A mother with two high school children came to our center about two weeks ago, seeking help for her children. According to the mother, her children's are getting low school grades because they cannot comprehend the material they are studying at school. With the mother's strong request, we gave them a high level placement test. The results of the test reflected their lack of proficiency and placed them at the starting point of Level D 151.

After we discussed the result of the test, we explained the importance of mastering the basics to the mother and her children. We also told them about two examples of positive results achieved by students who utilized the Kumon Methods of learning.

One of the examples was a high school senior who needed to score higher than 700 in the math section on her SAT in order to get into the university. She lacked proficiency especially in time management skills. In five months, she was able to complete from Level D to H, and increased her SAT score to 720. Of course, she was accepted into the university she wanted to attend. Another example is one of the 8th grade classes from the local Jr. High school. They started from the Level 2A. The entire class spent about 20 minutes every day, consistently completing their worksheets. By the time they finished Level F, they remarkably improved their grades in Algebra

These examples point out the importance of mastering the basics through daily practice. Since math is a systematically organized subject, it is vital for students to develop the essential skills at each level before advancing into the subsequent area.

Although we explain our program at our orientation for new comers, it is vital for all the students, especially for those who are studying level G or above, to know the contents and purposes of mastering these levels.

Math Program

Level G to J composed of Pre-algebra, Algebra 1, and Algebra 2. We check our students' intermediate steps carefully, specifically Level E and above. Learning the material at these levels helps student develop analytical and problem solving skills, which allow them to expand their application skills. For those math students who complete Level J, we guarantee that they will be able to pass the Exit Exam. If they do not pass it, we will teach them free until they pass it. For those students who are struggling between Level E to I, we will let them use the worksheets with written intermediate steps (only odd number problems). They will be able to use those worksheets as a reference to help them advance their studies.

Reading program

Level G to I helps students develop summary skills, which allows them to accurately summarize the passage with their own words. Students are introduced to various types of passages, including persuasive and descriptive writing. Level J and above helps students develop critical reading and writing skills.

We want our students to have their own goals and dreams and achieve those goals and dreams through their own endeavors. The students we described at the beginning of this letter did not enroll Kumon even though they knew they had major academic problems. They were not able to face the reality and chose not to amend the situation by themselves. We want our students to face any challenges no matter how hard that may seem. Students, let's develop self-learning skills to realize your dreams and goals. Setting goals with Kumon is the first good step. We will hand out our programs' description posters. Please write your goals and place it on the wall. We believe that every one of our students can complete Level J and above. Remember, it is all up to you.


Schedule

Sincerely yours,
Seiichiro Nishio