5 ways to develop math skills of early learners at home

Tag : Kumon Math

News

April 23, 2021

5 ways to develop math skills of early learners at home

Early Learners, Home Study, Kumon, Kumon Math

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Did you know that children’s early years are a time of rapid learning?

According to various studies, children learn more quickly during ages 0 to 8 than at any other time in life. As formative years have a high impact on a child’s life-long journey, parents and guardians should use this time for enrichment activities to support children’s development, learning, and future success.

Why don’t you start with simple math skills? After all, math is everywhere. You can begin enriching the math skills of your early learners, even while you’re staying at home.

Introduce math while doing daily tasks

Baking is in during the quarantine. While making the family’s favorite pastries, you can introduce numbers and measurements by asking your child: “How many cups of flour do I need? How many eggs do I have to add?” Loudly count numbers as you transfer the flour or egg into the mixing bowl and encourage your child to repeat the numbers after you. You may also use baking pans when teaching about shapes and cooking tools when teaching about measurements, such as teaspoons, milliliters, liters, and inches.

Sing and repeat number nursery rhymes

The Internet has provided us with easy access to numerous nursery rhymes. Maximize it by playing number nursery rhymes and repeating them with your child whenever you can. You can even make it fun and interactive by swaying to the tune or incorporating other movements such as clapping or stomping.

Represent numbers with colorful illustrations, objects

Several studies say that colors are effective in learning and play a significant role in enhancing memory performance. Use colorful illustrations, pictures, or objects when introducing numbers to your child. You may count the number of blooming flowers in the garden, fruits on the table, or crayons in the box.

Emphasize number when reading stories

Besides math books for young kids, reading other age-appropriate reading materials also enables your child to become more familiar with numbers and basic math terms. After reading The Little Glass Slipper story, for example, you may emphasize that the main character Ella has two sisters and that the fairy reminds Ella to be back home by 10 p.m.

Enroll in online learning programs

To give your child a head start in math before he/she begins formal schooling, you may also enroll him or her in online learning programs like Kumon.

At Kumon, your child studies colorful and engaging worksheets, which will help him/her develop basic skills, such as counting, number sequencing, and pencil grip. He/she gets to answer these worksheets every day and has scheduled online remote instruction sessions with a Kumon Instructor. The Kumon Instructor guides your child as he/she progresses from one worksheet to the next. This is to ensure that your child can achieve his/her fullest potential.

As your child’s very first teacher, you have the power to develop his or her math abilities, especially when you’re at home! But, there’s no need to fret because even the simplest activities at home will surely help!

News

January 19, 2021

More than Just Academics: Innovating and Changing the World Through Kumon

Benefits of the Kumon Method, Kumon 25th Anniversary, Kumon Completer, Kumon Math

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“I learned that Kumon is more than just Math and Reading. Kumon teaches us how to learn and how to use our skills to learn other things and develop ourselves further. In our ever-changing world and with the wealth of information that we now have access to, Kumon gives us that edge by allowing us to convert this myriad of information into solutions that would ultimately benefit humankind.”

For 27-year-old Carvey Ehren Maigue, winning the first-ever sustainability prize given by The James Dyson Award was not something he would have envisioned to achieve when he was growing up. His Kumon experience allowed him to dream big dreams, and that made his journey to success possible.

The Kumon Journey

It was way back in early 2002 when his mom asked him to choose between taekwondo or Kumon as his summer activity. He bargained with his mom and chose Kumon, provided that he be enrolled in the Reading Program. In the end, his mom enrolled him in the Math Program. However, he stopped in 2005 when he was in grade 6 and studying Level K ().

“At that time, I did not appreciate that I was able to solve advanced problems even while in grade six. I also didn’t know that I would pursue an engineering course, and it made me oblivious to the advantage and benefits that I would get if I continued until I completed the program. After five years, I enrolled again because I wanted to finish Kumon to help me in college math, specifically calculus.”

Knowing that he would have an edge in his college courses motivated Carvey to finally complete the program. In fact, in his last few months as a Kumon student, he had the unique chance to be an assistant in the Kumon Center.

“I was able to help other students when they had questions on how to solve certain problems. It was fun and saddening at the same time because, as I finished my worksheets and drew closer to completion, it dawned on me that it would be the end of my Kumon journey – no more worksheets, no more daily homework. I felt that there would be a void left once I was done.”

Benefits of Kumon

Kumon has allowed Carvey to develop the following 3 things that have helped him succeed in his academics and his current career as an inventor.

