Learning to learn

When 360 second and third grade pupils at Al Ghazali Model School in Abu Dhabi decided to learn mathematics in a different way, little did they realise they would pick up so much in a span of eight months. Many of them scored an average of 54 out of 60 in exams, while 10 years old, fourth grade students who had not participated in the experiment, managed only 45 out of 60.

Such was the impact of this experiment called the Kumon Method of Learning.

The Kumon Method of Learning is a unique Japanese system that encourages students to learn at their own pace. According to the Kumon system, math and reading are the two most fundamental subjects in any academic curriculum, providing the foundation to which all other subjects are added. Confidence in these two areas is needed most to succeed at school.

The Japan Oil Development Company (JODCO) planned a pilot scheme in Al Ghazali Model School in Abu Dhabi, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its operations in Abu Dhabi. According to Yousuf Arifi, in-charge, Kumon instructor of Al Ghazali Model School, all students who joined the programme did it of their own will. Parents were briefed about the programme earlier and then asked to decide for themselves.

What amazes Arifi is that despite being a math programme, there are no dropouts. After going through a diagnostic test first to determine their efficiency level, students are given worksheets to begin with. Their levels are then raised, depending on their performance at every level. The teachers seem to be surprised that these students not only enjoy doing the worksheets, but they also take pride in doing a lot of self-study, which is one of the basic ideas behind the Kumon programme.

Improving concentration, self-confidence along with independence and a love for learning is what is seen growing within these children.

"Though the Kumon programme was developed as a supplementary after-school study curriculum, in the case of the Abu Dhabi Model Schools, Kumon has been implemented as part of the school curriculum," according to Ichikawa of JODCO, Abu Dhabi.

"What is important is to get the child to start with the perspective that studying is not difficult". Hence the 'just right' levels, for building good study habits and concentration skills. What is also important is that the worksheets need to be practised every day for about 15-30 minutes. Regularity helps polish the inherent as well as the developed skills in a child, making study a positive experience. Speed and accuracy follow, boosting their confidence and encouraging them to advance to higher levels on the basis of what they have already mastered.

A high school math teacher named Toru Kumon began the Kumon Method of learning in 1954. Toru created a series of hand-written worksheets to help his second-grade son, Takeshi, with math. Toru was convinced Takeshi could solve the kind of problems being taught at high school if the skills necessary to understand advanced-level mathematics were taught one step at a time. Toru's hunch was right, and by the sixth grade, Takeshi had mastered integral and differential Calculus by spending only 30 minutes a day on his father's worksheets.

The problems created by Toru Kumon were eventually organised into a curriculum, and that curriculum forms the very heart of the Kumon Method.

The role of the teacher or instructor is only to guide the students with the worksheets. They give each child the tools they need to solve problems on their own, thereby boosting their motivation. Instructors choose materials that are "just right" for each child by following their progress on a daily basis and recognising their successes and struggles. Arifi observed that when children are able to solve problems with ease, they begin to see learning as a gratifying experience and develop a desire to "know more".

Hence in the Kumon programme, children are given a "just right" study routine that matches their ability, and then allowed to advance at their own pace. By doing so, they soon realise they are capable of solving any problem if they split it up into manageable proportions. This mind-set helps them not only in school, but equips them with skills to help overcome any obstacle in life.

In the process, children are not the only ones learning at Kumon centres. Instructors too discover a great deal in the process of teaching the children. They learn to appreciate that each child is unique, and that their capacity to progressively master difficult problems is remarkable. Some sort of a "positive energy" is infused in such an environment, which has excellent results on the children's personal growth, a view confirmed by Yousuf Arifi.

In the Summer 2000 issue of Kumon Newquest, a newsletter for parents and friends of Education, there is a story of a 17-year-old boy who took up Kumon Study at the age of seven with great hesitation and persuasion from his mother. But, after going through the process, he wrote an essay on Kumon for his college freshman application, and was accepted to the University of California, Berkeley. He is also a candidate for a Regents scholarship.

He writes: "When I was seven, Kumon started me out by reviewing how to count up to 100. Now that I'm 17, it shows me the tricks of Integral Calculus. Kumon has revealed the secrets of math for the past 10 years, placing me at the head of all my math classes. Kumon has also taught me much more than math. I have learned to have patience with myself and give myself time to learn new ideas. I no longer shun academic work, but I've learned to welcome academic challenge.

"Completing the Kumon programme, however, is a really exciting achievement. I could have quit anytime, and my parents would not have objected. But the sense of challenge that got into me while solving the sheets helped me rise to the challenge. I feel more pride for that achievement than for any other in my entire life". This in fact is the very essence of Kumon, "Learning to learn".