“Will my child be able to catch up with the lessons in school?”
“I know my child needs help in his/her studies – but I just can’t cope with teaching her on my own. What should I do?!”
“I want my child to be more independent and more responsible for his/her studies – is there an enrichment programme that can help us achieve that?”
These are just some of the concerns of parents in Singapore when it comes to their children’s education.
For most parents, this alerts them to do a search for suitable educational programmes to help their children achieve their academic goals and to do well in school. In fact, surveys conducted in the past decade have revealed that in 2008, 97% of students in Singapore were enrolled in after-school educational programmes versus 49% of primary school students and 30% of secondary students in 1992. This trend remained consistent in recent years – as a 2014 survey of 500 parents conducted by The Straits Times and research company Nexus revealed that seven in 10 parents have their children enrolled in extra classes after school.
If you are a parent who are looking for an enrichment programme to help your child reach his/her academic goals in school, one programme which you could look into is Kumon.
What is Kumon all about?
Kumon is an internationally-recognised after-school enrichment programme which is focused on setting your child up for success in school and in life. This is achieved through a learning method that is personalised at a level that is “just right” for your child.
In the long run, your child will be challenged to learn according to his or her ability (instead of age), which builds self-confidence and empowers him or her to experience a sense of accomplishment.
Kumon offers Mathematics, English and Chinese language subjects to preschoolers and students in primary and secondary school.
Why is Kumon different?
Unlike most enrichment programmes, Kumon does not offer a “one size fits all” solution to learning.
Instead, the Kumon learning method is one that is personalised to your child’s learning abilities and allows him or her to study independently at a level that is “just right”. This is determined through the diagnostic test that your child will take at the start of the programme to determine his or her level. Your child will then start off with Kumon worksheets that are suited for his or her level.
With this, your child will progress in small steps at a pace that is suited for him or her while gaining confidence to tackle advanced topics and concepts.
How Kumon helps your child excel in school
Apart from the benefit of having your child develop self-learn habits and the flexibility to study at his or her own pace, there are many ways in which Kumon can help to set your child up for success in school.
Starting with a strong foundation
Focusing on Mathematics and languages (English and Chinese), the Kumon programmes help your child to develop a strong foundation which will help him or her excel in primary and secondary school.
As a start, students will build upon and enhance the key skills needed to do well in the subjects. Kumon instructors will guide your child to complete exercises on his or her own, which helps him or her enjoy a sense of achievement upon mastering new materials independently. This helps to encourage your child to push himself or herself and strive for continual improvement.
Developing a love for reading
The aim of Kumon’s English and Chinese programmes is to instill a love for reading in students right from the start, as this will naturally lead to good writing skills. Through the programmes, your child will start off with the basic reading skills and vocabulary before progressing to sentence structure, paragraph building, summary writing and beyond.
Having the confidence to progress in Math
The Kumon Mathematics programme helps your child to form a strong basis in mathematics in areas such as counting, numbers, arithmetic skills, mental calculations and more – while he or she develops good study skills in the process. As your child is encouraged to solve a wide range of math problems independently, he or she will focus on moving forward and be challenged to learn new math topics and concepts.
Gaining important life skills
Apart from having to follow classroom rules and instructions on worksheets, students in the Kumon programmes will learn the art of self-learning. In the long run, this process teaches your child the importance of discipline and perseverance.
For parents who are concerned about their children’s short attention span and how they will fit into the programme – do not fret, as the Kumon instructors will be working closely with you throughout your child’s learning journey in the programme. Based on your child’s performance in the programmes, the instructors will share regular updates on your child’s progress and what you can do to support his or her learning process at home.
Nurturing a lifelong learner
With a learning environment that is encouraging, the Kumon programmes allow students to feel a sense of achievement through their progress, which builds confidence in their learning abilities.
Whenever new concepts are introduced, students will be given clear instructions and examples to help them along. They will then learn to self-correct mistakes and Kumon instructors will guide then to ensure that they have a good understanding of the topics.
Students in the Kumon programmes are encouraged to get a perfect score on every worksheet. This helps to inspire them to do their best and not to give up when faced with difficulties in their learning journey. Once a positive learning attitude is instilled, this will set the path towards developing higher level skills that will help them do well in school, such as the ability to focus, take initiative, think creatively and more.
Ready to set your child up for success with Kumon?
Sign up now at $140 per subject, every month (not inclusive of one-time registration fee of $40).
Locate a Kumon centre near you.
