Kumon Sisters

Posted By SLK on Friday, July 09, 2010   { 2 Comment(s) }

For all of you who are not familiar with Kumon, it is a Maths and reading program that has worked brilliantly with Kit Kat (so far). Kat started when she was four and as Kit tends to do everything that Kat does and having the second child syndrome makes it easier to some extent, she started at 3 years. Kumon is based on repetition and may or may not work for some kids but I like to think that it works for my girls. When Kat was younger, she took to it like duck to water but then came the nasty long divisions over and over again and then the fractions and she seemed to be stuck in certain levels forever! All said and done, Kat is over some difficult blocks but the most challenging job for all of us is to complete a sheet (and 2 for Kit as she does Reading too) every single day.

While Kit is always excited to do her Kumon (as hers is so colourful with pictures and large sized numbers – she’s only in Junior Kumon) and although Kat got a Kumon Golden Mathlete Star recently, she always has to be inspired to do hers (I don’t blame her!) The one inspiration that always works is if I get them both to do it together – from a work and seriousness scenario, this is not an ideal situation but is a win-win for everyone so I let them carry on…and this is how the sisters get on with it!



The minute I announce that Kit Kat will do Kumon together, I seem to initiate a race for who will grab Kumon folder first. So far so good I think. Then come the manipulations…

Kat, who mostly has some errors from last evening’s worksheet (which needs to be corrected before today’s sheet and fearing that Kit will win the race if she starts work first): “Honey, can I correct my work while you wait?” And she gives Kit a hug and a kiss. Oh my God! Such drama…BOTH my girls!

Kit smiles back “Sure. I’ll wait” and she waits with such admirable patience that I am amazed. Not so much as drawing a line on the paper. Sitting staring at her work waiting for Kat to edit her mistakes. Commendable!

Once Kat finishes her mistakes, they are back on the race. Kat likes to hum while doing her Kumon and Kit gets irritated.

Kit: “Mummy, can she stop singing? I can’t concentrating” (That’s a new word for her)

Kat finds this funny and starts laughing and I remind her that as the work is being timed and if she gets more than 3 mistakes because of lack of her concentration, we all will be laughing at her and she sobers up!

Kit continues in her high pitched voice and Kat is easily distracted as Kit has this habit of questioning everything with a “Why?” I remind her that this is not story time but Kumon. Every now and then I get “I’m tired…” then followed by “Can I do four sheets today?”
I nod to everything to keep things moving and its working so far.

On the other hand, I think all Kat is doing is looking over at Kit’s work making sure she is not leading her in any way.

When I see this, I question her age over and over again!! She finds this funny and she is in one of her moods and tells us to look at her burp out the ABCs and she actually does it!

Kit’s reaction is “It’s disgusting!” and she screws up her nose in a really interesting way.

I second her opinion and we both tell Kat to continue her work.
Kit tells me “She’s not listening to you, is she?”(Why does she have to say it so loudly?)

As was obvious from the level of concentration today, Kit finishes her sheets before Kat and just then Papa calls. Kit starts her long story of Kat’s complaints as usual…while Kat continues and completes her work between stares of disbelief at both me and Kit.

Kumon session is FINALLY over!

Tags: kumon, learning new words, silly talk with kids