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JANuary - JunE 2021
KUMON feature Self-learning In A Fast Changing World
parenting tips
How to support your child’s learning at home?
my life, my dream Isaac Tan Break the Limit –
it only exists in your mind! Nicole, Meghan, ElLaine Preparing for the future!
editor’s Note Welcome to the Year 2021! Year 2020 has been a memorable year for all of us as it has taught us many lessons as we progress into this new year – 2021. With the new year comes a new beginning, so let’s appreciate everything that we have at this moment and embrace it as we welcome this new chapter in 2021. We would like to say a big thank you especially to our Kumon Instructors, parents and students, as we join hands to move together ahead, while adapting to the new normal. Let’s kickstart this year on a positive note! In this issue of Potential magazine, be inspired by two success stories of Kumon students, Isaac Tan (age twelve) and three lovely siblings, Nicole (age twelve), Meghan (age ten) and Ellaine (age eight). Read on to find out more about the launch of our latest campaign themed ‘#Unstoppable Movement’ – which introduces our main theme for the year 2021! This latest edition of Potential also features some useful tips for all parents and parents-to-be! We hope this issue will motivate you to achieve greater successes in life, and in all that we do. Let’s discover new paths, new beginnings and new achievements, as we step into a brand-new year! Here’s to a safer and fulfilling 2021 ahead!
Love,
Contents
Kumon Malaysia
My Life, My Dream
03 Break the Limit – it only exists in your mind! 04
ON THE COVER Jan- Jun 2021 Isaac Tan
Isaac Tan
Preparing for the future! Nicole, Meghan & Ellaine
Features
06 Regional Article
Kumon Malaysia Have something to say? Feel free to send us your thoughts on the newsletter! Tel: 1 800 88 1010 E-mail: information@kumon.com.my Website: www.kumonmalaysia.com INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY NOTICE The logos, graphics, pictures, design, and layout (“Contents”) of this entire newsletter are the exclusive property of Kumon Asia & Oceania Pte Ltd. The Contents contained in this newsletter shall not be reproduced or copied without the express written consent of Kumon Asia & Oceania Pte Ltd. © 2021 Kumon Asia & Oceania Pte Ltd. All rights reserved.
Self-learning in a fast changing world
08 Instructors’ Quotes
Regulars 10
Local News
Kumon Malaysia #Unstoppable Movement across All Social Media Platforms!
11
Parenting Tips
How to support your child’s learning at home?
My life, my dream
T
he Kumon Method helps children to achieve limitless potential and explore challenges in an exciting way. We help children to gain an unshakable foundation in maths and English while instilling in them, the motivation for lifelong learning. The effectiveness of our method is demonstrated in children gaining success in school while also acquiring critical life skills such
as problem solving and being focused. Meet Isaac Tan, one of Kumon students who has developed his skills since day one in Kumon. Isaac, is 12 years old from Cheras, KL. He is an amazing boy who loves to tackle mathematical challenges from a very young age. During his kindergarten days, he was amazed with his friend who was able to complete mathematical calculations without using his fingers. Little did he know that his friends learnt his maths skills from Kumon. From that moment on, Isaac knew that he wanted to join Kumon too. After talking to his mother, Mrs Tan agreed to allow him to give Kumon a try. Lo and behold, five years later, Mrs Tan had seen unexpected result from her son. Not only has he developed a keen interest in maths, but he has also developed many life skills as well such as self-discipline, confidence and independence. Looking back at the first time when Mrs Tan enrolled her son in Kumon, she did not place any expectations on him. She was just fulfilling her duty as a supportive mother who would always encourage her son in anything that he does. After five years, she is delighted with the improvements her son had made and has recommended Kumon to her friends and family. According to Mrs Tan, ‘as parents, we need to have faith and believe in our child. It is important to let them explore and for us to always encourage them to be better than before”. Additionally, Mrs Tan also assumes an important role in ensuring her son is learning to the best of his ability without placing too much pressure on him. She taught her son to prioritise things in life and to always have adequate time to enjoy his hobbies such badminton. Mrs Tan added, that she places a high level of trust in the Kumon Method as it adds tremendous value to children. The Kumon method is individually tailored to help children progress through their own efforts and abilities. She is impressed with the advanced learning that her son has achieved, noting that her son has become a quick thinker compared to his friends at school. At home, there’s no fixed rule for Isaac when it comes to time management as he is independent enough to manage his own time. Whenever he needs a solution for any kind of problem, he will attempt to seek for the answer on his own accord. Isaac’s interest in maths has taught him to be a good critical thinker. He fell in love with chess and has participated in many chess competitions both locally and internationally. He believes focus and consistency are important ingredients towards achieving success in life. Needless to say, he is consistent and persistent in completing his Kumon worksheets every day as it has become his routine. At school, he constantly scores high grades in maths and other subjects. Topping it off, he is highly confident when it comes to public speaking. Due to this talent, he always been selected to join storytelling and public speaking competitions. Isaac reiterated, “Kumon has helped me to excel in academics and has taught me to believe that nothing can limit us when we learn to focus”. With his dream to be a scientist when he grows up, Isaac wants to positively contribute to society. He is never afraid to dream big and maintains his focus on the path he has chosen. We wish Isaac the best of luck in his life!
