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July 2007
June
How To Effectively Promote
Continued Summer Study
At Your Center
Mr. Miyake’s Seminars
Mrs. Kishibe In Mexico
Student Data Verification
How to Avoid a Late Fee
Elite Retreat in Jamaica was “Irie”
Dunn’s River Falls - Ocho Rios, Jamaica
How To Effectively Promote
Continued Summer Study
At Your Center
by Daniel Wooster
With the summer months upon us, more than good weather and
the smell of barbeque are in the air. It is during this time of year
that two dreaded sentences come out of yearly slumber to torment
us - “I am going on vacation” and “I am looking to enroll for the
summer only.” These two sentences are the equivalent of fingernails
scraping down a chalkboard for Kumon Instructors who recognize
that the true value of the program comes from year-round, long-term
study. However, the reality of the situation is that we, as Kumon
Instructors, work diligently with these students to help them reach
their full potential, even during a short, three-month timeframe,
whether they are in the Center or sharing their time with Mickey and
Minnie Mouse.
This reality causes Kumon Instructors to ask the question: after
summer retention, what next? How do I get the students on vacation
to return to my Center, and how do I take the ones who just “came
for the summer” and turn them into ones who “come for the fall,
winter and spring, too?” The opportunity lies in developing a
comprehensive communications program that motivates your
students and invites their parents to vacation in the world of their
child’s continued success. The best tool you have is being able to
show Kumon parents the improvements the program is making
currently and what success their child can experience three, six, nine
and 12 months down the road under your guidance.
For parents who just want to enroll for the summer months,
Margaret Case, Florida Branch, shows progress charts of her
successful full-time students (with the names blanked out) who have
started below grade level and taken a year to catch up. “I use parents
that I know will say positive things about the program and who are
still enrolled,” she says.
“For students that really are fairly high performers, I show sixmonth projections, always stressing subject to actual performance,
which was impossible to know at enrollment,” she continues. “Stress
Kumon’s individualized program. Parents seem to respond to this.
They still may think their kid is the exception, but one thing is
certain – if you don’t even get them in the door, you don’t stand a
chance of keeping them long-term.”
Kumon has compiled a list of different initiatives that Instructors can
utilize over the summer months to promote continued involvement
in the program. Whether the family is planning on a vacation sans
worksheets or determined to enroll for the summer months only, you
will find helpful tools and tips below to help you tackle this problem
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effectively, efficiently and proactively.
1) Goal Setting Conferences: One of the most important initiatives
to help keep families from leaving Kumon during the summer
months and to promote the continued tenure of short-term
students is to hold one-on-one meetings or conferences with your
students and their parents to discuss individual goals.
• Vacationing Students: Hold goal-setting conferences prior to
their vacation to discuss the tangible and attainable goals that
can be achieved through continued study over the summer
months with both your students and their parents. If they do
choose to take a break from Kumon, plan a back-to-school
goal-setting conference to promote the benefits of Kumon study
during the school year. Utilizing the Summer Planning calendar
is highly beneficial in proactively planning these sessions.
• Short-Term Students: Utilize the goal-setting conference tool
upon their enrollment to offer an understanding of the growth
they can experience during their brief involvement in the
Kumon program. This is a great time for you to discuss the
benefits of long-term study and plant the seed of continued
participation after the summer months.
2) Goal vs. Actual Meetings (Short-Term Students): At close to the
end of the student’s tenure in the Kumon program, utilize the
Goal vs. Actual Graph found on CMS2. With this tool, you can
demonstrate the successes the student has experienced over the
summer and the growth they can accomplish through:
a) Continued study
b) Reaching grade level and beyond.
Having the student re-take the Placement Test is a wonderful way
to tangibly show the growth they have achieved over such a
short timeframe.
3) Center Newsletters: Your Center newsletter is a well-read
communications vehicle that you can utilize proactively to
promote the benefits of continued study over the summer months
and the benefits associated with returning to or continuing the
Kumon program during the school year.