Grit

With repetitions, daily homework, and the need to correct my mistakes in my worksheets, Kumon instilled in me the concept of grit. Yes, I was doing the same thing every day, but rather than seeing it as going in circles, I saw it as ascending a spiral staircase – little by little, I knew that I was getting nearer to my goal.

Doing my Kumon routine every day allowed me to see mistakes and failures as steps and not as an end in the journey of achieving something. This sense of grit made me not give up on my ideas and embrace failures. Also, I realized that no goal is too lofty or task too hard if I took it on persistently and in small chunks. This allowed me to break down my bigger goals into smaller goals that could be achieved every day.

Mastery of the Fundamentals

With how the lessons are structured in the Kumon worksheets, I became a firm believer that mastering the basics is crucial. I realized that all complex problems boiled down to lots of small fundamental problems, and a mastery of the basics allowed me to pick apart complex problems and get to the root – to what was basic.

It also made me more comfortable with numbers – something very important in the field of engineering. I developed the confidence not to be overwhelmed by the complexity of problems, find ways to see them better from different angles and discover the best approach to solve them.

Reflect and Explore

Kumon gave me an environment free from judgments. I was an unruly student who submitted worksheets with many mistakes or with no answers, but I never heard my Kumon teachers complain or reprimand me. This kind of environment taught me the importance of assessing myself. This allowed me to know what areas I should improve on and those I should refine further.

It also allowed me to study other areas not related to my field. In terms of innovation, I believe that immersing myself in different fields was very important. It allowed me to see things in a different light and to use and combine ideas from different fields to create an innovation.

Advice for Students

What advice does Carvey have for current Kumon students? It’s simple – Never hide your worksheets or burn them or lose them deliberately. The only way to finish Kumon is to go through it.

“Our brain is a very magnificent thing. It can come up with all the reasons, excuses, and demotivation for us not to do our homework. We just have to block out those noises and just start doing the worksheets. Yes, it can get tiresome at times, but we can always tell our parents and teachers that we are tired. We can rest by doing fewer sheets for some time, but we do not need to quit.”

“The most exciting times of your lives are during your high school and college days. Finishing Kumon will allow you to enjoy these periods (make friends, pursue hobbies, do sports, discover skills, etc.) since you would have freed up more time that should have been spent on catching up with all the hard math lessons in school. The few minutes you would spend every day with Kumon will save you tons of hours in the future. I assure you that.”

News

June 1, 2020

What You Get From Math

Kumon Math, The Kumon Method

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From then until now, it is still a fact that a lot of people often say that being good at math equates to a lot of opportunities. If you remember how your classmates were achievers because they are considered as “math wizards,” you have probably experienced being pushed by your parents to be as good as them. You may not have understood what the advantages were back then when you were a child; but now as a parent yourself, you often say the same thing to your child these days.

What is it that a child gains from being good with numbers? Here are four basic benefits he can acquire:

Analytical skill and attitude

From solving problems of basic operations to problems with limits, your child learns to look at the problem in parts and as a whole. He learns to pay attention to every detail and assumption possible, and to break down one big complicated problem into a series of easier steps. He also develops the thinking of making sure that all results are accurate. This is a skill that your child will be able to apply in other subjects in school as well – like science and history.

Openness to challenges

Math problems are not easy – some seem difficult and impossible. With a high level of math ability and analytical skill, your child learns how to solve even the most challenging problems. He may also apply this skill to other types of challenges he may encounter in life. Your child develops self-confidence and endurance to overcome challenges until the end – no matter what they are and what the end result may be.

Work ethic

There is a go-getter type of mentality that your child develops. He knows what his responsibilities are and is particular in making being on time with deadlines. He does not make excuses for any shortcomings and he has a sense of accountability. Your child does not give up easily because he knows that every problem has a solution – and that he can get to it with effort and hard work.

Careers and opportunities

All college entrance tests put a big focus on math – with problems ranging from the most simple to the most complicated. Also, the most in demand careers require mastery and knowledge in math. All the above mentioned skills and attitude are highly valued by renowned companies. Analytical ability in math signals that your child is capable of analysis and deduction in other fields of study. Be it an engineer, architect, broker or lawyer – math and what math has to offer comes in handy.

News

April 7, 2020

Top 4 Places Where We See and Use Math

Kumon, Kumon Math, The Kumon Method

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“Do I really need to learn math?”