Break the Limit – it only exists in your mind!
Jan - Jun 2021
3
My life, my dream
T
he saying ‘practice makes perfect’ goes a long way,
Ms Shirlene believes that maths is a core subject that
be it in your studies or in achieving your lifelong
sets the foundation to succeed across other subjects as
aspirations and dreams. Nicole, Meghan and Ellaine,
it promotes skill-sets such as critical thinking, analysis
three sisters aged twelve, ten and eight respectively are
and problem-solving, which can be transferable across
firm believers of the said mantra, applying it in all that
other aspects in life as well. It is Ms Shirlene’s dream for
they do to achieve success in their lives. The three girls
her daughters to love Maths from a young age, as it allows
are a true reflection that the Kumon Method is a tried and
them to develop such key skills. Nicole, Meghan and Ellaine
tested learning method that leaves a positive impact
have since developed these skills throughout the duration
beyond just academic success but places emphasis on
of their Kumon journey.
the importance of critical life skills. Nicole, the eldest of the three girls was the first to join Kumon five years ago, followed by her siblings, Meghan and Ellaine in 2017 and 2019, respectively.
While juggling her career and family, Ms Shirlene has always been the pillar of support for her three daughters, providing for them as best as she can. In sharing her daughters’ success stories, Ms Shirlene said, “As parents,
Looking back when Nicole first began her Kumon journey,
we need to provide a conducive, distraction-free
their mother, Ms Shirlene, shared that she initially didn’t
environment for our children to learn, so that they will be
understand what Kumon was all about, but eventually
able to manage both their play-time and study-time.
found out that the Kumon programme originated
When the girls face challenges, be it in their studies
from Japan and offers an effective Maths programme.
or other aspects of their lives, it is also important to
Currently, with three of her girls enrolled in Kumon, she
encourage them not to give up, and keep trying in all that
has since witnessed positive changes in her daughters’
they do.”
attitude, mindset and approach to learning.
Being close-knit sisters, Nicole, Meghan and Ellaine share
Taking into account her daughters’ best interests at heart,
the same interest in singing, dancing and art and crafts.
Ms Shirlene further shared, “What I love about Kumon is
Aside from spending time with one another, they also
that the learning method benefits children in the long
enjoy engaging in other fun family bonding activities
run, as it doesn’t just focus on academic performance
including badminton. To the three girls, family time is
but nurtures children to grow their life-skills from a young
immeasurable and means everything to them. When it
age.”
comes to studying, the three sisters take this time to also
4 Potential Malaysia
spend time with one another, from creating their own timetable to manage their time between completing Kumon worksheets, school work and other activities. Raised to be confident and independent girls, they are never afraid to take on challenges that come their way. ‘I love Kumon Maths because whenever I reach a new level, I feel satisfied with myself!’ said Meghan. They believe Kumon will help them to achieve their dreams and they are proud to be Kumon students!
Preparing for the future!
