August 2010

Kumon and Summertime

 Greetings!

    It is almost August!  There is still time for many good swim in the pool, bike trips on the country side, berries picking out in the farm, and many more fun exciting places to visit.  After all, your children have worked hard for nine months in school, summer welcomes them with plans of relaxing, traveling, doing fun non-academic things.  And yet, our Kumon center is filled with studious students that come readily to learn more.   I sincerely congratulate all of the students who have diligently worked on their Kumon homework, even on their summer vacation.  Is it a routine of doing homework that students can’t fathom forsaking?  Like a physical exercise, once you start a routine, you will miss it dearly if not able to get to it.  I used to go to the gym six days a week after the birth of my fourth child.  I would exert myself on the elliptical machine, never skip a step in the aerobic class, and push myself everyday to lift more weight. If I missed one day of exercising, I would feel like I didn’t accomplish anything for that day.  My point is a good routine that benefits you whether it’s physical, mental, or academic can become quite addicted.  And it’s a good thing!

Again, my hats off to all of the Kumon students!  And to my students: remember to keep on learning, never let the mind idle because, “An idle mind is a dangerous thing.”   Your daily study stimulates the mind and enhances your processing abilities.  These factors are crucial in developing an active, sharp, and imaginative mind.

.  Happy learning! 

     
      *Kristina Nguyen
      *Arkesh Das

Please remember to check in with Kathy for your July Summer Reading log.  The prizes for July Special Ticket are 2 movie tickets and 2 Baskin Robin certificates. 

Tackling Back-to-School Jitters

The beginning of a new school year isn’t always easy for parents or children. From new teachers ­to new friends, new schools to new schedules, the anticipation of school starting up again can often overwhelm children and make it difficult for them to get excited about the school. August is the perfect time to ease anxiety that can often accompany back-to-school blues into back-to-school bliss.

 While summer fun is at an all-time high, take advantage and stock up on some great resources guaranteed to help prepare everyone for a successful academic year. 

 Everything Old is New Again

Frugality is in. Don’t let back-to-school sales promotions get the best of you or your wallet. Instead, try turning something old into something new and inspire children to harness the comfort of all things familiar while infusing a little newness into them. Pull out an old backpack, lunch box or pencil case and invite your child to be creative. Give them color-safe markers, stickers or Puffy Paint and get them to turn trusty old school tools into new school must-haves that reflect the summer fun they’ve been having. Remind them that just like the seasons change and bring new experiences, so too will a new teacher or classmates. Change is a constant, and learning how to adapt and accept change at an early age will help them throughout life. 

Tour the Route and School

Starting at a new school can be intimidating. We can all remember those weeks leading up to school. The fear of the unknown, changing classes, and dealing with multiple educators can be daunting for children. Remind your children that they are certainly not the only ones who are uneasy about setting off for school on the first day. Let them know that other children may feel the same way and it is okay. It’s important to make sure that children are familiar with the new route, new routine and the new school environment.  Take a practice run of the schedule. Make it special and surprise your child with an afternoon filled with their favorite activity.  

Once you’ve set the stage for fun, if your child is expected to take the bus to school, walk them to the bus stop and have them practice the route a few times without you. If they resist or think it’s silly, add an incentive or create a little entertainment with a friendly race to the bus stop among siblings or their neighborhood friends. It’s also wise to point out landmarks along the way. Jingles, rhymes or songs are the perfect remedies to ease a child’s nerves and make them feel like you’re nearby. When pointing out markers on the route, stop and make them memorable by adding a funny reminder such as, “Yellow house, green house, blue house, bus stop!”  

If your child is attending a new school, it’s also wise to add a tour of the school into the practice run. Doing this will get your child excited about school activities that he or she enjoys, such as the gymnasium, track fields, libraries or music rooms. If possible, try to schedule the tour with the principal, a guidance counselor or teacher so that any unanswered questions your family has can be addressed prior to the beginning of the school year.  

Work Out the Brain and Master the Basics

When seeking to master math or reading skills, repetition and practice are at the root of success for any child. While summer is certainly meant to give children a break from their usual studies or routine, Kumon has seen that children who continue practicing reading, writing and math in the summer have a much easier time adjusting to the full-time school schedule in September.  