4) Summer Planning Calendars: Your Summer Planning calendar,
which you should have received with your monthly shipment,
is a wonderful tracking and communications tool. Utilizing the
calendar allows you to record and track when and for how long
your students are on vacation and, most importantly, when they
return. This information allows you to proactively prepare to
communicate with your families about returning to or continuing
The Bridge • July 2007
How to Avoid a Late Fee
For U.S. Instructors: Your monthly Report B must be complete,
accurate and on time in order to avoid the $200 late fee.
You will be charged the $200 Late Report Fee if you fail to
submit a complete and accurate report by 11:59 p.m. local time
where your Center is located for any of the following: Instructor
B Reports, Student Application Forms, Placement Tests, and
Achievement Tests (Chapter 5, Section III of the Operations
Manual). You must accurately report level attainment and
worksheets used for every current student, including full
exempt students (Instructor’s own children).
with the Kumon program. Some communications vehicles you
can utilize are as follows.
• Send a post card to your families wishing them a wonderful
vacation - This will help keep you top-of-mind for families who
have taken a break over the summer months.
• Telephone calls or e-mails welcoming families back from
vacation and asking to set-up an appointment - This helps
bring the family back to your Center. Now is a good time to use
the goal-setting conferences.
• Thank You Letters (Short-Term Students) - This tool allows
you to thank the student and parents for their time and efforts
in the program and invites them to join you to discuss the
growth and successes of their child. This is a good time to use
the goal-setting conferences.
5) A Great School Year Begins in the Summer/Fall Brochures:
The most important aspect of keeping students over the summer,
having them return after their vacation, or continue after a shortterm commitment, is the open and timely communication of the
benefits they can expect. Utilize the brochure A Great School Year
Begins in the Summer to promote the benefits of continued study
over the summer. For those families who decide to take a break
from Kumon or are only interested in summer study, use the
A Great School Year Begins in the Fall brochure to promote the
benefits of Kumon study during the school year.
In the April edition of The Bridge, we shared the different summer
retention activities utilized by Instructors in Canada and the United
States. I invite you to revisit this information as there were many
wonderful tools and tips you can use in conjunction with the
concepts mentioned above to truly bolster your summer retention.
If you have any questions or need to discuss your summer plans,
please do not hesitate to contact your local branch. They have many
ideas, materials and expertise to help you develop and/or put in
place initiatives that can make a difference. Please contact them for
further advice or assistance.
While we cannot keep parents from proverbially running their
fingernails down the chalk board through discussions of vacation
and summer study, we can now proactively and effectively tackle
this matter. By actively sharing the long-term benefits of the Kumon
program and offering timely information regarding each student’s
growth and success, we can educate parents about the benefits of
continued study and help them take a vacation in the success of their
child and tan under the radiance of their new-found confidence. •••
News from MDD
The Math Team of the Materials Development Department
is pleased to announce that the official version of the Level X
worksheets is ready to be released. Level X is the elective course
which students can solve after completing the Math Program. It
includes the topics of triangles, vectors, matrices, mapping and
transformation, probability and statistics.
You will be receiving a sample box, which will include a copy of
the worksheets, the solution books, and an updated version of
the formula book (among other items). Please be sure to review
carefully the instruction notes and the reporting guidelines of
the new level. For instructional information regarding Level X,
please refer to the article written in the latest issue of Voices.
If you have any questions about the new materials or would like
to discuss lesson planning suggestions for your students, please
contact MDD at mdd@kumon.com.
New Operations Manual (U.S. version) Is On iKumon
We are pleased to announce that the 2007 Kumon Operations
Manual is now available on iKumon. This online version is easy
to navigate and contains features that make it simple to access the
information you’re looking for, including helpful links to forms,
tools, references, and websites. You are also able to print out
printer-friendly versions of individual chapters should you prefer
hardcopies of the document.
The Operations Manual is a very important source of reference for
Kumon franchisees as many sections of the Franchise Agreement
reference the Operations Manual for further explanation of
Kumon’s most current policies and regulations. In fact, Section 9
of the Franchise Agreement indicates that “You must adhere to
all standards, rules, and regulations contained in the Operations
Manual.” Therefore, it should be referred to regularly to ensure
proper Kumon Center operations.
Log on to iKumon and check out the new and enhanced Kumon
Operations Manual. The Canadian version of the OM is in the
final stages of production and should be online shortly.
