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CREATIVITY, NUMERACY, LITERACY – How children will shape their future

A few years ago, Sir Ken Robinson, knighted in 2003 for his achievement in creativity, education and arts, stated this in one of his talks on Do Schools Kill Creativity:

“Children born this year will be retiring in 2065. Nobody has a clue what the world will be like in five years despite all the expertise (in education) discussed during the last four days (in an educational convention). Yet we are meant to be educating them for it.”

He goes on to say that “the unpredictability of the future is extraordinary”. It is a preamble to his next statement: “We have all agreed nonetheless on the extraordinary capacity that all children have”.

When I received an email from a parent stating, “We will see if this (Kumon) is right for our child”, I decided to further my research on the subject of what Kumon can do for children that they can’t learn in school. As if to guide me in my research I read in today’s Vancouver Sun a report by Janet Steffenhagen indicating that Sir Ken has been invited to speak at the BC Teacher’s Federation in Victoria today. This is how the Vancouver columnist describes Sir Ken’s topic:

“Sir Ken has attained near rock-star status for his engaging talks about the inadequacies of public schools and the death of creativity.

It’s an appealing message for those who fear today’s classrooms are not preparing students for the 21st century but are uncertain about the way forward.”

For more than 23 years, we have had more than 12,000 students come to our centre and one overwhelming sentiment expressed by parents is great anxiety on whether or not the school system prepares their children adequately for the future. Hence, Sir Robinson’s topic is so timely.

But before examining his presentation on the topic more closely perhaps we should attempt to address this question: “What do I want for my child?” There are many more questions. Why do we enroll our children at St. Georges, Crofton, or Little Flower aside from the general perception that these private schools “offer more” than other schools? Why do we send them to camp, to ballet or language classes, hockey, or soccer camps? Why do we expose them to rigorous extra-curricular activities that leave them extremely fatigued at the end of the day? On what do we base our school planning for the year? Is “being busy doing all kinds of activities” the right thing to do with our children?

Brian Tracey says that we act based on our “attitude”, which he describes as “the sum total of all beliefs, experiences, and expectations – regardless of the truth“.

If the challenges and prospect of the future are unknown, how can we as parents know what is best for our child? Ironically, the truthful answer is, we don’t know.

So no matter how archaic and inadequate our education system may be, according to Sir Robinson, doing nothing is not the answer. For that matter, doing a lot is not the answer either. What really matters is knowing that our children have limitless capacity for creativity and ingenuity to tackle their challenges. What we need to do is ensure that we empower them to develop to the level of their exceptional capacity to fully experience the fruits of their imagination and intellect.

How can we accomplish that?

That is where Kumon excels. A student at Kumon receives a highly personalized and individual learning where literary and numeracy skills are enhanced in an environment that encourages individuality and creativity. The Kumon program designs learning activities based upon a child’s unique strength allowing the child to progress according to his/her natural capacity, commitment, and enthusiasm – not in accordance to what is expected at his/her age or grade level.

The gist of Sir Robinson’s message is described by Ms. Steffenhagen as follows:

“It’s a message that opposes standardization and the testing agenda … which assumes that every child will proceed along an assembly line of learning and pass points at precisely the same time.” (Note that in our school system, a child in any grade up to grade eight moves up through those levels regardless of outcomes.)

Enjoy Sir Ken Robertson’s presentation here.

CONCLUSION

Quoting Dr. Stephen Covey, author of Seven Habits of Most Effective People, “We have no crystal ball to foretell the future. We just need to do what we believe is right and let consequences fall where they may.”

Raising literacy and numeracy skills might be your main objective in enrolling your child at Kumon but the manner in which the program is administered enables the child to

• Proceed at his/her unique level of competency
• Advance to any level he/she is capable, regardless of age or grade level
• Develop great amount of focus and concentration
• Develop expectation of success
• Experience enhanced self esteem
• Learn what works or what doesn’t in his/her approach to learning
• Understand that mistakes are learning opportunities

A heightened experience of success and achievement may not be all that would assure our children the ability to cope with the uncertainty of the future but it is the right step in preparing them to be innovative and creative in their approach to the great challenges before them.

