Potential - Kumon Malaysia - Jul to Dec 2016

JUL – DEC 2016 Australia • India • Indonesia • Malaysia • New Zealand • Philippines • Singapore • Sri Lanka • Thailand • Vietnam

HAAREN THE LIEW FAMILY MUAZZAM

Contents MY LIFE, MY DREAM 03 Interview Haaren Sathiasiva Sundar 04 Interview The Liew Family 06 Interview Wan Muazzam Syahmi Bin Wan Mohd Silmi

FEATURE 08 The Pursuit of Potential

REGULARS 10 Parenting Tips Nurture Your Child’s Independence

Greetings to all Kumon Parents, As we enter the second half of the year, we are looking forward to the Advanced Student Forum (ASF) happening in November. Thank you for your constant support in your child’s Kumon journey with us. Parental support and efforts are immeasurable and received meaningfully by each and every child. We encourage all Kumon parents to continue their great efforts to support your child’s success.

in Doing Kumon Homework 11 Local News Students’ Achievements in Kumon Malaysia

In this issue, we have Haaren, Muazzam and the Liew siblings.

Haaren, a passionate dancer can complete 10 worksheets at one go and currently attempting Level D worksheets at the age of 9. This young lad’s dedication and discipline towards his Kumon study are really exceptional.

Next, we have 10-year-old Muazzam who aspires to be a doctor.

During his free time, he enjoys outdoor activities like archery and swimming that require ample practice and determination. Follow his story to learn how skills developed in Kumon have shaped Muazzam to be successful in school and sports.

The story of the Liew siblings is a great eye-opener into how family culture can shape learning outcomes. Have you wondered what type of home environment works best for your child to learn independently? Have you tried telling your child to keep trying despite of setbacks as part of self-learning? Hear more from Mrs. Liew as she shares her family’s extraordinary practices with us.

Lastly, to learn more on how to support your child’s study, feel free to read our Parenting Tips.

Kumon Education (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd tel: 1800 88 1010 e-mail: information@kumon.com.my website: my.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 on this newsletter shall not be reproduced or copied without the express written consent of Kumon Asia & Oceania Pte Ltd. © 2016 Kumon Asia & Oceania Pte Ltd. All rights reserved.

Have something to say?

PR Team Kumon Malaysia

2

Feel free to send us your thoughts on the newsletter! e-mail: information@kumon.com.my

MY LIFE, MY DREAM

Through a friend’s great recommendation, Haaren’s mother sent her second son to Kumon to improve his Mathematics skills.

Since his first Kumon class day, Haaren finds studying easy.

Every day at home, Haaren spends about ten minutes to do his Kumon worksheets after completing his school homework. Currently, Haaren is attempting Mathematics worksheets Level D (division). While he is able to complete ten worksheets in just ten minutes, Haaren sometimes takes a longer time to complete them when he is left alone. Hence, his mother would encourage him to complete his work faster by competing with him. He is often asked by his classmates in school about how he manages to score well in Mathematics, he proudly revealed, “I’m studying in Kumon.”

“Haaren is a good self-learner by nature and his Kumon Instructor helps to bring out the best in him. When one receives proper guidance, one will be on the right track,” she concluded

with a smile.

Though Haaren lacked discipline initially, Kumon routine gradually changed him to manage his own studies. His mother agreed, “Kumon cultivates discipline through practicing routine work.” Now, Haaren’s mathematics skills are more advanced and he is able to teach his mother mental calculation instead of using a calculator.

Apart from academic studies, Haaren is also a natural dancer. Since he was three, he loves dancing and is able to self-learn most dance moves by the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, through YouTube videos. He can dance anytime, anywhere, and sometimes even in the absence of music. According to Haaren, “My mind is like a radio, I can switch it on anytime.” He ensures he finishes his daily academic work quickly so that he can spend more time on dance practice. Haaren’s mother is fond of dancing too and she finds it as a stress-relieving activity.

Last year, Haaren got the opportunity to perform in his school concert. To continue pursuing his dream to a professional dancer, he was enroled in a dance

“Kumon’s concept helps me to become a better dancer because I need to practice every day to make it perfect,”

academy.

said Haaren.