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Mr. Miyake’s Seminars Encourage Instructors t
During a Professional Development seminar in Houston, Mr. Miyake gave two presentations on the SCT and Learning from Excellent Students.
Recently, I had the great pleasure of attending Mr. Miyake’s
Professional Development seminar in Houston, Texas, from May
10th through 11th. Over the course of these two days, 35 Instructors
(including seven from the Washington, D.C. Branch) and several
Kumon Field Associates learned how to better observe students
and, in turn, to apply lessons learned from excellent students to all
students. Training began with the following words from Mike Shim
of the Instruction Department, “I encourage you to have an open
mind.” After such an evocative sentence, I began to wonder “What
are going to learn here?”
Mr. Miyake began by presenting an updated version of
Individualized Application of the Standard Application of the
Standard Completion Time, first introduced at the Maui Elite Retreat
in 2006. Before arriving at the central focus of his presentation, Mr.
Miyake provided a brief history of the SCT. Did you know that
the SCT was first implemented 15 years after the introduction of
the Kumon Method? Needless to say, I was surprised to hear this!
By observing the traits of successful students in the early years of
Kumon, it was shown that these students displayed strong mental
calculation ability. The SCT was created, therefore, as a standard
to benefit all students. At this point, I realized that Learning from
Excellent Students is not a new concept but rather has been integral
in the development of the Kumon Method for many, many years.
Mr. Miyake further stressed the importance of assessing ability
and the study condition of each child at a given time. The job of
the Instructor is to use SCT as one measure to assess ability and
to maximize each student’s full potential. To this aim, while the
decision to let children repeat or advance based on SCT will be
correct for 90 percent of students, it may not be correct for the
other 10 percent due to personality and intelligence. Therefore, Mr.
Miyake suggests bold instruction for this 10 percent of students
who possess high ability by not applying the SCT. Specific examples
of a student’s ability not being reflected in SCT are: pre-schoolers
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in 3A who have the ability to add quickly but are hampered by
still-developing motor skills, students who mentally recheck their
answers (thus adding to their SCT), and students who are slow
at the beginning of a set but then quickly complete the finishing
worksheets. I’ll particularly remember the following quote from Mr.
Miyake, “Use the standard. Don’t be used by the standard.”
Aided by progress history charts, completed worksheets, student
videos and information pertaining to each student, we looked at the
study history of several students who have benefited from this bold
form of instruction. In this exercise, we took special care to notice
when and how these students expressed their high ability. With
this information, we realized that, oftentimes, we notice a student’s
struggles but not where they succeed, particularly in difficult sets.
Such a hands-on approach and the ability to discuss observations in
a group environment led to a lively learning environment. I learned
so much in listening to the observations of my group members.
Mr. Miyake’s second presentation, Learning from Excellent Students
and Observation of Students, was a great way of unifying the theory
of progressing students with high-ability through bold instruction to
the importance of observing students. First, Mr. Miyake encouraged us
all to put aside our preconceptions (i.e. only exceptional children can
exceed school grade level by two or more years and preschoolers
aren’t capable of reaching equations) and reassured us. For at
first, Chairman Toru Kumon himself didn’t believe it was possible
for preschoolers to complete equations until students proved
otherwise. To achieve our vision individually and collectively, it is
important to “apply what we learn from advanced students, what
we learn from the parents of advanced students, and what we learn
from Instructors of advanced students to the instruction of other
students.” Additionally, imitating the good habits of advanced
students has been shown to be an effective way of helping weaker
students, e.g. limiting the use of carrying and borrowing.
To this end, Mr. Miyake reinforced the importance of observation
The Bridge • July 2007
to Have an Open Mind
By Brian Rottkamp
Student Data Verification
Students cannot be fairly recognized and awarded for their
achievements if valuable information is inaccurate or missing!
The student information you provide each month on your Report
B is used to produce your Instructor Achievement Summaries,
CMF-A, and fulfillment of student achievement. To ensure the
information we have is correct, we need your help to verify dates
of birth and provide any missing information for dates of birth,
school grades and Kumon level attainment on your Report B.
Please use the chart below as a guideline when confirming school
grades and birth dates.
