The greatest gift you can give your child is confidence.
Nothing gives a child more confidence in school than a solid command of the basics ? the fundamental building blocks of math and reading.
Oxford area parents, if you want to give your children more confidence, help has arrived and its name is Kumon.
Located at 834 S. Lapeer Road (Suite B), Kumon is an after-school enrichement program designed to help children master the basics and study math and reading above their school grade, from preschool all the way up to college.
Under the Kumon method, children sharpen their academic skills by practicing them until they become second nature ? just as they do in sports or the arts.
They learn to assume responsibility for their own progress and what’s more, children discover ? from the day they begin Kumon ? that they’re capable of more than they ever thought possible.
Most enrolled students come to their Kumon Center twice a week for at least 30 minutes. The Kumon Center in Oxford is open from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays.
Each student is given a folder containing assignment sheets in either math or reading or both, depending on which subject program your child is enrolled in. (Kumon tuition is $90 per month per subject).
If they need help with an assignment, students are asked to first reread the question, then if they are still stuck, ask the Kumon instructor for a hint.
When they finish their assignment sheets, they’re graded on the spot by the Kumon instructor and if there are any errors, the student must correct them.
Also, contained in the student folders are five days worth of assignments that must be completed at home.
Kumon take-home assignments usually take students about 15-20 minutes per day for one subject and about 30-40 minutes for two subjects.
Kumon parents generally find their children end up with more time to pursue other interests because they’ve developed far more efficient study habits, along with the skills to do both Kumon assignments and schoolwork quickly and accurately without wasting time.
Kumon instructors regard themselves more as mentors or coaches than teachers in the traditional sense. Their principal role is to provide direction, support and encouragement that will guide the student towards performing at 100 percent of his or her potential.
The Kumon instructor at the Oxford center is Asha Desai (pictured right). She was born in India, but has been a resident of Rochester Hills for the last 13 years.
Desai holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Bombay, India and Bachelor of Business Administration from Baker College in Flint. She has been a substitute teacher in the Rochester community school district for the last 5 years.
The parent of a successful Kumon student herself, Desai was so impressed with the program she underwent training as an instructor and opened a center in Oxford.
For more information about the Kumon Center in Oxford call (248) 969-7500.