If you’re like most parents, juggling fun and learning isn’t always easy. If there have been a few weeks in the summer where your child has spent more time playing than learning, use the month of August to get them back into a routine that is more closely aligned with the fall schedule. Set a time for reading each night. Make it fun and ask your child to read a book that correlates to a summer activity you shared, such as going to the beach, riding horses or camping. Reading is a great way to establish “together time.” Enhance these special learning moments by taking the reading session outdoors on a picnic or under a tree. To make sure your child comprehends everything he or she is reading, try to schedule the reading time before dinner so that conversation at mealtime is filled with questions about the story.  

Math drills are important to hone before the new school year sets in because children often won’t have time to re-learn in the classroom. So don’t forget to add a math challenge into the weeks leading up to the new school year. It can be anything from a funny word problem that highlights a summer memory or multiplication tables that highlight how many hours of free time your child will have despite their fall school schedule.  

Change isn’t easy, but sometimes knowing that everyone around us is going through change as well will make it easier. Remember to listen and validate your child’s fears about the new school year. Doing this reinforces the idea that your child isn’t going through this alone and that the people closest to him or her understand the mixed emotions that come with new beginnings.   

As the school year comes into focus, it’s hard to stay connected with our children. August is a month to foster stronger connections and set a strong foundation for academic success in the new school year while still savoring the joys of summer. 

Tuition Increase 

There will be an increase of $5 per subject effective October , 2010.  If you are enrolled in our auto-pay program via Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) directly from you bank, there will be no tuition increase. All new enrollments after September 2010 will be subject to the new tuition rates and will be required to be enrolled in the EFT program.

By enrolling in the EFT program, you will not have to worry about being late with your payment and incurring a late fee.

  Please ask for more information at the center.

Kumon on Facebook

 Connect with other parents and students around the world, join Kumon Facebook today!  You will find many good tips and advices that others share daily.

www.facebook.com/kumon 

My favorite book of the month:
        Island of the Blue Dolphin by Scott O’Dell

(Level E)

 Imagine being deserted and all alone on an island and constantly looking out for wild animals that wait to pounce on you at every move you make.  What on earth would you do to survive?  Karana is one of the two children, born to Chief Matasaip of the village of Ghalas-at on the island of the Blue Dolphin.  Her survival instinct and incredible strength had helped her get through many moons and suns while waiting for a ship to rescue her from the island.  Her story will warm your heart and inspire you to be closer to nature, admire its beauty, and appreciate the simplest things on earth.  What makes her love her enemies like one of her own?  Is it because of loneliness or her compassionate nature?  “If Ulape and my father had come back and laughed, and all the others had come back and laughed, still I would have felt the same way, for animals and birds are people, too, though they do not talk the same or do the same things.  Without them the earth would be an unhappy place.”  Karana had found her true identity being surrounded by animals and nature.  Join her in one of her many adventures. 
   - It will be worth your while! - Kathy

Summertime Reading is Easy!

 School is out for summer. Learning is not. Reading, the most fundamental and important of studies, is so often overlooked during the summer break. By the time fifth grade rolls around, some students have fallen behind up to two years in reading comprehension.  Reading takes practice and consistency. Here are some approaches on how to keep your child engaged in reading during the summer break and beyond.

Good reading skills and comprehension require consistency. So setting up a time for your children to read each day will get them in the habit of reading, which will help keep them on schedule when class starts up again in the fall. It also helps to have a dedicated reading area set up where your children can read every day. This will help them stay focused on what they are reading. With a schedule and a space for your children to read, reading time will also be much easier to manage for parents.

Reading has the potential to be a very rewarding pursuit. The world of literature is vast and ever-expanding. New books are coming out each day as well as new poems, new articles and fresh ideas emerging from writers all over the world. Some children will say they struggle with reading because the books they are sometimes assigned in school just don’t match up with their interests. Finding books and reading material that your children won’t want to put down will show them how enjoyable reading can be. Kumon Math and Reading Centers offer a free Kumon Recommended Reading list with over 350 titles for all reading levels.

Showing children the practical applications of reading will help them understand how reading can be used in their daily lives. For example, as you watch them devour the new video game strategy guide that just came in the mail, remind them that that it’s reading that makes it possible for them to learn all the secret moves and find all the hidden stuff!

Reading out loud is a great way for parents to get more involved in their children’s reading. But don’t just read out loud – get into it! Create different voices for each of the characters – the entire family can act out different parts of the book – or play the different characters! Make it fun! Make it an experience! Your children will love it! Students who read consistently over the summer break have a great advantage when stepping back into the classroom when school starts, and an activity like this will show your child how exciting reading can be when a little creativity is introduced.