Kumon Philippines - Potential 2021 Issue 2

Australia | Brunei | Cambodia | India | Indonesia | Malaysia | Myanmar | New Zealand | Philippines | Singapore | Sri Lanka | Thailand | Vietnam

July - december 2021

my life, my dream Sheina Rae ZaragozA Believing in Myself and What I Can Do

Family Article

Chai Family

Kumon for the Better

KUMON feature NOUEL Christian Amaguin

Be the Best I Can Be

editor’s Note “I want to be confident in myself and in my abilities.”

This is one of usual sentiments students voice out when asked what it is they want to improve or develop in themselves. Not being confident may be defined experientially as discomfort and/or inhibition in interpersonal situations. It is a form of excessive self-focus, a preoccupation with one’s thoughts, feelings and physical reactions.

Kumon understands this; and though it is not directly taught in the worksheets, Kumon aims to develop children’s self-confidence. Now, how exactly does Kumon do that? Our three featured stories will share how their Kumon experience developed their self-learning ability and empowered them to be confident.

Sheina Rae Zaragoza developed self-confidence when she tackled new and challenging topics in her Kumon worksheets. This mindset is what led her to become a Math and Reading Completer and to excel in her studies.

For Nouel Christian Amaguin, seeing his success in Kumon translate to success in school helped develop his self-confidence. In fact, it has helped him better express himself, communicate with others, and participate in extra-curricular activities.

As for the Chai family, Mrs. Stephanie Chai acknowledges how supporting her 4 children’s daily Kumon study (even during vacations and holidays) has developed their self-confidence in academics and extra-curricular activities, and has helped them become responsible and disciplined.

We hope these stories bring you much joy and inspiration as you guide your children in their journey of learning and self-discovery.

Potential Editorial Team

Contents

Kumon Philippines

My Life, My Dream

03 Believing in Myself and What I Can Do

06

ON THE COVER Jul-Dec 2021 Nouel Christian Amaguin

Sheina Rae Zaragoza

Be the Best I Can Be

Nouel Christian Amaguin

Features

08 Regional Article

Empower our children with Kumon’s self-learning

Kumon Philippines Have something to say?

Feel free to send us your thoughts on the newsletter!

Manila Office Tel: (02) 8885-0226 Cebu Branch Office Tel: (032) 263-3419 E-mail: publications@kumon.ph Website: ph.kumonglobal.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.

10

Instructors’ Quotes

Regulars 12

Family Article

Kumon for the Better

My life, my dream

Believing in Myself and What I Can Do One of the things most students have in common is fear in math. This was something Sheina Rae Zaragoza’s parents

wanted to avoid, which was why they decided to enroll her in Kumon. Aside from that, they also wanted her to build a good foundation in math and develop skills that would help her do better in school.

“When I first started out, Kumon was pretty fun. I was a curious kid and I always looked forward to answering new

worksheets. Whenever I finished a worksheet after several repetitions or whenever I moved up to the next level, I felt accomplished.”

Her Kumon experience bore fruit as math became a subject she loved and she became a better version of herself.

“Seeing as I was in the program since I was six years old, I pretty much grew up with Kumon. I honestly don’t think I would be the person I am today without Kumon. Because of Kumon, I grew up with the mindset to always do my best and to dream big.”

Sheina, can you recall your last few months before completion? How was it?

It was draining yet challenging. I would wake up, go to school, go to Kumon, then go to

this tutorial center for when I had to review for my high school entrance exam. I would be home by around 8 pm - 9 pm, but I still had to do my homework and Kumon worksheets

before I went to sleep. This was the cycle for about a few months until I finally completed the Reading Program so my work was somewhat lifted. However, it took me a few more months after that to complete the Math Program. I remember I had to go to the Center every day that it was open and I’d stay there from when it opened to when it closed.

Jul - Dec 2021

3

My life, my dream

What were your challenges in your Kumon study? How did you overcome them?

One of the many challenges I encountered while doing

Kumon was getting stuck at a difficult level. The repetitions and the speed criteria made it more challenging. It

was a source of my struggle. I was demotivated and

wanted to quit Kumon. I am thankful because my parents always supported me in my Kumon journey. I shared my

difficulties with them and we discussed possible solutions.

