A message from David, Lead Instructor at Kumon in Harrogate –
At our Kumon Education Centre in Harrogate, we truly believe in providing all children with the opportunity to progress, advance and excel in maths and English. All children of any age and any ability are very welcome to join us. We especially want to extend
this offer to parents whose children may face the additional challenges posed by factors such as ADHD, ASD, Asperger’s syndrome, APD, dyslexia and such like.
As a parent of a seven-year-old boy, who is currently going through the assessment process for ADHD, I am learning more and more each day about the challenges this may pose for him throughout his education and beyond.
As I familiarised myself with how best to help my son if he is diagnosed with ADHD, I realised how beneficial the Kumon programme he already follows actually is for him.
According to the experts, children with ADHD, particularly the inattentive type, benefit from the following when learning:
· Routine
· Repetition
· Rewards
· Removal of distractions
In terms of routine, since the day Kumon was formed, our students have always followed a rigid daily routine. Each day they complete their individually tailored worksheets for around 20-30 minutes per subject. One of the key reasons our programme is so successful is establishing and maintaining this daily routine with the children.
Regarding repetition, children who study our programme repeat their worksheets until they have fully mastered that particular aspect of maths or English. We do not move them on until we are 100% confident they are ready to be moved on. Targets and schedules in what they deliver each year often compel schools, through no fault of their own, to move children on when they may not have fully mastered that particular aspect of learning. Our students are able to move on as and when they are ready. That might be very quickly, or it might be at a steadier pace. All children are different. Repetition until mastery is achieved is a fundamental part of Kumon working successfully will all our students.
Rewards are also a long establish feature of the Kumon method of learning. Children receive verbal praise, reward stickers and certificates regularly at the centre. They can also earn medals and even trophies at our twice-yearly award ceremonies. All children benefit from rewards and praise, but for children with ADHD, it can be an especially powerful motivator.
Removal of distractions is also something very evident at our centre. Our plain white desks and stools, and white washed walls contribute to a very minimalist classroom environment. This is deliberate, it helps our students stay focused on the task in hand.
As I mentioned early, our centres and learning methods are designed to help all children of all abilities. It was only when I dug a little deeper into how best to support my own child with his potential additional needs, that I realised just how beneficial the maths and English worksheets he does daily already are in supporting his learning.
If your child, like mine, may need additional support with aspects of their learning, we can help. It’s a common misconception that Kumon centres are just for gifted children. That is absolutely not the case. We do have children who study with us who are gifted and are capable of maths and English way beyond their school grade. However, we also have children who attend our centre because they’ve fallen a little bit behind for one reason or another.
Our Kumon Centre in Harrogate is not just here to help gifted children. Our Kumon Centre is not here just to help children who have fallen behind. Nor is it just here to help children with who might be impacted upon by additional learning issues.
Our Kumon Centre is here to help ALL children.
If you would like to find out more about Kumon and how it can help your child please visit our website. Or contact David on 07976 867838 or by e-mail Harrogate@kumoncentre.co.uk . You can also view an informative video about the programme here .
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