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Nowadays, parents who pay great attention to the development of their children have access to an incredible number of different methods. In this “pedagogical sea”, the works of Japanese specialists stand somewhat apart and at the same time attract great interest.

Love is the basis of everything

The first postulate of Makoto Shichida may surprise you: the professor is confident that the basis for the successful development of any child always lies in a huge role. The scientist notes: children very often believe that they are not loved enough, while parents are sure of the opposite. And this lack of love, felt by children and not noticed by parents, has the most detrimental effect on the development and upbringing of children of all ages. To prevent this from happening, the professor suggests using the following methods:

Frequent and strong hugs

Even minor successes of a baby or an older child, any of his help to you (even inept) or even just a willingness to respond to a request must be rewarded. And the best reward is a hug. They not only help demonstrate to children the depth of parental feelings, but also perfectly motivate them for future “exploits.” Hug your children as often as possible, whisper words of gratitude and love into their ears. Just be sure to do it sincerely, and not because the technique “tells” you to. Hugs should not be formal, “for show,” because children feel this very subtly.

Attentive and sensitive attitude

Never listen to your child with half an ear, do not give endless instructions and refuse constant (or very frequent) criticism, because this is precisely the main reason for the alienation that often arises between parents and children. We often forget about delicacy when communicating with our children. But they deserve sensitive and respectful treatment no less than other people. Therefore, be sure to also call for help with a sense of tact and good upbringing. But there should be as little declarativeness and undisguised edification in our communication with children as possible. Instead of declaring: “Do as I say!”, gently and kindly suggest: “Let’s think and decide together.”

The right attitude

The professor is convinced that during the first five minutes from the moment of falling asleep, a person’s subconscious does not sleep. These precious moments can and should be used to influence children. Positive attitudes received at this time can work wonders. Parents can “dictate” literally anything to their children: a good appetite or deep sleep, self-confidence or a friendly attitude. But the most important thing is that in these moments the children’s subconscious will hear and remember the words of love, which, among other things, must be heard during the “tuning”. Interestingly, even listening to recordings of parental “attitudes” has the most beneficial effect on children. Therefore, even if parents often leave and do not have the opportunity to give “instructions” every night, they can simply write them down and ask the grandmother or nanny to turn on the recording. Keep in mind that you need to speak quietly (you can even whisper) and kindly, and not broadcast to the whole apartment. Makoto Shichida calls this method “five-minute suggestion” and advises using it regularly.

How to organize classes

What advice does Makoto Shichida give on organizing classes:

The lesson should last no longer than one hour
Changes in activity occur at least once every five minutes.
The scheme of organizing classes for children of all ages is the same. The difference is in the level of difficulty of the tasks.
Older children three years They should also do a special exercise that activates the “dormant” right hemisphere.

Mandalas - benefits from Shichida's technique that develop photographic memory

Lesson scheme

How are classes going?

1. Introductory part

Singing or listening (for very young students) to songs; for this purpose, life-affirming works are selected.
Breathing exercises. They are quite simple. For example, you need to sit on chairs or on the floor, relax, take deep breaths and exhale several times. Inhaling, arms should be spread to the sides, and exhaling, clasp the body. Parents should help children perform breathing exercises.
Meditation. Behind this word that may alert opposing parents oriental practices, rather, something similar to auto-training from the film “The Most Charming and Attractive”, beloved by our viewers, is hidden. Only configure small child parents should. In a calm and gentle tone, it is necessary to say a few encouraging parting words: “you are very capable,” “we love you,” “you can do anything,” “you can do anything,” etc. Older children can easily “configure” themselves.

After this stage, children under three years old can move on to basic exercises, while older children need to “switch to images.” Makoto Shichida offers several ways for this, including games to develop imagination and visualization. A child can imagine himself as a moth or fish, grasshopper or bird.

2. Main part

The main part of the lesson includes several blocks:

1 block - training of supernatural abilities

This is perhaps the most controversial component of Shichida’s method for many parents; it contradicts our traditional views on life. Professor Shichida is confident that all people have supernatural (extrasensory) perception and that it needs to be developed, since such skills incredibly expand human capabilities. Indeed, in his arsenal, for example, telepathy, clairvoyance, psychometry and foresight appear. The scientist is convinced that for young children completing this block of tasks is not difficult, but in older children this “dormant” skill can be “awakened.”

Block 2 - memory training

This block of tasks actively uses so-called memo-techniques to facilitate memorization. Here's an example of what an exercise might look like:

The child is shown cards with different images, for example, a fish and a house.
At the same time, they pronounce a text that helps to remember what is shown in the pictures, for example, “a fish lives in a house.”
After this, the cards are placed face down and the child is asked to remember what is drawn on them.