Here is an example of imagination and creativity at work:

The COLORFUL WORLD OF MATHEMATICS

MATH IS EXCITING

With a record number of students reaching advanced levels several grades above their Canadian studies during the 2009-2010 school year, one can only surmise that many of our students are responding positively to the challenges of expanding their skills in these two subjects.

What could be so exciting about Math or quadratic equations?

What is the golden ratio?

Who is Fibonacci? What is the Fibonacci sequence?

Bobby Villanueva, one of our bright students scored highest in a Fibonacci exam, several points above the National average for grade 5 students, earning himself a gold medal for his accomplishment. He could probably enlighten many about the questions above.

Without quadratic equations, the conic shape shown here could not be mathematically explained or replicated. In fact the symmetry and beauty of things we see in nature could not be understood and appreciated without quadratic equations.

Have you ever observed a sunflower closely and how its seeds are clustered with great symmetry? The pattern could be explained with the Fabonacci sequence.

What about The Parthenon, that ancient Greek structure built in 438 BC renown as the most perfect Doric temple ever built.

What explains such incredible accomplishment by ancient builders?

Yes, you guessed it – the golden ratio and quadratic equations.

Learning Math maybe about numbers but as you can see, when children can relate what they are learning to what they see, live, and experience, it takes on a more exciting and intriguing activity that satisfies their natural curiosity.

KHLC SCHOOL CLOSURE

	DECEMBER
	SUN	MON	TUE	WED	THU	FRI	SAT
				1	2	3	4
	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
	26	27	28	29	30	31
	JANUARY
							1
	2	3	4	5	6	7	8

Our last CLASS DAY in December is Tuesday the 21th. We resume CLASS on Monday, Jan 1, 2011.

All HOLIDAY assignments (worksheets) shall be prepared and ready for pick up according to the Holiday Calendar parents submitted to us. Nonetheless, the last day to collect your child’s holiday worksheets is Thursday, December 21.

Our school is closed from December 22 to January 2.

THE LIST OF QUALIFYING ADVANCED HONOR STUDENTS for 2010-2011 IS NOW POSTED HERE: :http://kumonhappylearning.wordpress.com/2010-honor-students/

Many of us think of the holidays as a break from routine; a time to relax and do nothing. No more getting up early and rushing to work. It is time to unwind.

In our adult world it is not unusual to look forward to two weeks of activities outside of our hurried life at work; stressing to get things done before school ends daily at 3 pm; driving children to after school activities.

Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!

We breathe a sigh of relief when we could stay longer in bed; go to yam cha and linger awhile with friends and families and maybe play mahjong.

And because it is Christmas and a time for gift-giving, we frequent the malls for some exotic gifts.

BUT HOW IS IT LIKE in our children’s world?

During their growing years, children have great energy to expend. They could play for hours and nothing seems to diminish their incredible vigor and vitality.

How often do you hear parents say, “She tires me out! I just can’t keep up with her!”

The child’s perception about “holidays” is not the same as the adult’s.

Because of our own need for respite, we tend to minimize the necessity of recognizing our children’s natural growing needs – the need to channel their energy to wholesome activities and to continue to satisfy their natural curiosity.

Unfortunately and unwittingly, when we “force their schedule and activities to coincide with ours“, we introduce them to complacency and laziness. They learn that watching TV for hours is OK.

When we drop their routine, we disrupt their momentum.

Balancing parents and children’s activities during the holidays is a big challenge. Yet, one of the most rewarding activities a family can include in their holiday plans are daily learning activities.

“The best gift parents can give their children is the desire to learn. There is no magic potion; it begins early in the child’s life and grows as a part of the child. The knowledge that learning is a part of life that is as necessary as eating good food, I believe, is learned from parents.”