Jul Jan--Dec Jun2020 2021
5
Regional Article
Self-learning for a fast-changing world The pace of change in the 21st century has been faster than it has ever been. New jobs have been created, digital adoption has also been accelerated, and as most of us have experienced, new mode of learning, working and conducting meetings. In these instances, self-learning could be one of the ways to acquire knowledge. According to the US Department of Education1 , self-learning enables the individuals to develop curiosity and willingness to try new things, view problems as challenges, desire change and take pleasure in learning. For Kumon students, self-learning is an important skill throughout their Kumon journey as the Kumon programme is designed to be a self-learning programme, without reliance on the Instructors. Working out the answers or solutions on their own is not only rewarding for our children, it also helps to solidify the learning. As children start to take ownership of their own learning, they develop confidence and motivation. More importantly, they develop the self-learning skill that will benefit them not just in Kumon, but in their future academic pursuits and professional career. Kumon founder, Toru Kumon, is a lifelong believer of the benefits of self-learning, sparked by his own experience in selflearning as a child. When he was fifth grade, his maths teacher informed the class that if they were able to learn from the textbook on their own, they could advance. He felt happy to be able to study at his own pace and did so enthusiastically. Toru Kumon later moved to Tosa Junior High School (equivalent to lower secondary) and was similarly exposed to a selflearning method, where the teacher taught only the basics and encouraged students to learn by themselves. ‘This method suited me very well. If I advanced beyond the school grade level, I would have an easy time studying in school. In addition, I didn’t like to be forced into studying or having to listen to teachers’ lectures, so an educational policy which encourages students to learn what they liked at their own pace by themselves was just right for me.’ ‘From this time forward, I began to think that all the other schools should adopt this policy of achieving the greatest result with the least amount of effort, so their students can enjoy their school life more,’ Toru Kumon wrote in his autobiography Give it a try – Yattemiyo. Toru Kumon later went on to become a maths teacher in Tosa Junior High School, where he graduated. He used his belief in self-learning in his own teaching career. He would encourage his students to learn on their own and he would take the time after school to guide his students on the additional learning that the students were taking. Such was the efficacy of the learning method that the majority of the students he helped reached high school level mathematics within a year. Children’s inherent desire to learn is what forms the central tenet of Kumon’s self-learning methodology. Instead of standing in front of the class and writing on the board, examples, explanations and hints are provided in the worksheets. Students learn from these examples and attempt the questions on their own, under the guidance of the Kumon Instructor when necessary. This learning methodology was helpful to Kumon students when many countries were lockdown during the outbreak of COVID-19. As Kumon Centres are closed for in-Centre study, students now have to complete all their assigned worksheets as homework, instead of the usual routine that they are used to. Self-learning is an important life skill and the benefits are far reaching. Kumon students have known to be able to apply this skill, beyond Kumon, in their academic pursuits, interests and in their professional career. This is the true purpose of the self-learning methodology that Toru Kumon prescribed for all Kumon students, as it helps our children beyond learning. #beyondlearning 1
https://www.tcdsb.org/schools/holyspirit/thefuture/ESDLCA/Documents/SDL%20article%201.pdf
6 Potential Malaysia
Jan - Jun 2021
7
Kumon Feature
Instructors’ Quotes “
Self-learning comes from the personal desire to gain new knowledge. In Kumon Method, children learn by the examples and doing the worksheets without specifically being taught. Through doing exercises on their own students gain confidence in their studies and develop the desire to advance further. Learning becomes more purposeful for them, as well as being enjoyable, which leads to better results. Children who learn through experience find ways to work faster and more efficiently, and that involves time management, self-assessment,
Ms. Sharilla
Kumon Malaysia
and setting their own goals. These are important skills that are very much important later in their studying life and more so when they join the workforce. In fact, kids who are adapt at self-learning have more opportunities in develovping other skills and they do so by developing one particular skill set as they go along. Self-learners also possess a
“
strong commitment towards completing tasks and they stick to a plan until they achieve their goals.
8 Potential Malaysia
“
Home study over the COVID-period helped me realise, even more, how effective the worksheets are for enabling children to work independently to access learning. I think it’s been exciting to see how children have really made Kumon their own while studying at home. I’ve found my students to be very focused on their studies. Zoom has also been a great opportunity for me to observe how they’re really
Ms. Kim Jarvis
focused and working incredibly well.
