I had the Los Gatos Kumon Center for 15 years and had about 240 students at my peak. Many of them stayed with me for 8-10 years (from 4 through high school). I thought the calculation skills in the math program were excellent and my students all scored at the highest in this area. However, I felt we were not addressing other very important needs, so I worked with other educators (including Kumon instructors who had moved on) to develop the current progam I have.
In Pinecone Math, we spend as much time on word problems and reasoning skills as we do on straight calculations. This is a critical piece missing from Kumon and one the kids are not learning very well in school. It will become increasingly important as our global economy emerges.
Pinecone Reading includes reading comprehension, vocabulary development, Test Taking skills and -- my favorite -- English Grammar! Every aspect of English grammar is included in the program and this helps the kids put sentences together accurately to form the basis of good writing.
The programs consist of over 700 booklets that are sequential, step-by-step so each student can be at just the right level and move at his or her own speed. I monitor each student carefully and work one-on-one when necessary, although we try to develop independence too.
Contact:
Vivian Hobbs, Director
Pinecone Active Learning
www.pineconelearning.com
vivian@pineconelearning.com
408 270-4548
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