Nora Scruggs on “How to Help a Child Understand the Importance of Studying”

The answer to the question “Why is it important to do daily learning activities even during the holidays?” is simply this:

…because it is part of life!

When learning activities are included in your holiday plans, you are cementing a bond with your children and paving the way for a healthy and rewarding future.

IS YOUR CHILD’S EXTRA CURRICULAR SCHEDULE MAKING HIM SICK?

“THERE’S NO DOUBT that extracurricular activities play a positive role in children’s development, helping to shape them into well-rounded individuals. Enriching activities motivate kids to learn and grow as their natural curiosity and interests find fulfillment.

“According to the U.S. Department of Education, involvement in these activities improves their quality of life. But too much of anything can do more harm than good. Some kids’ schedules are so full that they have little time to be spontaneous or carefree. That’s why it’s imperative to plan some downtime into each day–moments where there are no schedules, no hurrying about, no keeping up with the kids next door.”

It is been discovered that “while some kids thrive in a go, go, go world, others suffer the effects of over scheduling which brings about serious stress disorder.”

Quoted from “The Free Library”

This holiday, take time to examine your child’s schedule and know when it is time to pursue “extra activities” and when it is wise to leave them some breathing room that belongs only to them and no one else. Giving them this freedom to use their imagination in “unstructured” time develops their creativity.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS FOR KUMON HAPPY LEARNING CENTRE

RICHMOND EDUCATOR AND OUTSTANDING STUDENT HONORED IN NEW YORK

Educators all over North America and delegates from European and Asian countries gathered last week at the Hilton in Manhattan New York for the tenth annual International Kumon Instructors Convention.

Tribute was paid to a Richmond Educator – Vivien Hui – as she received an award for her exceptional achievement in guiding the second largest number of students in North America to complete the equivalent of university studies in Mathematics (differential and integral calculus) before graduating from high school.

More than one thousand delegates from all over the world were present to witness the ceremonies on July 17.

Ms. Hui was also recognized by Mr. Hideki Kuzusawa, President of Kumon North America and Mr. Akio Tsunoda, President of Kumon Institute of Education Ltd. Japan, for having served as a Kumon educator for more than twenty years. More importantly over the last several years, her Richmond school has been acknowledged to be the single largest learning centre of Kumon throughout North America. Students at her centre come from more than 100 pre-school, primary and secondary schools in Richmond, including more than 20 Montessori and Kindergarten centers.

(She is shown in the picture between Messrs. Kuzusawa and Tsunoda.)

Kumon provides supplementary after school math and reading studies and promotes development of self-learning and pursuit of academic excellence.

2^nd Year UBC student, Dou Ming Mok speaks at the convention

With nothing but sheer commitment to raising her two children alone, a hardworking single mother immigrated to Canada and settled in Richmond. Her oldest son, Dou Ming Mok, had the extra-ordinary task of looking after his younger sister while his mother worked long hours. As a little boy, he did not have the luxury of playing with friends after school or going to summer camps. His only extra-curricular activity was doing daily exercises in Math and Reading and attending at Ms. Hui’s school twice a week.

With the family’s meager income and the hardship of daily sacrifices, the young boy resented being confined at home after class and doing daily assignments. However, his mother’s determination to educate her son and constant encouragement kept Dou Ming at his daily tasks. After several years, the little reluctant boy grew up to be a remarkable young man reaching advance university studies in math midway through his secondary school studies earning him early admission to pursue his university studies at UBC. He also completed his supplementary studies in English and acquired proficiency in a new language. He works part-time at Ms. Hui’s school to support himself through his university studies.

Dou Ming Mok was selected amongst hundreds of student nominees with outstanding achievements to share his story at the international convention.

He shared the role of Student Keynote Speaker with a student from California who completed university studies in both mathematics and English while still in grade six.

