is given for the days that you do not attend classes including weekends. Students are given work to complete in class for each subject you usually take between 10-20 minutes to complete the worksheets. Once completed the worksheets are given back to the instructor for marking. If there are any corrections needed to be made on the sheets they are done straight away, so that the students can learn from their mistakes and maintain their 100% score level. Praise will be given to the students from the instructors; also they will be given reward stickers for work and levels completed. While in class students can work on boards, which are either Maths or English, these can be wiped for other students to use. As well as the Instructor there are helpers and markers to supervise and help the students. Your child will leave feeling happy and content knowing that they can do these tasks.

AT HOME
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On non-class days your child still has to study between 10 – 20 minutes daily. They will complete the worksheets given by the instructor. Each set of worksheets will have the day and date filled in on the top of the sheets, so you know exactly what you are supposed to do on that day. Your child will fill in their start time and finish time too. There are only two days that your child will not have homework to do; those are Christmas Day and their Birthday.

Parents do have an essential part to play by praising and motivating your child, also to make sure that the daily tasks are completed. Parents are given the answer books to the corresponding courses, in order to mark them so that your child can correct any mistakes they have made.

At first I found that getting your child into the daily routine of completing these worksheets was somewhat hard, gladly now it is just a regular part of the day for my daughter.

FEES
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Enrolment fee is £15
Maths £41 a month
English £41 a month
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LOCATION
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This could vary between town to town, depending on where the instructor is allowed to run the classes. The centre we attend is held in a church community hall.

EXTRAS
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There are a number of extras, which I am finding out the more as we travel down the Kumon road of learning.

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
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We receive a monthly newsletter which includes all students who have completed their levels and are moving on to the next (the actual levels are not mentioned). Any student who has a Birthday in the coming month, they will see their name listed and wished well by the school. Students are encouraged to submit jokes for the newsletter. Holidays or school closure dates are listed for you to make notes in your diary. Competitions are announced and winners named. Any new students are introduced to the school and wished well.

GIFTS
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As mentioned above, your child will be given reward stickers for work completed well. These stickers are placed on personal achievement record cards. When the student has a certain amount of stickers they also receive a prize from the prize bin or they can pick vouchers for high street stores. The prizes cater for all ages and can range from toys to stationery. My daughter being nearly 14 she always picks the vouchers, she is saving them up, so she can buy herself something big so she has something to show for all the extra work she is doing.

CERTIFICATES
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When your child has passed a level, they will receive through the post an A4 Certificate. On the Certificate it will state the level that they have passed, and signed by the Instructor on behalf of Kumon. The Certificate gives another confidence boost to the student. When the first Certificate popped through our door, the smile on my daughters face was just another sign that I have made the right choice.

Along with the certificate you will be sent a report card of how your child has progressed on that level and grades. The instructor will write their thoughts and also highlight what the next level contains and expectations.

BECOME A KUMON INSTRUCTOR
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There is a chance for yourself to become a Kumon Instructor and set up your own school. You are given help for the first year with running your school, once you have completed the training and passed the exam. You have to pay for this course, but if you are successful, in time you should get your money back.

MY THOUGHTS
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Since we started Kumon back in January, I have noticed a large improvement in my eldest daughter’s standard of work in comprehension and execution of the tasks given in both Kumon and Comprehensive school work. She is now reading books and magazines more than she used to. I am glad that I have taken these extra steps in her education, as we all want the best for our children.

My youngest daughter aged three comes along to these classes, but I have not enrolled her as she starts full time education in 2005. I was surprised to see that the instructor has allowed her to join in the classes. Although the instructor herself does not teach, any work that she has done is marked by the helpers and she is given stickers, just like her sister. I took along a little prize so she could receive a gift also like her big sister, but was told that she could actually take one from the gift bin belonging to the school. She is now able to write and recognise her numbers from 0 to 9 with no problems at all and is now happily working on the boards learning 11 to 20. I even have to give her homework to do but not every night.

Both my daughters look forward to going each week and I hope it remains that way. I can see the changes in them both and I am glad to say it is well worth the money as they get so much more out of it.

As I post this my daughter has just finished the week long SATS, so fingers crossed. Either way I will continue with Kumon, as it is helping and my daughter wants to be a journalist, so move over Kate Aidie and Lara Logan, in a few years you will have competition……

As for my three year old, any stunt men/women working in 15 years time watch out!!!!

UPDATE
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My daughter has since had her SAT results and she has been given her new 'set' classes for next year; she has now moved UP two sets for both English and Maths.

So you can say I am really pleased that I have taken the Kumon road to learning.