EDUCATION

Kumon students are helping the community

The Kumon Programme has countless success stories and Linda Vu is one of them. Linda has been enrolled at Kumon since she was nine years old. Now a year 11 student, Linda has finished the Kumon Maths Programme at the Dianella Kumon Education Centre. 

Lindaís long term commitment to Kumon has paid off; she is doing extremely well in high school and hopes to become a doctor in the future. Kumon aims to give every child the opportunity to choose their future by equipping them with the foundations of literacy and numeracy.

Linda is a friendly, outgoing girl, who puts her whole heart into everything that she does. She knew Kumon was successful when she finished her work first in class and could help her friends if they were having problems.

Linda is also involved in the Peer Pal Volunteer Programme for the Cerebral Palsy Association. Along with gaining valuable work experience, Linda is helping the community through her activities. Her advice to other Kumon students is to keep going, because once you get into high school you really see the benefits of Kumon study.

Linda says that her supervisor at the Dianella Kumon Education Centre, Breed Ruttledge, motivated her through encouragement, a friendly smile and constructive comments.

Kumon would like to congratulate Linda on her achievements in the Kumon Programme and wish her all the best in her future endeavours. 

To find your nearest Kumon Centre please call 1800 458 666 or visit www.kumon.com.au

Make reading fun & accelerate learning

Students become actively involved in their own learning during the Make Reading Fun course and can join any time. Make Reading Fun is a ten-week primary level course designed to accelerate learning from Years One to Seven (Senior Class).

Memory games covering many types of memory are catered for including:

ï Short term
ï Long term
ï Sequential
ï Rote
ï Recall
ï Recognition

To aid spelling, reading, writing and comprehension, students are trained to become reflective rather than impulsive and careless thus improving their mental processing skills.

Written summaries cover the study of:

ï Editing
ï Punctuation
ï Grammar
ï Tenses

When learning to read, no single method suits all children so a multi-sensory combined approach is offered allowing students to overcome learning difficulties and discover their hidden potential.

Venues:
Morley Sport and Recreation Centre
Wed 3.45 ñ 4.45pm
Sat 9.00 ñ 10.00am
Sat 10.00 ñ 11.00am
Wembley Community Centre
Thurs 3.45 ñ 4.45pm

Contact Maggie Box 0438 946 621

Bright students failing

Julia Gilmore (M.Ed.,B.Ed.,Dip.Tch)

Underachievement in reading, writing, spelling and maths is a very real problem for many primary and high school students.  Parents are aware that their childís performance is below their potential but feel unsure about how they can help.

Some underachievers remain within the ësatisfactoryí range of each subject area and cruise through school, when they could be working two or more years ahead of their chronological age level.  Others are up to two years behind the required levels and struggling to keep up.

There are many reasons why a child is underachieving, including specific learning difficulties (sometimes known as dyslexia), developmental delays, concentration and attention deficits, immaturity, moving schools, boredom and gaps in teaching and learning experiences.

Students may face difficulties at different times in their education. Years One and Two are pivotal years for the onset of early written language and maths skills.  Year Three and Four and Seven to Nine students often find that maths difficulty levels are rising sharply and may need some support.  Year Seven to Ten students often need procedures for essay writing.

Strong, positive self-esteem is vital for achieving full potential at school, yet children often experience failure on a regular basis, which can erode delicate self-esteem. If a child is not achieving full potential at school, it is important that he/she is properly assessed.

At A1 Learning, each studentís learning style is recognised and individual programmes are provided.  Positive results are seen immediately. For specialist advice and proven results call Julia on 9402 5080. Website: a1learning.q-net.net.au

What children need
by Victoria Carlton, Director International Centre For Excellence

Penny, John and Sasha are working on some new ways of studying Year 12 Biology. Their tutor is showing them how to mind map and use graphic organisers. Close by, Brian and Matt are working on science experiments with their tutor. They are in our ëBudding Scientistsí group and are blissfully unaware of all the spelling, writing and maths they are doing to complete their book about crystals.

Ben is so proud as he has just read his first novel and is painting a series of pictures based on the main points of the story. As he chats to his teacher and tells him the main events he is unaware he is working to improve comprehension. Ben will be a famous artist one day. He is nine years and his art is all over the walls. Most parents think his paintings are done by a professional artist.