He moved the audience to both laughter and tears with his candid account of his childhood experiences – a remarkable achievement for a City of Richmond student truly worth great recognition and a reward for academic excellence amidst adversity.

SCHOOL YEAR ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY KHLC STUDENTS

Why we make a big deal about children’s accomplishments

…because the changes that occur in their lives as they grow, though significant, could be lost in the rush of day as we go about our daily routine.

Munish Bansal was fond of taking pictures with his digital camera. When his daughter Suman was born, he decided to take her picture….EVERY DAY! He did the same when Suman’s brother Jay was born. Now 13 years later, Munish has more than 8,500 pictures of his two children. You can read more about this here.

These are some of the photos he took of Suman!

Imagine what stories these pictures tell!

Think of the day your child was born and how excited you were when she flashed a smile. When she first opened her eyes to greet the world, and her dad, do you remember how it felt?

It was as close to sheer happiness, wasn’t it?

Was Munish admired for having paid such attention to his children? Reading some of the comments about this extraordinary paternal dedication was disconcerting but it could demonstrate the difference between a mother and a father’s perspective. Three negative comments were made by men (perhaps fathers themselves) and the three positive remarks were given clearly by mothers.

AT KHLC WE ARE PROUD OF OUR CHILDREN

……and we acknowledge the changes that occur through their stay at our school

2010 North American Advanced Honor Students

Aneil and Ashlene Hans (photo top of page) will be celebrating their 2^nd year as Honor Students along with more than 400 who made it to the 2010 North American Advanced Honor Student Roll. To verify if your child achieved such status, visit the KHLC HONOR STUDENT page here.

Here are some factors that contribute to such accomplishments:

• Children who continually aspire to discover their potential by advancing to higher levels of study gain greater confidence in their ability.
• Most importantly, they learn how to sharpen their thinking ability.
• Children starting their study before they enter primary school (grade 1) have the greatest opportunity to progress to advanced levels. Those starting at pre-school level are more than ready to exceed learning expectations from grade one onwards.
• It may be easy to earn Honor Student status for the first time but it is increasingly challenging to reach advanced levels of study.
• To succeed at maintaining Honor Student status requires the student to attend class regularly where he/she receives assistance to understand new concepts and principles.
• Perrenial Honor Students become accustomed to pushing their thinking capacity to solve problems.
• It is a trait they will value when they enter university where students are expected to be highly motivated and disciplined.
• With a strong mind and an expectation for excellence, these students are usually at the top of their class.
• “Skill begets skill and learning begets more learning. Because skills are accumulated, starting early and over time, investing in the education of young children is an investment in future productivity and public safety.” By James J. Heckman, 2000 Nobel Prize Winner
• Children of today present the greatest opportunity to change the world; to discover cure for diseases; to alleviate poverty; to find peace and understanding; to neutralize terrorism by finding the way to harmony and economic abundance.
• Children become what they live. In a family where there is love and understanding; where emotional banks overflow; where children learn about values, honesty, justice, and fairness; children are the happiest.
• In an environment where they are often criticized, admonished, and ridiculed, children develop anxieties and learn to be withdrawn. They are in danger of becoming anti-social and acquiring poor self image often contributing to learning deficiencies and difficulties later in life.
• Raising children to be the best they can be require great amount of not only love but also patience. It is a 24-hour responsibility but the rewards of such dedication are enormous.
• Parents of KHLC HONOR students possess such qualities. They persevere through the difficult challenges of keeping their child focused and attentive.
• With constant positive affirmations children overcome the risks of laziness, complacency, and tardiness.

When parents see what their children can accomplish, they begin to realize that the difficult times of the past in keeping children on track are all worth it.

MAKE PLANS TO JOIN US CELEBRATE!