Gradually the number of cards must be increased. When a child can name 15 cards he saw (!) for the first time in the required sequence, his memory will be trained so much that no auxiliary texts will be needed. After all, he will be able to remember any images without verbal reinforcement.

Shichida developed many similar exercises that develop, among other things, photographic memory, which can make life much easier for, perhaps, each of us. Therefore, this block is very popular and arouses great interest among parents from different countries.

Block 3 - development of musical and mathematical abilities, etc.

This block also uses exercises to help you better assimilate and remember new information. The professor calls for relying not on one way of obtaining information, but on several at the same time. For example, children learn songs based on visual images, and listen to music by looking at cards with notes.

If children cannot cope with some tasks, parents must complete them in front of the children, making sure to explain each of their actions.

Tasks for board game tangrams that develop abstract thinking

Many of the parents who decided to try working with their children using the Shichida method say that they do not use everything. Most often they refuse the “extrasensory” block. But exercises for developing memory, musical and mathematical abilities, and mastering speed reading skills are of great interest to our compatriots. At the same time, experimental parents note that the exclusion of some questionable tasks does not affect the child’s achievements in other areas. Therefore, those who would like to try Shichida’s technique, but who are confused by the “supernatural” block, can be advised to take on board not all tasks, but only those that seem most suitable and acceptable to you.

The Japanese attitude towards education differs from what Russians are accustomed to just as much as the Japanese and Russian mentalities differ. At all stages of education, starting from the preschool period, education is considered as one of the priorities that will ensure a decent standard of living in the future. When going to study in Japan, our compatriot must be ready to accept the unusual rules of existence and try not to make a mistake in choosing an educational institution.

Features and structure of the Japanese educational system

Tradition and modernity, closely intertwined throughout the entire way of life of the Japanese, are reflected in the structure of the state’s education system. The formation of the Japanese educational system followed the model of the American and Western European ones, but with the preservation of traditional national values.

The educational system in Japan consists of several stages

Preschool education

Children begin to acquire knowledge and adapt to society, as a rule, from the age of 3 - it is at this age that the child comes to kindergarten, which is the first stage of the educational system in Japan. If there are sufficiently compelling reasons, you can enroll your child in kindergarten from the age of three months; one of the reasons may be that both parents work more than 4 hours a day. Preschool education in the Land of the Rising Sun has significant differences from most Western programs and methods. The Japanese were among the first to talk about the importance of early development. Masaru Ibuka, the famous director of the Talent Training organization and the creator of the Sony company, argued in his book “After Three It’s Too Late” more than 50 years ago that the foundations of personality are laid in the first three years of life. From the first days of stay in preschool institution the child joins a collective pastime, in which manifestations of individualism are not welcomed. One of the main tasks of education is to teach a child to feel like a member of a group, to show attention to other participants, to be able to listen to others and answer their questions, i.e. to learn to experience empathy. Learning to count and write is not a primary goal: it is generally accepted that it is much more important to develop in a child such qualities as diligence in achieving goals, independence in decision-making, and curiosity about the world around him. Kindergartens in Japan are both public and private.

The school stage is very important for Japanese children

Secondary education level

The beginning of April in Japan is marked by cherry blossoms and the start of the school year in schools, where children start from the age of 6. Secondary education in Japan, as in most countries around the world, is divided into three levels: primary school for 6 years, middle - 3 years and senior (also 3 years). The academic year consists of three trimesters:

the first lasts from April 6 to July 20,
the second begins on September 1 and ends on December 26,
the third - from January 7 to March 25.

Free education is provided only in primary and secondary schools; high schools are paid. Since high school, must be included in the training program English language And special items, if the institution has any professional orientation or is tied to a specific university. IN high school increased emphasis is placed on the study of special subjects. Important fact: Students in grades 7 to 12 take exams five times a year, which in Japanese schools are quite difficult and require large quantity time to prepare. The exam procedure itself can take several hours. The results, as a rule, influence where the student continues his studies - in a prestigious school with a good prospect of entering a university or in a school, after which further studies will be problematic. About 75% of secondary school graduates continue their studies in higher education educational institutions.

Once in Japan, I did not know either katakana or hiragana, but after three months I could already calmly communicate with the Japanese in Japanese. But from school I took away not only excellent knowledge Japanese language and Japanese culture, but also a unique upbringing. The school taught me to set goals and strive to achieve them... and taught me community through the warm care of teachers.

