You don't normally expect an 11-year-old to write a poem so beautiful.

But when we begin developing our children's love of reading early on, amazing things can happen.
There is much we can do as parents to help our kids be the best they can be.
I hope you will enjoy this poem and be inspired:

I am Green

by Kendall Landis (written at age 11)

Exciting as the first summer day

I am leaves rustling on a sunny afternoon

I am a bee’s wings,

Buzzing into its hive

I am a frog,

Bouncing over the plush undergrowth

I am gritty, grimy, gross,

Green

I am a sour green apple,

Hanging,

Waiting to be picked

I am the small, sharp prick of a thorn

I am Green

I am the vibrant, green grass

I am excitement,

Jumping up & down with the feeling of joy

I am shyness,

The young child hiding behind Daddy’s leg

I am bravery,

Standing strong when havoc is wrought

I am hatred,

The feeling of madness when hurt or ignored

The essence that brings all life together,

I am Green

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Thank you Kendall for sharing this vivid poem with me.  Just in time for Saint Patrick's day!
And thank you Joshua and Manar (Kendall's parents) for allowing us to publish it to the world.  It has been such a pleasure to serve you all these years and see your children grow and develop their skills and their confidence.

Let's see how far they can go!

Sincerely,

Mauricio Maruri

Are Kindness and Confidence related?

I think Children who have gained confidence in their abilities through consistent work and discipline tend to be kinder to others. Toru Kumon said it best, 26 years ago: 

Toru Kumon, founder of the Kumon Method

“From my experience of continuously observing children, those up to third grade are quite egotistical. However, once they learn beyond their school grade level, and advance two and three years ahead, they do not remain egotistical anymore but become kinder to others. Of course I cannot say it is true one hundred percent of the time, but I can say more than fifty percent of such children do become kinder to others. Why does this happen? I believe it is because they gain self-confidence and extra capacity. Once children develop self-confidence and extra capacity, they become capable of succeeding at something on their own. For those who do not have the ability to achieve something on their own, I believe it will be more difficult for them to be kind to others.” 

Let's continue working with our children daily on their basic skills. Personally, it's a joy to know from experience that the benefits are not just better grades and academic success, but also children who are kinder to one another.

With "kind" :-) regards,


Mauricio Maruri

Kumon of Norman
http://www.kumon.com/how-kumon-works

The NEW Kumon Book Club

Reading is the Foundation to All Learning.

We all know this.  But, for many of us, it is difficult to consistently help our own kids develop a love of Reading.  There are so many distractions, so many things, other than reading, that compete for our kids time and attention.  

This is why I've decided to start a Book Club.  


One thing we know for sure is that children are more interested and motivated to do something if WE are interested and motivated.   Time and time again we've seen how reluctant readers become enthusiastic readers if we treat the problem as a "labor of love", not a chore.  The more we are interested in the stories they read, instead of how many minutes they read, the more they will read.   And it takes time.

But we could all use a Road Map, a little bit of encouragement, direction, support and even some excitement.   The NEW Kumon Book Club is meant to provide all of these.  And it is also meant to provide Accountability. Keeping each other accountable will help us stay on track.

Our Book Club will revolve around our Recommended Reading List (but it won't be limited by it).   It contains over 300 books, many of them award-winning and classic children's books.  We want as many children as possible to sign up for it and benefit from it.  

Starting this Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 15th & 16th (YES, we will be open on Monday), we will launch the Book Club in the Waiting Room with popcorn, activities, and information for parents and students on how to sign up and how it will work.

Children and Parents will be asked to keep track of the books they read and we will acknowledge and recognize those who go above and beyond the minimum requirements.  And every month, we will feature three books just to keep the conversation going.

All in all, the more we can make our Book Club interesting and exciting, the more we will be able to get our children excited about books and reading.  And, in time, they will develop the love of reading that we hope will last a lifetime.

See you this week at Kumon!

Mauricio

How does one Measure Potential?

"All Children have the Potential and the ability to learn beyond expectations."