2010 Award Celebration Theme: Rewarding Excellence

Thursday and Friday, September 9 and 10

Guest Performer: Norden the Magician

MORE THAN 82 RICHMOND AND VANCOUVER SCHOOLS REPRESENTED

Our honor students come from more than 100 pre-school, primary, and secondary schools in Richmond, Vancouver, and surrounding areas. Several are from more than 20 Montessori and private pre-schools.

KHLC is proud of such outstanding statistics.

What Measures Success?

In a competitive world, many are asking: “What does it take to be successful?”

 Brilliant students go through university studies and even pursue post graduate studies in a quest to build a successful and abundantly satisfying future. Yet, in this process, no subject in high school, college, or university covers the topic that teaches about the “path to success”. Consequently, in the global world of business and careers, only 3% of all college graduates ever experience great success; 7% do very well on their own; and 90% are struggling in their average career engagement. Such is the sad reality in today’s society.

 The most common cause of failure in finding a satisfying career is this: When a student graduates, he/she starts “looking for a job” – joining thousands of other graduates. For every single job opportunity there are thousands applying to secure the position. Top positions go to the top 3% of graduates and the rest are scrambling for “crumbs under the table”. Soon the 24 year old graduate goes through 15 years of life seeking for a fulfilling career and seldom finding one. The search for life and career fulfillment continues through mid-life. Towards the autumn of one’s life and the closing in of senior and retirement years, the great struggle continues leaving one to “accept fate”.

 Yet, successful career and life fulfillment are within everyone’s grasp.

Like a full-grown tree bearing abundant and sweet fruits, the path to success begins early in life. The seed is sown in fertile ground nurtured by a perspective different from others. It begins with the realization, acceptance, and full development of the limitless potential of the human mind. Enabling children to see the great abundance in nature to sustain life and to release the mind’s boundless creativity prepare them for a wonderful educational and career development journey that would empower them to enjoy great accomplishments.

It is the difference between success and failure. Most would see themselves as victims of huge unemployment, homelessness, crime, hopelessness, and tragedies caused by natural disasters. Very few would be focused on pursuing excellence.

They will not be “looking for a job”. Instead, those who would find success would be searching for problems they can solve. They would be finding ways to deploy natural energy to convert arid desserts into fertile land; develop safety measures to prevent industrial disasters; discover medical breakthrough to stimulate pancreas to produce insulin adequate for the human body. They would be engaged in developing macro-economic models to inspire economic production and raise the quality of life throughout the world. They would redesign educational systems to encourage and motivate happy learners. Such are the wonderful and stimulating opportunities for those cultivating their intellectual prowess.

 How would one define “Doing something special”?

 Most of us have vehicles needing some servicing sometime. This morning, I had to take the car in for servicing at a Lexus dealer. While waiting in line to register for the service call, I observed a few things. The place is very tidy and organized. Those attending to customers are polite and neatly attired in blue vest, shirt and ties. The mechanics are in their white coveralls looking more like medical surgeons than “grease engineers”. There is a counter offering liquid refreshment, hot and cold drinks. The cashier explains the service provided in detail and folds the statement in a handy hard cover pouch. He hands the keys to the car with a small container of mint candies. All of this presents a professional and competent image – a contrast to a visit at one of the garage shops on Bridgeport Road.

It is the difference between a business doing $300,000 in annual sales volume and another doing $3 million. The point is not to glorify monetary reward; it is to identify the difference between “just trying your best” and doing “something extra special”.

Poor attitude and deprecating self image is not congruent to achievement and excellence. Factors such as personal grooming, hygiene, and dress outfit are subtle expressions of failure or success perspective. They are also dead giveaways of one’s attitude and comportment toward the workplace or school.

At the risk of being accused of stereo-typing, let me ask this. Would you ever find a person with a ring on his nose, a Mohawk hair style, and a tattoo of a cross bone on his chest presiding on a Board of Directors meeting? Yes, we live in a free and democratic society where freedom of expression is constitutionally enshrined, and yes, we have the right to dress and express ourselves in any manner we may choose BUT in doing so, we must also recognize that if we were to defy natural laws as well as the law of cause and effect, we must also be prepared to live with the consequences. Freedom of expression has its limitations.