Haaren’s parents are very supportive of their children’s interests, as they believe that every child should pursue their own dream. Not only that, Haaren’s mother also regards Kumon as a place for character building for her child.

3

Maths D80 English AII 170

Maths E50 English AII 100 Maths B160 English 3A 60

It is natural for parents to be curious to find new avenues for their child’s development - Mrs Liew is no exception to this. She noticed that her friend’s daughter could do her work independently despite being an Indian in a Chinese-medium school. As both parents are unable to speak Mandarin, Kumon study was very helpful in helping their daughter become independent in her studies. Driven by curiosity, Mrs Liew decided to enrol all her three children: 9-year-old Hanz, 8-yearold Anna and 7-year-old Oscar in Kumon a year ago. Now, all of them are double subject students, studying Mathematics beyond their school grade level.

and schedule their time between Kumon worksheets, homework and playing the piano. Hanz and Anna are consistent in their studies and would always look forward to a new level and materials in Kumon.

Despite facing difficulties in the worksheets, they never give up and try to complete them methodically.

For Oscar, he is slowly but surely strengthening his knowledge and

Hanz is relatively introverted but with a mind of his own, while Anna is a caring and thoughtful girl, and the youngest of all, Oscar, is a playful and happy-go-lucky child.

The children self-learn at home

4

Mr Liew and children close to nature

ability under his mother’s guidance.

The busy homemaker shared about her children’s Kumon study, “I think they will gradually improve. My children don’t attend tuition classes but we learn together at home.”

One common good habit these three children share is reading.

Before enrolling them into Kumon English (a year after learning Kumon Mathematics),

MY LIFE, MY DREAM

The Liew siblings enjoy helping with cooking preparation

Mr Liew and children fixing the drum together.

Mrs. Liew realised that most English courses that she personally attended were very academicfocused. She went for the Kumon English Programme for her children as she finds it encourages reading and instills good habits in them.

She strongly believes that acquiring knowledge is more important than chasing academic results. Her children have gradually picked up the habit of reading a book first before doing their homework.

Interestingly, her children are allowed to experience learning by themselves through trial and error. For example, Mrs Liew shared how she taught her kids not to break plates in the kitchen. “They accidentally broke a few plates but after that, they learnt that it’s fragile.” At home, the children are given an opportunity to do almost anything. They have attempted fixing the father’s drum, washing their own shoes, helping in the kitchen etc. In addition, Mrs Liew

and her husband prepared a wall at home just for them express their creativity through doodling.

All three of them love outdoor activities such as playing badminton and catching insects. Oscar enjoys observing insects at their backyard garden, where his parents allow him to take care of them. Hanz prefers to build symmetrical structures like Lego while Anna enjoys drawing.

Remarkably, these children are not distracted with electronic gadgets at home as their parents want quality bonding time in the family. Unlike typical families, the Liews do not have a TV at home.

Every day after dinner, they spend time together chatting at the dinner table about their daily activities and sometimes enjoy an evening stroll outdoor.

To the Liew’s family, Kumon is not only a method of learning but a lifestyle. Mrs. Liew hopes her children will continue this lifestyle for good.

Anna’s drawing of her family

5

Muazzam’s first surgical experience determined his life goal when he came across a kind-hearted doctor who offered him medical service for free. Since then, he is inspired to become a generous doctor in future to help the poor and needy.

His Kumon journey began three years ago when his mother noticed her friend’s 6-year-old daughter attempting multiplication questions with ease.

Muazzam started off with addition, subtraction then multiplication and by the end of Primary 1, he was able to memorise multiplication table up to six. Having the misconception that Kumon programme is only meant for writing, his mother’s perception changed when she observed Muazzam’s ability to learn multiplication faster than she expected.

In the beginning, Muazzam received help from his mother when attempting difficult questions. As he progressed through more difficult levels that are challenging to his mother, Muazzam said understandably, “It’s Okay, Mom. I can handle it myself.” Sometimes when he encounters tough questions, he seeks help from his father too.

Currently, Muazzam is attempting Secondary 2 Mathematics and has just completed Algebra. He remains a top Mathematics student in class. He practices Kumon time at home daily, attempting each worksheet within 10 minutes, under his mother’s guidance.