Instructors and Associates discuss a case study during a breakout session.
as a way of “learning from children” and of having improved
instructional ability. He encouraged Instructors to gain experience
by instructing as many students as possible and to gain the
experience of fostering students who rank high on the ASHR. Mr.
Miyake provided six ways to better understand each student.
1) Dialogue with the student: From this we can learn of a student’s
goals, language skills, and personality.
2) Observation from a distance: We can observe a student’s attitude
when doing the worksheets, concentration level, persistence,
and speed.
3) Closely observing students’ worksheets as they solve them: We
can observe a student’s skill at mental calculation, reasoning
ability, attentiveness, error correction ability, carefulness of
writing, and where “does the pencil stop.”
4) Examination of completed worksheets: We can observe a
student’s mental calculation and how intermediate steps
are approached.
5) Examination of the score card: We can observe a student’s
completion time on the first attempt, the effectiveness of
repetition, and orderliness of the student’s Kumon study.
6) Talk to parents: We can learn of a student’s goals, the amount
of reading done at home, favorite books, dreams, and
favorite activities.
In closing, Mr. Miyake quoted Chairman Toru Kumon in saying,
“With the Kumon Method, Instructors improve their instructional
skills by learning from their students.” I feel quite blessed to have
been able to experience this amazing opportunity and to gain
concrete information on how we can continue to learn from our
students. Additionally, I would like to recognize in a special way the
Washington, D.C. Instructors I previously mentioned: Joanne Chun,
Lily Chen, Olivia Cho, Chris Ham, Gonette Caparros, Youngmi Lee,
and Kimiko Kotani. I consider myself honored to have shared this
learning experience with all of you! •••
Thank you in advance for ensuring our system has the most up-todate information for your students.
Year of Birth
School Grade*
Approximate Age**
1989 & older
13
18 – older
1990
12
16 – 18 years old
1991
11
15 – 16 years old
1992
10
14 – 15 years old
1993
9
13 –14 years old
1994
8
12 – 13 years old
1995
7
11 – 12 years old
1996
6
10 – 11 years old
1997
5
9 – 10 years old
1998
4
8 – 9 years old
1999
3
7 – 8 years old
2000
2
6 – 7 years old
2001
1
5 – 6 years old
2002
K
4 – 5 years old
2003
PK 1
3 – 4 years old
2004
PK 2
2 – 3 years old
2005 & younger
PK 3
1 – 2 years old
* For students enrolling in your Center during the summer
months when school is not in session (June - August), please use
the grade that the student just completed (2006–2007 school year).
The school grade will advance automatically when the 2007-2008
school year begins.
** The approximate age may vary based on school district or
student grade advancement.
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Mrs. Kishibe Imparts Her Wisdom to Kumon Mexico Instructors
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Once we confirmed her visit, we organized two seminars with her.
The first one was held in Monterrey City on Friday, May 18, and
the second one was held in Mexico City on Saturday, May 19. We
had a total attendance of 150 out of 216 Instructors in Mexico, a
turnout that was greatly appreciated by Kumon Associates. There
is no doubt that having such a prestigious presenter as Mrs. Kishibe
promoted such good participation.
Mastering
Power
School Grade
Enjoy
Challenges
Correction Skills
Just Right Level
Discipline
Solid Foundations
Good Work Habits
+ Concentration
Mrs. Kishibe presented “Learning Never Stops,” a presentation
that she had given last March in Toronto. This was a wonderful
opportunity for our Instructors to benefit from Mrs. Kishibe’s
insights regarding her Center and the philosophy she applies to
running it. Her visit also gave Mexican Instructors the chance to
interact with this knowledgeable Instructor.
Once the presentation was over, there was a round of Q and A,
which many Instructors wished were longer. However, the extensive
and deep responses given by Mrs. Kishibe provided precious
information to our Instructors. One of the most frequent comments
among our Instructors was their interest regarding the topic of
student self-assessment, which Mrs. Kishibe utilizes at her Centers.
Will
Desire
Auto
Feedback
Enjoy
Challenges
rkshee
This time we decided to invite Mrs. Kishibe,
who was delighted to share with us what she has learned during
her more than 25 years as a Kumon Instructor. From her initial
response to the invitation to visit Mexico, it was very pleasant to see
how interested Mrs. Kishibe was in visiting here, regardless of the
fact that this would mean flying five hours to a country that was
practically unknown to her.
conviction and joy that Mrs. Kishibe has for the Kumon Method was
imparted to our Instructors during her presentations. Mrs. Kishibe’s
high stamina and desire to share her knowledge unselfishly were
very special factors that impacted the Mexican Instructors and staff.
