Krishnan Venkatraman knows what it's like to have a child get left behind in the school system — he has experienced it with his own son.

Instead of wondering what to do, Venkatraman decided to take matters into his own hands. On Jan. 19, he opened a Kumon Centre in Sudbury where kids can prosper academically.

His story is quite similar to the story of Kumon itself; nearly 60 years ago, Japanese teacher and parent Toru Kumon noticed his own son struggling with mathematics. Looking for a way to “address the knowledge gap,” he began having his son complete assignments that built on his skills in a slow and gradual way.

 

“It was a beautiful system,” Venkatraman said.

It's a system that has also proven to be successful —around the world, millions of students have studied in the program. In North America alone, there are some 2,000 institutions.

Venkatraman said what makes the program so successful is the way it addresses learning.

“It's not a tutoring system,” he said. “It's about unlocking the potential of every child.”

Instead of simply teaching kids about reading and math, the program was designed to “build motivation in children to learn themselves.”

“(It inspires) a love of learning for life,” Venkatraman said. Building on a rock-solid foundation, the lead instructor said students “move in small steps forward.”

Venkatraman said the program is highly individualized, so no matter where a student is at, they can grow from taking part in it. All children aged three to 18 are welcome to be part of it, provided they are capable of functioning in a traditional classroom setting.

“Discovering what your child is truly capable of is a rewarding experience,” Venkatraman said.

Although the program does focus on literacy and numeracy, Venkatraman said most students experience greater success in other areas of study by strengthening their knowledge in these areas.

For more information about the Sudbury's on Kumon Centre, phone 705-805-0338 or stop by the centre at 770 Lasalle Blvd.

Posted by Arron Pickard