The public image of the Lexus dealer reflects the perspective of its management and perhaps the personal goals of its principals – to serve its customers by “doing something special” and doing something different.

A VALUABLE SAYING

If you do today what you did yesterday, you will end up in the same place tomorrow.”

To the question, “What does it take to be successful?” here are some words of wisdom:

Plant the seeds of success early in a child’s life through a cultivation of the natural gift of intellect and creativity

1. Take a different step each day toward the accomplishment of a goal
2. Plant in a student’s mind that success does not come from “looking for a job”, but in “finding a problem to solve”
3. Start each day with the aim of “doing something special”
4. Equally important as the freedom of self expression is the freedom of gravitating toward the path to self fulfillment and abundant life
5. How you look determines how you are perceived; might as well groom and dress up for success
6. Lastly, if you do what others do, you might get along but do not be surprise to find yourself in the same place as they are

REPORT CARDS – Do they tell the whole story?

Auntie Vivien was approached by a parent of an eight year old. She needed help to understand the child’s report card.

The Report Card praised the child’s achievements, attendance, and assignment completion. In the summary, the following words were highlighted: “Well done“.

The grade: “C”

The exasperated parent asked, “If my child was doing great according to the teacher’s comments, why would the final grade be ‘C’?”

Let us look at the Policy Guidelines dictated by the BC Department of Education.

GRADE LETTER EXPLANATIONS appear below:

The performance standard in the table below is in relation to the learning outcomes for the course or subject and grade.

A	The student demonstrates excellent or outstanding performance
B	The student demonstrates very good performance
C+	The student demonstrates good performance
C	The student demonstrates satisfactory performance

 

The broad term “learning outcomes” is used liberally in the Reporting Student Progress: Policy and Practice document issued by BC Department of Education. What does it mean?

For Kindergarten to Grade 3, children’s performance is measured in the following manner:

They are:

• Not yet meeting expectations
• Approaching expectations
• Meeting expectations
• Exceeding expectations

So what are these expectations? It covers the following subjects and activities: language arts (reading, writing, speaking/listening), mathematics, science, social studies, behavior, social responsibility, and work habits and effort, etc.

What is the problem with a “C” grade? If one is to interpret letter grades’ performance measurements above, “C” to “A” covers the levels: satisfactory, good, very good, and excellent. They are subjective to the learning outcomes!

Here is the problem. If a student demonstrates “satisfactory performance” (C), is the student (a) approaching, (b) meeting, or (c) exceeding expectations? In plain language, “satisfactory” means the student is meeting expectations. How about a grade letter “B”, what does that mean? And who is exceeding expectations? Is it someone with a “B” (very good) or an “A” grade (excellent)?

Now you can see why Report Cards drive parents nuts! However, think of the poor teacher who must monitor all twenty two of her students individually under these complex standards. It would be mind boggling. It is not unreasonable to anticipate that performance grading would be subject to a lot of arbitrary discretion. It is also possible that the relationship between student and teacher could influence such discretion. It has been documented that students who are well liked by their teachers tend to get better grades.

In addition, these standards point to a politically-correct stance in this society that teachers must conduct themselves. Highly critical performance measurements at primary grades are rare.

WHAT THEN MUST A PARENT DO UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES?

Since Report Cards are highly subjective to so many conditions, discretion, qualifications, and perhaps even good guesses, being greatly distressed because of failed expectation is unreasonable.

Know your child instead! Observe how she reads. Let him or her talk about what he or she just read. Allow children to explain what they understand. Observe their math skills. Praise them for their accomplishments.

They are with you more than they are at school. Often because of this, their cognitive, social, and intellectual growth does not shine like a bright star on a cloudless night. But they occur every day.