They encouraged me to deal with these difficulties, to

learn from my mistakes in order to develop the required skills, and to never give up.

What/who was your inspiration to complete the program?

My inspiration to complete the program was the idea and accomplishment of finishing the program. I had been

in Kumon since kindergarten and I made it my goal to

already be finished with the program in high school. I felt the need to finally put it past me because high school

was going to be a completely new journey, with bigger challenges and bigger goals to accomplish.

How did Kumon help you in school?

Being in the program helped in enhancing my math and

reading skills. I’d say that when I was much younger, my skill was more advanced than my grade level. Now though, as I grow older, I am relearning the concepts I learned in the

past. This is still an advantage for me because I only have

to remember what I learned before and apply them in my studies. I don’t have to put as much effort into my math

and English subjects as I do my other subjects because I have a good amount of knowledge in them already. I’ve

been trained to understand how numbers work and how

to analyze stories and poems since I was young, so those subjects are fairly easy for me now.

Doing the Kumon worksheets daily helped me develop the ability to self-learn. I learned math and reading concepts through the hints and support from my Kumon teachers

who guided me to figure out problems on my own. It taught me perseverance and resilience, especially when faced with new and challenging levels. With this growing up, I

rarely asked my parents or friends for help in my school

work. I would only ever ask if I really couldn’t understand

the topic anymore. I made sure that I’ve done my best in researching and trying to understand the lesson before I

asked anyone. So I guess that’s one of the pros of adapting to self-learning. It also helped a lot in online class because while others may have had the modules taught to them, I took it upon myself to learn them all on my own. But it’s

never wrong to ask for help, it’s good to learn from others and others can learn from you.

4 Potential Philippines

How did Kumon shape your character and outlook towards life?

I consider myself an optimistic person, and I think Kumon helped me become that. I don’t think I would’ve gotten

through my journey if I didn’t look at the brighter side of

things. Telling myself reassuring things is a good coping

mechanism for me. Back then, my center days would be Tuesdays and Fridays; so when Friday came, I would tell

myself that if I did my work quickly and efficiently, I would be home sooner, and then I could enjoy my weekend.

Whenever I got stuck in the repetition of worksheets, I would tell myself that taking the time to understand the concepts would help me be one step closer to completion. Looking for anything that can be deemed as rewarding or seeing

the brighter side to things is a trait that I’ve acquired from being in Kumon.

Kumon also helped in boosting my confidence even more. It felt so rewarding to finally finish a level, and my family and friends were always there to congratulate me whenever I did. I think that the praise that I got from other people,

saying that I was smart for a kid my age, is what helped me to believe in myself.

What is your most significant learning from your Kumon journey?

The most significant learning I got from my Kumon journey is to be

determined to finish what I have started. Being in the Kumon Program for

six years developed in me the discipline to endure hardships to achieve the things that I am passionate about.

What advice can you give to current Kumon students who are experiencing difficulties and who dream of completing the program?

It’s normal to get into rough patches, it’s a part of life. It’s okay to pause, take

a break, have some time for yourself, and after that, continue. At times, it can seem impossible, but that’s only because you’re telling yourself that. Try and try again, you can do it! Believe in yourself and dream big always.

Jul - Dec 2021

5

My life, my dream

Be the Best I Can Be Young children are considered to be like sponges who absorb all information and learning around them. This was the case for Nouel Christian Amaguin. He was four years old and very eager to learn new things when his parents, Mr. Ruel and Mrs. Norielyn Amaguin, decided to enroll him in Kumon. According to Mommy Norie, they enrolled Nouel in Kumon to develop his study habits and make him independent in his studies.

“At first, my husband and I did not have ideas on how to guide him as he was a fast learner. A colleague of mine informed me that Kumon would be a big help for our child. When I attended the orientation, I was amazed that Kumon is not just a tutorial program. It is a program that helps children become advanced in terms of learning. This became the main factor that we considered when we enrolled our son in Kumon.”

Through the years, Nouel acknowledges how Kumon has given him far more than a high level of academic skills. It has allowed him to appreciate the opportunities that have opened up for him along the way.

“Kumon has made me even more enthusiastic about learning new things and sharpening my knowledge. I feel blessed because not all children had the opportunity like what my parents had provided me. I feel privileged because of the method and new environment that Kumon has introduced me to.”

