Three-year-old gets off to a flying start with Kumon

With just a year of Kumon study, three-year-old Sofia from Putney, south London, has made fantastic progress on our maths and English programmes. In this short time Sofia’s begun demonstrating great independence and confidence for her young age, much to the delight of her mum, Selina. 

Her Kumon Instructor started out developing Sofia’s hand-eye coordination and pencil skills and she has since learned to recognise and write numbers up to 120, as well as trace and copy basic spelling patterns with a neat hand. 

Other parents of young children may be wondering how Sofia manages with her Kumon workload; Ritsuko, Sofia’s Kumon Instructor, caught up with Selina to find out more:

What were your reasons for starting Sofia at Kumon?
I observed that Sofia was quick with her numbers and letters and had started to recognise words and flash cards at an early age. I was keen to nurture her interest and give her a head start in reading and skills in numbers. Nursery school did not focus on these skills for a young toddler. A recommendation from a friend got me thinking about Kumon.

What is Sofia’s study environment at home?
The family room or kitchen-diner is where my daughter spends most of her time. In there, her reading and activity books, writing materials and educational tools are always accessible.

When completing Kumon worksheets, we move to the dining table, away from the play area where she can sit with her pencil, worksheets and less distractions. 

How do you fit Kumon into your daily routine?
It’s most effective to do the worksheets at the same time every day. Earlier in the morning or afternoon post nap and snack are often most productive and when concentration levels are good for Sofia.

Does Sofia enjoy studying Kumon?
She does, she often asks to do her Kumon worksheets. She enjoys the independence of being able to write out numbers and letters. She is always keen to finish her worksheet. I praise her as much as possible which encourages her to take even greater pride and enjoyment in her learning. 

How independent is Sofia’s study, has this changed since starting Kumon?
When doing Kumon worksheets, there is close supervision particularly when introducing new words, letters, number sequence and counting. However, Sofia is keen to do things on her own and so I sometimes leave her alone but stay nearby in case she needs assistance. 
Since starting Kumon, Sofia independently seeks out other opportunities to study, for example, on the iPad she will often choose the phonics, number or letter tracing exercises.

What other changes have you observed in Sofia?
Her level of concentration has improved significantly, and she has become even more skilled when writing and drawing.

Would you recommend the programme for young children?
Definitely. Every child is different of course but if you detect even a hint of early interest in numbers and letters, I would recommend capturing and nourishing this.  The programmes are very progressive and entirely adaptable to the child’s ability and speed of learning. 

I am very glad I decided to take up the recommendation!

It’s great to hear how well Kumon is fitting into the family’s daily routine and the positive effects this is having on Sofia. Keep up the excellent work!

Throughout April and May various Kumon centres across the country are running a two-week Free Trial for Young Learners. To learn more and find your nearest centre offering the Free Trial, enter your postcode in the search bar above.