Be aware of what they are doing and what they are capable. At Kumon, observe the neatness in their work; their work habits; their level of confidence; and the time they spend on their assignments. Observe how proud they are when they pass their Achievement Test and move on to the next level of study. Examine the goals of the new level.

What you know they can do with your own eyes is far more accurate than the grade letter performance they receive from school.

That is guaranteed!

Raising Children to be THE VERY BEST THEY CAN BE

Children Learn What They Live

By Dr. Dorothy Law Nolte 1954

WHEN THEY LIVE WITH	THEY LEARN
criticism	to fight
hostility	to condemn
ridicule	to be shy
shame	to feel Guilty
tolerance	how to be patient
encouragement	to be confident
praise	to appreciate
fairness	about justice
security	to have faith
approval	to like themselves
acceptance and friendship	to find love in this world
POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS	to develop POSITIVE SELF IMAGE

 

 

PREPARING YOUR CHILD FOR A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE

UNLOCK YOUR OWN VISION OF WHAT YOUR CHILD CAN DO
Successful Parenting Series

It is most parents’ wish for their child to have a bright future; to achieve success and have a happy and abundant life. Most of us believe that developing the child’s intellect is a necessity.

Yet, because of our society’s proclivity with sports, media elevates sports personalities like Tiger Woods, Roberto Luongo, Michael Phelps, Serena Williams and many others to such lofty stature that we dream of having little Johnny skating for the Vancouver Canucks as a $60 million goalie; or Baby Jane achieving gold medal fame in gymnastics or swimming. It makes us prioritize soccer, hours of hitting golf balls at the driving range, or baseball practices over intellectual pursuits.

Don’t get me wrong, healthy mind and body are essential in keeping our children away from bad influences and other unhealthy activities.

However, if we are truly dedicated to seeing our children become positive influences and contributors to their future world, acquiring a well rounded perspective of enabling them to reach their greatest potential may help us as parents succeed in preparing them well for the challenges of the future.

PHENOMENAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

As early as several centuries ago, history has been recording incredible academic and intellectual accomplishments. A quick search of child prodigies here reveals what was during their times, considered to be something extra-ordinary; something unthinkable or even a freak of nature. Many of those children listed as having achieved something like a doctorate degree in philosophy at the age of thirteen, like Johann Bernoulli (1667-1748), have been called geniuses of astonishing mental prowess.

In our modern society where we enjoy HDTV, ride in supersonic Boeing 777 to Hong Kong, watch space shuttles deliver and install satellites out in space, navigate our way to a destination with GPS, we have neither any idea, nor care to discover, how all of this came about.

When mention of differential or integral calculus is made, we think of it as a “difficult subject” in college; something abstract and nothing we could care about.

We think of mathematics as numbers and operators. We hardly know anything about Sir Isaac Newton, or Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, whose work in mathematics, metaphysics, philosophy, and calculus, has everything to do with the way we live today. Yet, without the discovery, refinement, and voluminous study of differential calculus (study of how functions change when their input change), we would probably still be walking 10 miles to buy bread.
Isn’t it incredibly astonishing that something that happened in the 17^th century greatly influences our lives today?

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was born in July, 1646 in Germany. His father died when he was only six years old. Historical account indicates that he grew up with strong moral and religious values. He inherited his father’s immense library and started reading books (at the age of 7) in advanced philosophical and theological subjects that were usually only available during university studies. He mastered Latin at the age of 12 and started university at the age of 14. He became a student of Mathematics of Johann Bernoulli and later was recognized for his immense contribution to society through his work in infinitesimal calculus.

WHAT IS SO SIGNIFICANT ABOUT THIS?

The term “prodigy” is often used to describe a young person whose skills are “way before his time”; something that is expected from a person who has had extensive advanced university schooling and experience; something unbelievable. That is how they referred to all these 17^th century pioneers in mathematics.