Nouel, do you remember your first few weeks in Kumon? What was it like?

Did you experience any difficulty with your worksheets? How did it become easier for you?

How does Kumon help you in your studies and in your extra-curricular activities?

My first few weeks in Kumon were challenging because it was different from the learning method in school.

It was challenging because, at that time, I didn’t know how to manage my time between school and Kumon. During this period, I learned to become independent and learn proper time management. With the help of my teachers in Kumon Sampaloc Center, I was able to change my study habits & adapt to the Kumon Method.

I sometimes struggled in answering my worksheets, especially if the topics were grade levels ahead of me. At first, I asked for the guidance of my teachers or parents on how to answer my worksheets. But sometimes, my parents were not able to help me in answering my worksheets. They just reminded me to look for an example since the examples presented in the worksheets help students.

These helped me understand how to proceed to answer the complex problems in the worksheets. Through this, I became self-reliant to answer the intricate parts of my worksheets, and the arduous worksheets became much easier for me to understand.

Kumon helps me in my studies in many ways. It has helped me gain self-esteem, get high grades and even excel in all the subjects in school.

Kumon made me first in my grade level throughout my elementary journey. Aside from my academic excellence, I have gained selfconfidence in presenting my ideas to others and hosting some school activities. It has also become easier for me to communicate with my schoolmates during group projects.

Kumon has taught me to become independent, have determination and perseverance in doing work, and always accomplish tasks on time and participate in all activities.

6 Potential Philippines

How has Kumon prepared you for your current online distance learning setup?

Kumon has helped me immensely in coping with

the online learning setup. It taught me to become independent, have determination in my studies,

and develop proper time management skills. Being independent helps me greatly in coping with the

current online learning situation during the pandemic. It gives me confidence in achieving my goals and trying new things, and helps me balance Kumon and online classes.

Daddy Ruel and Mommy Norie, how do you support Nouel in his Kumon study? How do you motivate him, especially in his low moments?

As parents, we ensure that he is always guided with our words of wisdom and has the right attitude in achieving his dreams. We always encourage our son to finish the worksheets. Sometimes, when he’s feeling down and feels like giving up, we give him a break to think about what he wants, but we ensure that he is guided. We believe that if he ever thinks of quitting, he will still choose to complete the program to reach his dream of becoming a Completer.

The speeches that other Completers share during the ASHR Program are what inspire us and him through his Kumon journey. We always tell him that if the other Completers can, he can do the same. We always assure him of our love, support, and guidance.

What challenges have you encountered as a parent? How did you overcome these?

Our main challenge as parents is when we see him having difficulties in answering his Kumon worksheets and get the feeling of giving up. We always tell him to ask the help of his teachers for him to be guided. We assure him that his teachers in Kumon would be a great help to him as he accomplishes the worksheet and learns the process of answering the topic. Aside from that, when we see our child tired of his school tasks, we sometimes suggest that he should give up. But, because of his determination, we believe that our suggestion to give up will not succeed.

How has Kumon helped prepare your child for the future?

Kumon instilled in him the values needed to lead a successful life, like perseverance, independence, and confidence. Through Kumon, he has become determined to persevere through his studies and excel in his academic subjects. He has learned to become self-reliant and walk with his own feet. He has also learned to become more responsible, finish his tasks on time, and confident in his ability and skills.

Nouel, what are your dreams?

With the help of our Almighty, I want to become a lawyer someday. I believe that my dream will be my guide in becoming a better individual. This dream of mine needs determination and discipline for me to achieve and reach my goal. Kumon helps me a lot in becoming one step closer to my dream. It helps me be who I am today.

Daddy Ruel and Mommy Norie, what advice would you give to parents on how to support their child in Kumon?

To our fellow parents, let us always support our children and show our love for them. Let us share our learnings for them to be inspired and motivated to become a better individual.

We know that it is not easy to guide them, especially during this digital era. We have lots of distractions which could result in sidetracking from their goals; but let us always remind them of what they are striving for and dreaming of. Constant communication between family members is essential in everyday life. Let’s not forget to ask and listen to our children about what they are feeling. Sharing ideas with our children will help them achieve and be the best that they can be.