The answer is, yes! Math is present everywhere – in nature, in technology, in money, and many more. It is more than just solving problems or critical thinking, but it’s also there to prepare us in facing challenging problems in the future.

Here are some aspects in which you can see the outright use and presence of math:

1. In Daily Activities

Let’s say you want to bake cupcakes and consult a recipe book for that matter. The first thing you’ll notice is that every ingredient must be measured accordingly to what is written on the recipe book in order to bake the cupcakes correctly. Whether you need 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar, and a dash of salt, you can see math working its way in letting you create the best recipe!

2. In Games and Puzzles

There are many board games and mind puzzles that require mathematics and logic. For instance, solving a Sudoku puzzle will require you to place numbers from 1 to 9 in a 3 x 3 box without repeating any number per row or column. Here, not only are you using your number knowledge, but you are also exercising your brain.

3. In Clocks and Calendars

Can you imagine life without clocks and calendars? Math played a huge role in the development of the modern way we tell the time and weather. Ages ago, people only relied on sundials and astronomy to predict the time and seasons. Now, we have an instant way to tell time, thanks to math!

4. In Nature

There is a famous sequence called the ‘Fibonacci Sequence’ where each number is derived from adding the previous two numbers. It is also said that its properties can be applied and found in natural patterns – in sunflowers, shells, cherry trees, and more. Isn’t it amazing to see how a structure is derived from a mathematical sequence?

Sometimes, we may not be aware that we’re already using math in our everyday lives. But math’s presence is everywhere, which is why we should continue to learn and appreciate it!

News

June 28, 2019

An Xtra-ordinary Girl

Benefits of the Kumon Method, Kumon 25 Years, Kumon Completer, Kumon Math, Kumon Math Program, Kumon Method

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At a young age, a little girl’s potential was already noticed by both her parents and her pediatrician. This must be why Katrina Cassandra, fondly called as Kat-kat, asked her parents to let her go to school as early as the age of three. For Mr. Derrick and Mrs. Amee Gonzaga, enrolling their daughter in Kumon was an answer to this desire as they wanted to give her quality education.

Currently the country’s youngest Math and Reading Program Completer, Kat-kat has gained not only self-learning ability and valuable knowledge from Math and Reading, but also admirable traits like taking on the responsibility to complete all the homework given to her, having the confidence to tackle challenges and share ideas, and becoming more interested in various topics she comes across.

Indeed, the skills and traits that Kat-kat has developed in Kumon helped her reach her dream of becoming a Kumon Completer. Surely, such skills are helping her attain more achievements in school and become one step closer to her dream career as an architect and equestrian.

Young Beginnings

Kat-kat’s first few weeks in Kumon were great. She was so excited to answer her first worksheets. Eventually, she experienced difficulty in the higher levels such as Level O (Differential Calculus, Indefinite and Definite Integrals) in Math and Level L (Elements of Figurative Language, Interpretation, Critical Writing) in Reading. But she was able to stride through these levels with the help of her parents. “My Dad and my Mom always say that it is okay if it’s difficult because I still need to discover the topics and I will understand them soon if I just focus and try.” This held true for Kat-kat as the worksheets became easy once she started focusing and trying.

As parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gonzaga’s active involvement and guidance in Kat-kat’s Kumon study are simple yet effective ways of supporting her endeavor to excel academically. “When she completes difficult worksheets, we commend her for every effort she has put in and reward her for a job well done. We also encourage her by giving the example of Rocky Macumbal’s achievement. We tell her that if he can do it, then she can do it too if she puts her heart to it.”

Young Developments

Indeed, Kumon has paved the way for Kat-kat to enjoy and learn eagerly in school. Mr. and Mrs. Gonzaga have noticed how Kat-kat has developed discipline, independence, perseverance, and patience and how she applies this in her daily life.

“She does things on her own. When she comes home from school, she’s the one who tells us that she will sit down and do her homework. She reminds us also of certain requirements she needs in school. We don’t need to remind her anymore since she knows what she needs to do. Also, we rarely assist her since she has developed self-learning, even in subjects like Filipino and Science.”

Kat-kat acknowledges this as she exclaims how school has become easier because of the things she has learned in Kumon. “I know I’m doing well in school because of Kumon.”

Mr. and Mrs. Gonzaga are beyond thankful to Kumon for being a vital part of Kat-kat’s formative years and progress.

“Through Kumon, she has developed the basic and needed abilities and traits that will help her do better in school. Everything she has learned in Kumon will be her armor to face the challenges of tomorrow.”