In addition to the special seminars, Mrs. Kishibe visited Kumon
Mexico’s office the following Monday, May 21. During her stay,
Associates had the chance to listen to Mrs. Kishibe’s personal
interpretation of what is Kumon, based on her cumulative
experience through 27 years as a Kumon Instructor (see chart below).
In very minute detail, she shared with us the relation between
Mastering Power and the Will of Desire, which are required to
achieve success in Kumon.
7A Wo
Mrs. Yuriko Kishibe
gave a well-attended
seminar in Mexico
entitled “Learning
Never Stops.”
From May 18th to the 21st, we were honored
to have Mrs. Yuriko Kishibe (Gold status
Kumon Instructor from Toronto, Canada) give
a presentation in Mexico. In Mexico, we try to
organize special seminars for our Instructors
every six months or so. One of the reasons
why these events are special is that we usually
have an extraordinary guest who shares
with our Instructors topics related to their
experience in Kumon.
By Boris Ferrer
Math Right Level
Good Work Habits
Enjoy Big Challenges
Concentration
Small Challenges
Mastery
Self-Confidence
In addition to that, we were very fortunate to have a very detailed
explanation of every single level from Math Level 7A all the way up
to Level J. Mrs. Kishibe indicated to us which sets, based on her own
experience, are very important, as well as some sets where we have
to be very careful while individualizing every child’s instruction.
More than 150 Instructors and Associates attended Mrs. Kishibe’s
presentation in Mexico City and Monterrey City, Mexico.
For many Instructors, it was very shocking to see how much she can
develop a student’s ability for self assessment regardless of his or her age.
After the presentation in Mexico City, Mrs. Kishibe commented to
me during lunch, “I am very glad that I came because these Mexican
Instructors remind me of myself 10 or 15 years ago.” The knowledge,
5
This was a very special, enriching experience for all the Associates.
The fact that a person with so much knowledge shared very specific
instruction matters is of great value for all of us in Kumon Mexico.
Needless to say, the presence of Mrs. Kishibe had a huge positive
impact for Kumon Mexico. I appreciate all Mrs. Kishibe’s efforts
to make these presentations possible. Also I want to thank Mike
Shim, Gordon Chiu and Joy Purkayastha, without whom this project
would have never been possible. •••
The Bridge • July 2007
Elite Retreat in Jamaica was “Irie”
By Adam Shapiro
Crystalline seas, cascading waterfalls, verdant jungles, and reggae
rhythms provided an exotic backdrop for a weekend of celebration,
relaxation, and learning for close to 300 Instructors and guests who
attended this year’s Elite Retreat in Montego Bay, Jamaica – the largest number of participants ever for an Elite Retreat.
The Gold, Silver, and Bronze Level Instructors were captivated by
the exciting natural wonders and cultural adventures, and they took
great pleasure in the Jamaican cuisine and entertainment. They also
joined a learning session featuring President Kazu Shibata’s aspirations for North American students and Instructors and the inspirational story of personal determination and professional accomplishments of Houston Instructor Diep Le.
These leading Instructors no doubt returned
to their Centers energized and eager to continue pursuing their own potential and that
of their students.
Next year’s Elite Retreat is sure to be as festive and momentous. Instructor success is
born from student success, and we hope
even more Instructors will be eligible to join
us for our 2008 event.•••
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Ellen Bedrosian
201-928-0444 ext. 368
ebedrosian@kumon.com
PUBLISHER
Kazu Shibata
MANAGING EDITOR
Adam Shapiro
CONTRIBUTORS
Karolyn Alston
Boris Ferrer
Ellen Hsieh
Brian Rottkamp
Adam Shapiro
Mary Thurmond
Jason Wang
Daniel Wooster
DESIGNER
Seon-Bin Kim
Published monthly by
Kumon North America
300 Frank W. Burr Blvd.,
Teaneck, NJ 07666