But discoveries in brain function published in 1999 and discussed in an earlier post here expose us to new knowledge – that children are born geniuses; that they are capable of intellectual prowess; that they can accomplish what seem even impossible.

FIRST STEP IN PREPARING CHILDREN FOR A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE

Unlock your own perspective about what your child can do! Motivational speakers say, “Aim for the moon; if you fail you will land amongst the star”. When you see you child in the light of “what great intellectual accomplishment he/she is bound to demonstrate when exposed to the pleasure of self-learning”; when you unleash the power of genius he/she was born with by guiding him/her to the colorful world of mathematics, history, philosophy, science, and physics even before he/she starts school; you are planting a seed of great curiosity and creativity.

Appreciate your child’s immense intellectual prowess. If your child is enjoying Kumon studies in Mathematics, do you believe it possible that he/she could fully understand differential, integral, or infinitesimal calculus before reaching the age of 15? BELIEVE IT!

They are “Scientists in the Crib”

Nurturing Children’s Intellectual Capacity

“They are scientists in the crib“, declared Drs. Alison Gopnik, Patricia Kuhl, and Andrew N. Meltzoff in a book they published in 1999 by the same title.

Here is what they say in the preface of the book:

“Scientists and children belong together in another way, too. The new research shows that babies and young children know and learn more about the world than we could ever have imagined. They think, draw conclusions, make predictions, look for explanations, and even do experiments. Scientists and children belong together because they are the best learners in the universe. And that means that ordinary adults also have more powerful learning abilities than we might have thought. Grown-ups, after all, are all ex-children and potential scientists.”

Isn’t this such an incredible discovery?

Yet, when we look at children what do we see?

Quoting from the first chapter of the book: “Most of us see a picture of innocence and helplessness, a clean slate. But, in fact, what we see in the crib is the greatest mind that has ever existed, the most powerful learning machine in the universe. The tiny fingers and mouth are exploration devices that probe the alien world around them with more precision than any Mars rover. The crumpled ears take a buzz of incomprehensible noise and flawlessly turn it into meaningful language. The wide eyes that sometimes seem to peer into your very soul actually do just that, deciphering your deepest feelings. The downy head surrounds a brain that is forming millions of new connections every day. That, at least, is what thirty years of scientific research have told us.”

TWINS Martin & Artur Yushko……The Priceless Value of Intellectual Nourishment

Martin and Artur Yushko are primary school students at James Whiteside Elementary school in Richmond, BC, Canada in grade 2.

When they enrolled at KHLC, while they already showed some proficiency in math, neither our teachers nor their parents imagined how quickly they would progress in their study of Math.

With their parents’ attention to the two boys’ work ethics and daily assignments, Martin and Artur faithfully complete their homework and attend class regularly. Their assignments are completed neatly with excellent precision and remarkable speed.

After nearly only a year’s enrollment at KHLC, these two “scientists in the crib” are now working on multiplication and division of fractions and decimals, and math problems solving – studies introduced only in grade 6 and 7 at their school. At this rate, they might both reach the study of Algebra before grade five.

Nurturing the intellectual capacity of children requires patience, care, dedication, and constant positive affirmation. In previous posts, we have illustrated how these ideals, and parents’ guidance and supervision, play a giant’s role in their children’s accomplishments and successful future.

On July 24, Martin and Artur will be formally inducted into KHLC NORTH AMERICAN ADVANCED HONOR STUDENT ROLL. They join hundreds of KHLC students studying Math and Reading beyond their international grade level equivalent.

At this phenomenal trend, we would be the least surprised if Martin and Artur would complete all levels of advanced math studies through university level completion (Level O) before they reach grade 10.

Could it be that “smart kids” have “smart parents”? An excerpt from the book has an interesting answer:

“The scientist peering into the crib, looking for answers to some of the deepest questions about how minds and the world and language work, sees the scientist peering out of the crib, who, it turns out, is doing much the same thing. No wonder they both smile.”

J