Here, in Norman, I can say I believe this with all my heart, not from some philosophical perspective, but because I notice it every day in my students.   And it is also true that "pursuing our potential for learning improves our overall capacity as human beings."   I see this as I watch my students grow academically and develop a noticeable confidence in what they can do and who they are.  And this confidence affects all areas of their lives in a very positive and palpable manner.

One of the ways we actually measure how much our students are achieving is by having an Academic Honor Roll and setting as a goal that it should be achieved by as many students as possible.

Kumon students who achieve the Academic Honor Roll embody the essence and final goal of the Kumon Program:  to be confident students with strong academic skills performing at a high level in their schools.  They are well prepared for Advanced High School work and for Advanced Placement (AP classes).

So today we celebrate all who have achieved this latest edition of the Kumon Academic Honor Roll.  I am so proud of you!  Your dedication and hard work is paying off now and it will DEFINITELY pay off even more in the future!

And to those current students who have not yet achieved it, lets continue working towards it, setting goals, aiming high and reaching for your potential.  I am proud of every single one of you.

                       Keep up the good work!
                            Your Kumon Instructor,
                                       Mauricio Maruri


*The quotations above were uttered by Toru Kumon many years ago, but they still guide and inspire thousands of Kumon Instructors around the world, including me.

Getting into a Good School

We all want the best for our children: good health, love, happiness, and, of course, good schools.

So when Varsha and Kamal Patel decided to move from Norman, Oklahoma to London, England, they were nervous.  Would their daughter Simren (a Kumon of Norman student) be able to get into a good school in London's very competitive environment?

They decided to apply to the prestigious Herschel Grammar School, one of the most sought-out schools in all of England.  It is ranked in the top 10% of all British schools for children 11-18 years old.  But they knew it would be a huge challenge.  Simren would have to take an entrance exam and there were only 110 open spots for over 1,400 applicants.  Even worse, they found out that she would only have 3 days to prepare before she had to take the exam!

But they went for it.  With a mix of their strong determination and that Oklahoma grit that they had acquired in so many years living in Norman.

Mom and Dad did their best to help Simren review and study in the few days that they had, and to their amazement, SHE GOT IN!   Simren astounded them all with her ability and determination.

Their joy was overwhelming.  In fact, secretly, mom and dad had even discussed not staying in London if Simren was not accepted.

The Acceptance Committee at Herschel had been greatly impressed with Simren's ability, especially her strong foundation in Mathematics.  But that was no surprise for her mom.  Simren had been doing Kumon Math for over five years.  She had developed into a strong and disciplined student.

I cannot tell you how proud I was when both Varsha and Kamal thanked me for helping Simren succeed.  I threw it right back at them.  They were the ones who out of pure love had brought Simren to Kumon religiously for those five years.  They had determined her success.  The credit was all theirs.

So, Simren, I am so proud of you for all that you have accomplished so far.   You are an excellent 6th grader who loves music and science.  Your parents and I can glimpse a beautiful and bright future in front of you because you have developed strong character traits like discipline and determination that no one can take away.

Thank you for letting me be a part of your life.  I cannot wait to hear what the future has in store for you.   Keep us posted here in Norman  :-)

Mauricio Maruri
Kumon of Norman  


P.S.:    So, it is true, that Amazing things happen... when parents tap into their children's true potential.

MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION


During the eight years that I have served our community, I have been a witness to so many stories of success and achievement by our amazing students.  But my wife Wendy pointed out recently (in a scolding tone I should add) that I very rarely share these stories with you.  And she's convinced that people would love to hear them, that we could ALL use some great news these days.

So I made a resolution and I need you to hold me accountable to it, that I will begin sharing (as much as you will let me) about my amazing students and their great stories.

I will share through Facebook (so please remember to "like" our page), but I will also do it via email and blogger.  The series will be called "Amazing things happen... when parents tap into their children's true potential".

My hope is that you will be inspired and that you will feel empowered.  Inspired to imagine how far our children can reach, and empowered to realize that we as parents can make the greatest impact on their future.

So let me begin sharing...

Our first story will be posted on Friday, January 22nd.
Stay tuned :-)