Kumon Australia and New Zealand
“
“
With improved student-parent-instructor trinity, we could experience the best ever self-learning during this pandemic. Since Parents are also part of online sessions now, they have perceived the essence of Kumon in a better sense and vibe well with our expectations which makes self-learning easier. Motivation is the drive behind student progress during these times. Irrespective of the situation, constant motivation and praise makes them stay focused and do their sheets confidently. In Kumon, cordial relationship between student-parent-
Ms C. Umamaheshwari
instructor is the magical bond that makes wonders.
Kumon India & Sri Lanka
“
“
The longer we find ourselves in this pandemic, the louder the message grows: Self-learning is an essential skill that every student must master. If we train children to think critically and figure things out on their own, we are easing the burden on parents who are now forced to juggle work, parenting, and teaching. We are also raising resilient learners who can handle challenges and navigate the
Teacher Aylene Belarmino Kumon Philippines
unknown. That we get to do this on a daily basis in Kumon is one of life’s greatest blessings, especially in this crisis.
“ Jan - Jun 2021
9
Local News
Kumon Malaysia #Unstoppable Movement across All Social Media Platforms! Despite the challenging year that we faced in 2020 due to unprecedented times, we have managed overcome those obstacles together to come out stronger and #unstoppable! The learning journey doesn’t stop for anyone as learning can take place anywhere at anytime, be it at your nearest Kumon Centre or in the comfort of your own homes. At Kumon, we believe that despite all the challenges, our Kumon Instructors, parents and students have stepped out of their comfort zones in order to adapt to the new normal. Transitioning to the new norm has given us limitless opportunities from exploring a new learning approach of online learning, to engaging with our students through the virtual space. Even with online learning, children have been ever-so-determined to be unstoppable throughout their learning journey with Kumon! In conjunction with the Year-End Special campaign held in November 2020, we launched a social media campaign themed “#Unstoppable Movement” across all Kumon social media platforms to encourage everyone, including our students and members of the public, to never stop learning despite these trying times. We believe this movement will encourage people to be constantly curious in expanding their knowledge despite the difficult situations that we may be in. Engaging with parents, Instructors, students and the community, we began the #Unstoppable Movement by creating a unique Facebook profile frame as well as the use of our #Unstoppable hashtag throughout our social media posts. Since the launch, we have received tremendous support from many participants whom have used our customised Facebook profile frame while encouraging others to keep learning! With exciting times ahead of us, the #Unstoppable Movement will carry through this year with many activities that we can all look forward to. We hope that this movement will inspire you and your child to keep going and never give up in all that you set out to do and here’s a reminder to you that you are indeed #unstoppable. P.S : Try our Facebook Profile frame for yourself here: https://bit.ly/3aon7hX
10 Potential Malaysia
Parenting tips
How to support your child’s learning at home? As Kumon is designed to be a home-based learning programme, they will be learning at home
most of the time. Hence at home, it is important that we help to motivate your children to keep up with their Kumon study, and stay on track of their goals. How do we, as parents, help to support your children’s learning at home?
Provide an environment that is conducive for learning
Praise and encourage your children Celebrate big and small achievements at Kumon,
Designate a time and place, ideally free of
which may include completing a set of worksheets
distraction, for your children to complete their
on their own without being told or advancing to the
Kumon homework. Getting into a routine helps
next level of the subject. You may praise them when
them to learn discipline and prevents them from
they have done well, or consider rewards such as a
developing the habit of procrastination.
nice dinner or extra time for their favourite activities.
Encourage your children to complete their work each day
Maintain good communication with your Instructor
Remind your children on the importance of
While Kumon students succeed through their own
completing their Kumon homework daily. As time
efforts, that success needs the partnership between
passes, they will develop the habit of bringing out
parents, students and Instructors to make it happen.
their Kumon homework to do at the designated time
Communication with your Instructor is an important
on their own.
cog in the wheel of success. Understanding your children’s progress will also help you to motivate them to achieve more.
Jan - Jun 2021
11
The Origins of the Kumon Method
After more than half a century, his philosophy still continues to help many children develop the ability to reach for their goals and dreams. Kumon offers learning opportunities in more than 50 different countries and regions around the world. Handmade materials created by Toru Kumon for his son (Takeshi) in 1954.
Toru Kumon (Founder of the Kumon Method)