Being the only child, Muazzam’s parents are not very strict with him and grant him the freedom to participate in activities that he enjoys. When he was eight, archery caught his attention. He got his first set of archery equipment during a school trip. Subsequently, his parents enroled him in his school’s archery club to allow him to pursue his passion.

6

MY LIFE, MY DREAM

Besides archery, his schedule is also packed with other sports activities such as swimming and karate. He started swimming at the age of 5 and is able to dive off from a 2-storey height springboard. A natural swimmer, Muazzam has mastered most swimming strokes. As for Karate, he won the third place in Karate individual category last year. This year, his team won as champion of the Hulu Langat district.

Muazzam’s parents continue to support his daily activities, as he is able to cope with his studies well. “Not only has his discipline improved tremendously but also the confidence in him,” said Muazzam’s mother. Now, Muazzam enjoys his outdoor activities as much as he enjoys his studies.

7

FEATURE

8

9

PARENTING TIPS

Every child desires for their parents’ attention. By setting aside some time to communicate with them about their Kumon study, you can help to keep them disciplined and interested in doing their daily homework. Most importantly, your child should be empowered to take charge of their own learning.

Here are ten tips to assist your child to study Kumon homework independently:

1.

Assign a fix environm ed schedule and condusiv ent for yo e ur daily Kum on home child to complete work. It is his or he to pick u 7. The Stan p a good r c dard Com time man rucial for your ch parents, ple of worksh a il d to ge eets is im tion Time (SCT) fo for their c provide suitable le ment habit, and a p r mastery s hildren to arning en of the top ortant to find out y each set s v lighting a ic. If your our child’s most pro nd fine w tudy. Provide ade ironment c b h a ild bly he or hesitates riting ins quate distractio or having s trum too long ns difficultie he is distracted, d workshe . To avoid damag ents, and avoid s ay-dream , A in d u d ets, orga n e re d d s e s o rs r ing th ta m e n issing nise a pla keep the your child se issues as soon ding the topic. ce for yo Kumon w ’s a u s s r m p c o o o h rk s oth learn ild to sheets s 2. Make s 8. Motivate ing progre sible to ensure afely. ure ss. your child down his your child acquire to or her co constantl s the hab or her na mp y m it finishing if the time letion times and re be challenged by times on e and the starting of writing his sults. Pra ta ken to co the work a n d 3. Ensure ise him o th mplete th an the pre sheets. r her e that your v w io o u rk s sheet is s attempt. chil instructio 9. Reward horter ns, and is d reads and unde y o u r child up rstands th able to fo given at are achie the e llo ved or wh on small mileston attemptin top of each page w the examples es; when en the ha b e a u g the que ti carefully ful. By in go ndwriting stions th before troducing is neat an als 4. If your c earn poin a t ‘p c o o in d m ts ts and re e after. ’ hild is do s y s te m deem the ing more Kumon, 10. As pare m for a p , you child can than allo nts, man rize. to be com w him or her to d one subject in a g e e y ff o ective wa ur time w etermine pleted firs y e s ll. w fo t.

O h r ic ne yo h one 5. Praise y habits is to set a g ur child to learn g of the most our child ood stud o o p d w ra example hen he o Kumon h ctising g y r sh om good role ood learning habit of yourselves. By or withou ework with minim e begins s m y o o t being a d a u e l fuss rs l, your ch the impo sked. ild will ev elf and be a 6. Minimis rtance of entually re strong in e distrac le a rn cognise in d g tions and ependen . by letting t help stay your chil focused d know th available at only afte r he or sh playtime will be the Kum e has co on works mpleted heets.

The Kumon worksheets are designed to progress in small steps, building on concepts that your child has mastered before. It is important not to give in easily to your child when they plead for answers or trying to give up while attempting the questions. Always discuss with your child’s Kumon Instructor whenever you face any difficulties with handling your child’s Kumon study at home as the Instructor will continuously guide and ensure your child is learning as his or her ‘just-right’ level.

10

LOCAL NEWS

The levels are as followed:

ASHR - 6 months & above ahead of school grade ASHR 2 - 2 years & above ahead of school grade ASHR 3 - 3 years & above ahead of school grade ASHR 5 - 5 years & above ahead of school grade

11