LIFELONG LEARNING BEGINS IN THE EARLY YEARS

Early childhood development sets the foundation for lifelong learning, behaviour and social development. The experiences that children have in their early years help shape the brain and its thinking process, facilitating the way they communicate, overcome difficult situations or socialise with their peers.

This is the stage where parents and caregivers need to pay close attention to – ensuring that the child is able to learn comfortably beyond academics but also be equipped with critical life skills. Such an environment will not only nurture the love for learning but also shape a child’s character.

And for these reasons, Kumon believes in starting children on enrichment programme as young as 4 years of age, with the aim to build a strong foundation of learning which is key in helping them achieve their limitless potential.

Below are three focus areas Kumon emphasise through its programme:

• Developing your child’s fine motor skills

Fine motor skills refer to the coordination between the smaller muscle groups which are essential for day-to-day tasks such as writing, grasping small objects and fastening buttons on their clothes. To develop this skill, Kumon emphasises pencil holding skills in its lessons. Guidance is provided progressively from drawing straight and curved lines to writing letters, words and eventually sentences. Speed and accuracy are also areas that Kumon will look into to improve their overall penmanship abilities.

• Learn at his or her own pace

Through the Kumon programme, your child will be introduced to reading and comprehension as well as number concepts. One of the unique factors of the Kumon programme is its carefully designed worksheets which includes examples to guide your child to develop the ability to self-learn with minimal guidance. Your child will eventually progress to master numbers, writing and reciting words, phrases and short sentences. More importantly, the Kumon Method ensures that your child will progress according to his or her own ability and pace.

• Positive learning environment

Kumon Instructors and their assistants will encourage your child to do his or her best in every lesson. Constructive feedback is provided to both you and your child. In a typical Kumon lesson, the child is guided to identify and correct mistakes made in the worksheet. Kumon Instructors also maintain close communications with parents to ensure that the positive learning environment does not only take place within the classroom, but is also replicated at home. This is to ensure that your child will grow to associate learning with enjoyment, having progressed in a positive, motivating setting. At Kumon, we believe in nurturing confident, resilient children who enjoy their learning journeys and are always inquisitive and intrigued to learn beyond what they already know.