This is just a normal, everyday scenario in our centres. Children do not come in neat packages with instructions how to teach them. We must find the learning key for each child, and gently lead it down the path to success. Generally speaking, we need to change the learning methods and environments- not the child! Please call us at ICE, 9478 3323 or 0409 911135 if you would like us to help your child reach their full learning potential.

Kinway Parents Korner
What happens if we really listen to children ñ instead of explaining, lecturing and questioning?

While itís important for parents provide guidance to children, making the,time and space to listen to them allows us to discover all the interesting,layers of their experience, to really know our children as people.  It allows us.to share their feelings and thoughts, their curiosity and delight,.igniting our own, which may have been dampened over time.

Listening to children also plays an essential role in the development of their.self-understanding and ability to respond to what is happening around them. .Acknowledging and validating a childís experience and opinions helps them .develop their own ìbarometer of the worldî ñ a way for them to measure whatís.happening around them and how they feel about it.

Simply noticing ìout aloudî what your child has said or done, without adding any judgements or other comments, helps your child to stay with their own experience instead of giving it up in favour of someone elseís ideas. If a child is behaving in a grumpy way, for example, saying, ìyou seem angry about thatî allows the child to feel accepted in spite of their anger. Once that anger has been acknowledged, ask the child to tell you more about what is happening. Most will then be more open to look at helpful solutions.

If a childís barometer reads ìangryî and they think anger is not allowed, they are more likely to behave in a reactive or even angrier way, or push their angry feelings underground.

When we respond to our childrenís anger in this way ñ and to their unhappiness, their wonder, their laughter and all of the myriad human experiences ñ our children will learn to understand themselves and the world with clarity and wisdom. Then we will have the opportunity to know our children in their richness and fullness.

New maths programmes launched
By Victoria Carlton, International Centre for Excellence

International Centre for Excellence (ICE) is proud and happy to announce the launch of a new maths programme to be run in all its centres. HOME (Hands on Maths Education) is a new, exciting approach to maths. Children are taught using equipment and games and quickly improve all mental, written and problem solving maths.

The programme relates to ìreal-lifeî maths and is relevant and interesting for students of all ages. The older children learn about topics such as mathematics involved in flying Jumbo Jets and solving crimes! Younger children are often on the floor with coloured rods to ìdiscoverî processes such as division, and busy playing geometrical puzzles to learn about angles and shapes.

The aim is to stimulate and enthuse the children and help them to see that mathematics is everywhere, not just an isolated part of their school day.

ICE works on the WA Maths outcomes and enriches the childrenís understanding by incorporating the world famous Singaporean Maths syllabus. This syllabus is presented in a very visual ìhands onî manner with many opportunities for real problem solving and analytical thinking.

Call ICE on 9478 3323 or 0409 911135 if you would like more details about Maths or Language programs.

Teach them to communicate earlier by signing

Babies and toddlers may experience great frustration when their baby talk is not understood. As babies develop, the fine muscles in their hands are better equipped to communicate before their speech muscles.

Babies often communicate naturally by pointing and reaching up before they can speak the words that match these gestures eg, (ìlookî and ìupî). Therefore, by providing you baby with a variety of signs to use, they can better tell you they want some ìmilkî or need to ìeatî before they can speak.

Samantha Bachofen, speech pathologist, and founder of Simple Signs, has been teaching simple key-word sign language such as ìmilkî and ìmoreî (from Australian Sign Language) to typically-developing, hearing babies and toddlers to help them communicate before they have mastered their speaking skills.

Among the many benefits, teaching babies to use key-word signs can;

ï Increase their vocabulary
ï Significantly reduce a little childís frustrations due to more successful communication
ï Help the parent/caregiver differentiate between a childís early words.

For details about Simple Signs and classes call Samantha on 0414 521 244.

Care and education at South Bank Montessori

It is becoming common in todayís society for both parents to work and children to attend childcare. Choosing the right centre is important. You want your child to be happy and well cared for, as a well as developing socially and academically.

Montessori education is a method of educating children in a non-competitive environment. The philosophy of Montessori education is ìhelp me do it myself.î This allows the child to develop into an independent and confident child.

South Bank Montessori, located in Victoria Park, opened in January 2005. It has combined Montessori education with the convenience and affordability of a childcare centre. The centre is open from 7am to 6pm and the full childcare rebate is available. South Bank Montessori is currently expanding and if you would like to visit the centre to discuss your childís needs, call Rachel Walker on 9361 2943.