Jul - Dec 2021

7

Regional Article

Empower our children with Kumon’s self-learning From the day they were born, our children have been constantly learning new things, crossing one milestone after another. From infants learning to lift their head and toddlers learning the alphabet and numbers, everything happens so quickly with our children learning little by little, gaining confidence in themselves.

In the same way, our Kumon students learn in small steps and become more confident of themselves. Before children enroll in Kumon, our Kumon Instructors administer a Diagnostic Test to gauge their current ability. When the children enroll in Kumon, they start off at a suitable starting point to gain confidence in their own ability, complete something without having to be taught, and enjoy the process of learning.

What differentiates Kumon from many other programs is that Kumon Instructors do not teach uniformly in front of the class. Every student learns at a level that is “just-right” for them, and at their own pace. As they are allowed to navigate through the level at their own pace, they gain better understanding on the concept and become more confident through self-discovery.

How do the children learn if the Instructor does not teach? You might ask. The students learn from the worksheets, which are constructed to facilitate self-learning in small incremental steps. Hints and examples are also included at the start of a new learning focus to help them understand the concept better, and for them to refer to when they run into challenges. Through this learning process, not only do children grasp the concepts better, they develop lifelong benefits far beyond the confines of the Kumon Centers – self-learning ability.

8 Potential Philippines

When students learn at the “just-right” level according to their ability, they will be motivated to enjoy learning and they can advance their study or do things on their own without being taught everything. Being able to self-learn is an important factor in getting students to enjoy studying and learning.

As students progress to a new milestone, no matter how big or small, they feel more confident about their selflearning ability. Examples of a new milestone can be progressing to a new learning focus or the next level, getting full marks for a set of worksheets, progressing to doing more worksheets, taking up a new subject or successfully finding and correcting their own mistakes.

The self-learning ability developed in Kumon gives our children the confidence to take on new challenges and learn new materials or subject-matter on their own. Takeshi Kumon, the eldest son of Toru Kumon, founder of the Kumon Method, and the first Kumon student, had the self-learning ability and confidence to study German and the abridged version of the Six Japanese Legal Codes.

“The Kumon Method is not a method to gain knowledge. I think it is a method to learn how to gain knowledge. I think the most important thing for me was the mental independence that was fostered by advancing beyond grade level,” Takeshi said when he addressed the new students at the first entrance ceremony to Kumon Kokusai Gakuen Junior High School.

Self-learning ability will empower our children to take on future challenges, take charge of their own learning, and aid them as they attempt to solve their problems, be it in life or academically.

Jul - Dec 2021

9

Kumon Feature

Kumon empowers students to build self-learning ability and realize their potential. Read these quotes from Kumon Instructors throughout the Asia-Oceania region to learn how.

Instructors’ Quotes

10 Potential Philippines

“

Nurturing self-learning ability among our students is at the core of the Kumon Method. It is the most essential part of Kumon learning whereby our instructions and worksheets are structured as such to provide students the opportunity to develop self-learning ability throughout their learning.

Self-learners have demonstrated strong level of confidence to learn and try something new, to learn from mistakes, and to conquer fear of failing. This belief has helped shaped their attitude, mindset, and motivation to succeed at every stage of their life’s journey - in academic or non-academic undertakings.

Indeed, confidence greatly empowers self-learners to excel and stretch their potentials and become contributing members of society.

Mr. Toru Kumon, our founder, once said, “There is a limit to how much one can teach but there is no limit to how much one can advance through self-learning”. Observing young, self-learners being nurtured at Kumon Centers the world over is both inspiring and satisfying.

Ms. Elani Kassim Kumon Malaysia

“

Upon seeing the worksheets that they have come to pick up at the Center, a few parents have asked us

if their children can really do them. One parent’s remark has stuck with me, “Are you sure my child can do this? I can’t help him with this. This is not found in calculators.” As Kumon Instructors, we assure them that indeed, their children can do the worksheets assigned to them because we have trained them to selflearn.

The value of this self-learning skill is highlighted now more than ever because of remote learning. Kumon students can do their school modules or online schoolwork by themselves because they are confident in

their abilities. They bring to their school work the self-learning skill instilled in them in Kumon. We are happy to see them thriving in spite of the many difficulties that children face in this pandemic.