Vladislav Krivorotko

http://yula.jp/ru/channel/graduate-ru/

Special and inclusive education in Japan

In addition to regular schools, in Japan there are so-called Juku schools - private educational institutions in which students can take a special additional course in the general education program for successful admission to higher education institutions. In other words, such schools represent a special form of tutoring, but in some cases they also provide classes in music, sports, various types traditional Japanese arts.

Problems of children with disabilities in Japan there is a specially created National Association, in addition, there is a headquarters for carrying out reforms in the education system of such children. The headquarters is headed by the most influential persons of the state. This approach to solving issues of inclusive education allows us to take measures at the legislative level to ensure equal rights guaranteed by the Constitution for everyone regarding the choice of place and method of education. In addition, it is possible to effectively monitor compliance with such rights.

During the learning process, schoolchildren take difficult exams, for which they prepare long and hard

Higher education

In order to successfully find a job in the future, Japanese youth strive to enroll in prestigious universities, among which the most popular are Tokyo and Kyoto universities, as well as universities in Osaka, Sapporo (Hokkaido), Sendai (Tohoku) and others. Structure educational process in Japanese higher education institutions is similar in organizational and administrative aspects to the system higher education countries Western Europe and the USA, but due to the peculiarities of the mentality and cultural traditions has some differences. University preparation is different high level teaching. In both private and public universities, tuition is paid and can range from 4 to 7 thousand US dollars per year. To obtain a bachelor's degree, students study for 4 years, and a master's degree for another 2 years. In technical universities, training lasts 5 years, medical or veterinary education is completed within 12 years. There is an accelerated course of study at universities, designed for two years - for teachers, sociologists, philologists, etc. The academic year is divided into two semesters: from April to September and from October to March. Accommodation in a dormitory will cost a student $600–800 per month.

Not rich enough? There is a solution - a training grant!

The desire to get an education in Japan does not always coincide with opportunities. Absence required quantity funds pushes to search alternative ways solving the problem. One of them is receiving a grant to study at one of the universities in Japan. Such a grant is provided annually by the Japanese government through the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Monbukagakusho.Mext) under the “Student” program. To participate in the competition for a grant, the candidate must meet certain requirements, among which are citizenship of a country that maintains diplomatic relations with Japan, age, as a rule, from 17 to 22 years, complete secondary education. In addition, the applicant must be ready to actively study the language and culture of Japan and not have problems with physical and mental health.

Training couldn’t be more intense, and Language school- just one part of the process. We all study here every day: we make new friends, read books, leaf through magazines, watch TV and listen to the radio. Your portion new vocabulary I consistently receive from friends, from Japanese blogs and books. Not a day goes by lexicon not replenished by at least a couple of points.

Daria Pechorina

http://gaku.ru/students/1_year_in_japan.html

Persons who are military personnel at the time of arrival in Japan, who did not arrive at the place within the time specified by the host university, who previously received a grant from the Japanese government, who are already studying in Japan, who have scholarships from other organizations, who have dual citizenship ( Japanese should be abandoned). To pass the selection, the candidate submits an application of the established form to the Japanese diplomatic mission and passes written tests in mathematics, English and Japanese, as well as in physics, chemistry and biology, depending on the specialization.

Grant in hand, what's next?

If the selection is successful, the future student will be awarded a scholarship in the amount of 117 thousand yen; Tuition fees, as well as expenses associated with entrance exams, are borne by the Japanese government. Before starting their studies, students undergo a preparatory course for one year, including intensive study of the Japanese language, introduction to the specialty and other disciplines. Education at Japanese universities is conducted only in Japanese. You can learn more about the procedure for submitting documents and selection conditions on the official website of the Japanese Embassy in Russia.

Video: a student’s impressions after her first year of study at a Japanese university

In addition to government programs, there are many private and non-profit foundations that can provide scholarships for studying in Japan, there are scholarships from the Japan Association of International Education, the International Understanding program, the Ministry of Education for internship programs, etc. Another way to continue your studies in Japan is to participate in student exchange program between universities that have partnerships. The requirements for applicants from the CIS countries differ little from Russian ones; details of participation in government programs can be clarified at the Japanese embassies in their countries.

Studying in Japan helped me not only gain academic knowledge of the Japanese language (Noryoku Shiken N3), but also broaden my horizons (here you learn something new every day), strengthen my patience and willpower (since self-study takes a lot of time), as well as meet wonderful people and make new friends.

Elena Korshunova

http://gaku.ru/blog/Elena/chego_ojidat_ot_obucheniya/

Housing, part-time work, visa and other nuances

Students (including Russians, Ukrainians, and Kazakhstanis) can replenish their budget through part-time jobs, which could include working in cafes, restaurants, and other establishments in the service sector, or by teaching the Russian language, for example. To obtain a job, you will need a certificate of permission, which can be obtained from the immigration office after submitting a letter from the educational institution. Students in Japan are allowed to work no more than 4 hours a day. Many take advantage of this opportunity, despite the fact that the cost of training here is lower than in most prestigious universities USA, Europe and even Russia.

