The Japanese Kumon methodology, which is used by more than 4 million kids around the world, is gaining momentum in Russia. What is special about these “work” notebooks?
The Kumon method is based on the performance of progressively more complex tasks. At the beginning of each notebook, the child does the simplest tasks, at the end – the most difficult ones. This approach allows you to achieve significant success. Tasks help children to become more attentive, more assiduous, more self-confident, form a love for independent studies. Depending on the title of the notebook, parents will be able to understand what skills they will develop in their children: “Learning to draw”, “Learning to cut”, “Learning to glue”, etc. All these skills contribute to the development of fine motor skills of the hands, and, accordingly, activate speech development, stabilize the psychological state.
Whether it is true or not, the teachers of the preschool department of the Moscow lyceum №1451 decided to check. With the support of the publishing house “Mann, Ivanov and Ferber” they conducted an experiment, during which they studied with children using notebooks.
Several psychological tests were conducted with the kids at the Lyceum. Many were found to have impaired speech development, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination. In total, the experiment involved three groups of children of different ages. The youngest children were 4 years old.
They were asked to study using the Learning to Cut exercise book, which consisted of 40 assignments. Exercises in it develop the child’s fine motor skills and spatial thinking: first, the baby must cut the paper along straight and wavy lines, then in a circle, and at the end of the notebook, cut out complex shapes.
For a month and a half, the little participants in the experiment performed one task each day, as required by the methodology.
– After successfully completing the assignment, as advised on the pages of the notebooks, we praised the child for doing it. When we started the experiment, the children did not know how to hold or work with scissors. Many impulsively and somewhat chaotically performed tasks: the paper breaks, the scissors fall out, the children worry that they are failing, ”says Anna Tretyakova, a teacher-psychologist of the preschool department of Lyceum No. 1451.
In the 7-8th lesson, the kids learned to hold scissors, regulate the pressure and cut out simple shapes. They enjoyed doing it because they were good at cutting.
– I can say as a psychologist: as soon as a positive result appears, self-esteem and self-confidence increase. The child seems to say to himself: “I did it. I can. I want even better, give me a harder job! ” – Supplements the teacher-psychologist. – One girl liked it all so much that she asked her parents to buy such a notebook for home. She came every day to the garden and happily said: “We are now cutting out houses too!”
Many children had very big difficulties at the beginning of the experiment: poor motor skills, lack of attention and motivation. For example, one boy could not hold the scissors, the paper was torn, he was upset and did not want to study. But after several exercises, the situation changed: the child was not only able to hold the scissors and cut, he developed an interest in the lessons, and he became more assiduous.
It is also important that children have a change in their attitude to work. They get used to doing a little every day, taking responsibility for completing the task and acquiring the necessary skills. So by the end of the one and a half month experiment, all children have learned how to hold the scissors and cut correctly.