Potterhouse School: Moulding Learners

Kumon Maths and English organization provides supplementary education program throughout the world. Kumon Maths and English was started in Japan in the 1950s by Toru, a Maths teacher and parent, who was striving to give his own son the best possible start in life.

The success of his unique instructional method spread rapidly and today nearly 4 million children in 44 countries across the world complement their schooling with Kumon Maths and English. In South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia there are 20,000 Kumon Maths and English students studying in over 300 centers.

Toru - Kumon Maths and English founder - believed that nothing was more important than education, but he saw that teachers were under tremendous constraints. Today we recognize that the pressure on teachers and pupils is greater than ever, so Kumon Maths and English’s programes are designed to supplement school education. Toru Kumon Maths and English’s conviction, that “every child has the untapped potential to excel”, still remains central to our philosophy.

Kumon Maths and English provides individualized, supplementary study programmes in Maths and English, designed to help children work at their own pace, building foundations in fundamental subject areas and developing their self-learning skills and confidence.

Kumon Maths and English’s method empowers students to learn for themselves, so when studying throughout school and further education, they have the best chance of being happy and successful.

Parents who have children studying on Kumon Maths and English’s programmes have confidence in our educational method and believe that Kumon Maths and English study can enhance their child’s development. They have this confidence because they realize that we share commn values and aims with their child’s school and can play an important complementary role.

The belief that we can make a contriution stems from the fact that Kumon Maths and English is not in and way intended to be a replacement for school, but rather is designed to complement and help enrich each child’s education. Kumon Maths and English’s focus is on mastering core subjects and providing important learning skills that your pupils will need or success across the broad school curriculum.

- Need to be stretched if they are to remain interested and reach their potential

Kumon Maths and English’s long-term aim is to enable children to cope comfortably with their studies throughout school so they can realize their potential.

The school curriculum ensures that topics taught in the classroom are presented at a fixed rate, with much material covered during the year. We realize that this puts pressure on teachers to find a balance between progressing through the curriculum and ensuring that their pupils are working at a pace and level that is suitable for each one of them.

Kumon Maths and English can play a vital role because is complements, but works quite differently from school. The programmes are tailored to each individual child are linear in nature, working as a series of building blocks. Only once the child “masters” a topic can they move on to the next one. Every child receives a much practice as they need to become proficient in each learning focus.

In Kumon Maths and English’s Maths programme children become fluent in arithmetic and basic algebra (amongst other skills). Calculators are not used at all. The English programme covers phonics, reading, comprehension and developing vocabulary. Students studying Kumon Maths and English develop these strong core skills

Kumon Maths and English’s programmes complement each child’s schooling and will benefit each individual, but they will also help you in your classroom. How?

Kumon Maths and English can help you to ensure that each child in your classroom is studying at the right pace for them and is consolidating their knowledge. Therefore, when it comes to understanding and tackling challenging problems in the school classroom, your pupils will have the ability and confidence to apply skills quickly and accurately.

Pupils who struggle with basic numeracy and literacy skills will find most schools work difficult. Trying to help these pupils to “to catch up” will inevitably take up a great deal of your time.

Certainly, you would want all of your pupils to know their times tables, have the ability to do calculations in their heads and be able to spell ad punctuate sentences. These are the skills Kumon Maths and English can develop, allowing children the practice to become accurate and mentally agile.

Kumon Maths and English’s programmes allow students to master topics at their own pace. This helps children to acquire confidence and enthuasism for learning as they realize that they will be even sufficient practice to achieve mastery. They can see their own achievements and this gives them a positive outlook on study. Typically, Kumon Maths and English children pay attention at school and are keen to respond in class.

Kumon Maths and English students study a manageable amount of work each day. Children benefit many ways from this approach, building their confidence and giving them a routine, but there are also benefits to you. When Kumon Maths and English students arrive back at school after a holiday periods, you will not need to spend as much time recapping what hey studied during the previous term. Kumon Maths and English study keeps children focused and concentrated.

Kumon Maths and English’s programmes allow each child the practice to become competent in the fundamental areas of Maths and English. But Kumon Maths and English can also instill other important qualities and long-tem skills in your pupils including:

- Mental agility
In order to progress on Kumon Maths and English’s programmes, students have to master each successive topic. Mastery, or understanding of a topic, is measured primarily in terms of speed and accuracy, so children on Kumon Maths and English’s programmes become fluent in fundamental subject skills and very agile mentally

- Good study habits
Children who study on Kumon Maths and English’s programmes acquire good habits, high levels of concentration and a positive outlook.

- Confidence
Kumon Maths and English builds children’s esteem and self-confidence. Children commence their study at an easy starting point and experience success due to careful, achievable goal setting. Kumon Maths and English students are ale to progress through their own efforts, allowing confidence in their own ability to grow.

- Commitment and self-discipline
Daily Kumon Maths and English study gives children routine, self-discipline and organization, skills that will be useful when it comes to study revision

- Reduction in anxiety
Another important feature of Kumon is the act that it can help to reduce children anxieties. Children gain independent learning skills from Kumon Maths and English, which makes academic work and testing far less intimidating.

- Practice
Kumon Maths and English allows children all the practice they need to become fluent in core Maths and English subject areas. The programs also allow practice in mental arithmetic and oral reading of a variety of texts.