Teacher Leah Alvero Kumon Philippines

“

A silver lining of the pandemic is that coordination and communication between parents, students and Instructors is better than ever before. Since parents are also part of online sessions now, they observe children’s efforts with the Instructor in real-time. As an Instructor, more often than not, I get to witness the excitement shown by my students when they understand the concepts on their own. The Kumon Method continues to build the students’ confidence through self-learning. Over time, it also improves their critical thinking skills as they are constantly engaged and challenged with new ideas. As home-based learning becomes more common, I believe our Kumon students will likely have less of a learning curve than others as they are already practicing and reinforcing their self-learning ability daily through their worksheets. This strengthens the connection between student, parent and Instructor for the benefit of children’s learning.

Ms. Brigitte Yeow Kumon Singapore

“

The Kumon learning method aims to help students develop self-learning habits and Kumon worksheets are designed around this. We, as Instructors, will train our students to study the examples from the worksheets. Once they get the correct answer, we will praise them or put a star on the question they

were attempting to answer in order to encourage them. Afterwards, we can see them become confident and willing to challenge themselves in the next learning topic. In the next class, we would see students

get excited about their new learning focus. When asked about how are they doing at school, they would confidently tell us that they found it easy.

Ms. Liang Kumon Brunei

Jul - Dec 2021

11

Family Article

KUMON FOR THE BETTER

By Stephanie Chai, mother of Sophia, Morris, Martin and Matthew Chai

Kumon came to my family at a time of need. My second child, Morris, suffered from speech delay problems

especially during his preschool years. It was actually a friend of mine who recommended me to enroll him to

Kumon. Thus, on August 2010, I decided to enroll Morris, together with his elder sister Sophia in Kumon. Quickly seeing the benefits, effects, and lessons that Kumon

instilled in my two eldest children, I thought it would only be

right to enroll my two youngest children, Martin (in 2011) and Matthew (in 2012) as well.

Benefits of the Method Kumon helped my children excel in school and in extracurricular activities. In fact, they gain academic awards every year. I feel like Kumon has helped them value the

sense of responsibility and time management as they are concerned about deadlines and make sure to complete tasks punctually. Because of this, they are sometimes invited to join inter-school and even outer-school competitions.

For my three children who are Completers, Kumon has instilled in them self-learning as they were used to

analyzing and solving problems first before asking for help.

They have become responsible enough to do their tasks without constant reminders and be mindful of their own schedules. With that, my youngest child looks up to his siblings and is inspired by them to do the same.

Supporting My Children Throughout my children’s journey in Kumon, there were definitely some ups and downs and there have been instances when things didn’t go as smooth as I would’ve like. My children have experienced numerous challenges and setbacks during the process and as a parent, one of the obstacles that I encountered is finding a way to keep them going and

motivated. I have been able to overcome this by constantly showing my support for them and encouraging them to never give up. I have taught them how to manage their tasks and time and how to find balance in it.

Admittedly, I motivate my kids the hard way. I would say that I am strict to them, but I know that they understand that

everything that I do is for their own good. I push them to continue even though it is getting tougher as time goes by. For me,

12 Potential Philippines

having a lot of school work is not enough reason to allow them to skip a session. However, I also give them rest

as I know that they deserve it after working hard. I allow them to take a break without worksheets whenever we

go on trips since balancing rest and studies is important and is one of the factors that keep my children going.

Despite the challenges, what made me decide to continue with Kumon is the constant amount of

Se an Morris

improvement that I see from my children. Aside from the improvement that can be attained through the curriculum, I feel that Kumon is also able to teach

them a lot of important life lessons. As a parent, I want the best for my children; and with the help of Kumon, I believe that they can achieve this.

Advice for Parents Thanks to Kumon, life around the house has become

easier. They have become responsible enough to set priorities and manage their own time which allows

them to put more time into helping do chores around

So

phia

ela Mika

the house. It also gives me more time to relax and

enjoy myself since I do not really have to focus a lot of my time into teaching them since they have become accustomed to self-learning, especially now that it became a necessity because of the pandemic.

One advice I have to Kumon parents is as simple as

never give up. We should be our children’s role models as they look up to us. It is important to balance being

strict and giving in to them. They need us to never give

up and believe in them for them to believe in themselves as well. After all, we all want what’s best for our children.

Se

Se

an Martin

an Matthew Jul - Dec 2021

13

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)