Video: working in Japan for international students

Finding housing can be problematic: despite the fact that universities provide foreign students rooms in a hostel; there are not enough places for everyone, so many are forced to rent premises in the private sector. The cost of living in rented housing can range from $500 to $800 per month.

A student visa is issued, as a rule, within 3–4 months, and the host university is the guarantor for its receipt. To obtain a visa you will need:

a copy of the diploma or certificate from the last place of study,
certificate of proficiency in Japanese,
certificate from parents’ place of work,
copy of birth certificate,
a certificate from the bank stating that there are 14–15 thousand dollars in the account,
international passport,
8 photos 3x4.

The entire package of documents must be translated into Japanese.

Table: advantages and disadvantages of studying in Japan

A young specialist with a diploma from a Japanese university has an incredibly high chance of getting a job in one of the the most prestigious companies with a worldwide reputation due to the fact that the level of teaching in Japanese universities is one of the best in the world. The government and private companies spare no investment in the development of science and education. All universities and colleges in Japan are equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories and highly qualified teachers, ensuring that the education provides in-depth theoretical knowledge and practical skills. In addition, as they study, students become familiar with such national qualities of the Japanese as incredible perseverance and discipline, which will not be superfluous in later life.

MAKOTO SHICHida: “ALL CHILDREN ARE BORN GENIUS”

Japanese professor Makoto Shichida- creator of the most popular author's method of early childhood development in Japan. He can safely be called a pioneer of accelerated learning for children, and his teaching methods are popular not only in Japan, but also abroad.

The scientist made a huge contribution to science and medicine with his research in the field of studying the human brain. Thanks to almost forty years of scientific activity and twenty years of practical work, he literally made a revolutionary breakthrough in education, which changed the attitude towards children, their mental abilities and methods of their training. Makoto Shichida's revolutionary early development method includes techniques to stimulate children's brains. Makoto Shichida I am convinced that brain stimulation in children early age Helps children develop special abilities. The earlier you start working with your child, the higher the chance of developing his genius abilities and discovering the talents hidden in him between the ages of 6 months and 3 years.

Currently, according to the early development method of Makoto Shichida, there are already about 500 developmental children's centers in Japan, of which more than 400 were founded by Shichida himself.

IN Lately Makoto Shichida’s system is gaining the attention of an increasing number of admirers among parents, teachers and in the countries of the post-Soviet space.

In educational institutions working according to the Shichida method, children from 6 months to 6 years study. It is this age range that the author considers optimal for training according to his system.

The scientist is sure that between the ages immediately after birth and up to 3 years, the child’s brain works as a storage device. After all, children during this period grasp everything on the fly, are filled with a thirst for knowledge, perceive and process huge amounts of information, like small computers, perfectly remembering details. And therefore, in this age period, the main task of parents and educators is to stimulate all five senses of the child and provide all the needs for his development.

According to the early development method of Makoto Shichida, those children who are developed intellectually and physically from childhood can become either famous scientists or athletes in the future. Kids grow and mature much faster than parents think. Until the age of three, the right hemisphere of the brain dominates in a child. At the age of 3 years, the left hemisphere of the brain takes a dominant position.

Right hemisphere brain little man begins its rapid development in the womb. It is known that the right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for the subconscious and unconscious, the left hemisphere is the conscious hemisphere. In one of his books, Shichida writes that the right hemisphere has a greater memory “capacity” than the left. But the right and left hemispheres of the brain develop differently and in different time. The right hemisphere of the brain is constantly resetting old information memory to make room for new information, while memory from the left hemisphere is never removed. Therefore, by developing the right hemisphere, parents open up the possibility of easier learning and development creativity in children. The right hemisphere is also responsible for visual and spatial processing, as well as the ability to see a problem from several aspects.

According to the scientist, by the age of six a child’s brain is almost completely formed; more precisely, by the age of six, about 80% of brain cells are already developed. This makes it possible, up to the age of six, to successfully develop a child’s speed reading, photographic memory, rare musical talents and mathematical abilities, empathy and intuition. It is at this age that a child has the best ability to learn languages.

By the age of ten, a child’s brain is almost completely formed, approximately 90%. Therefore, making changes at an older age is very difficult, and sometimes impossible. And it is generally possible to develop sensory perception only at an early age. preschool age. That is, the older the child gets, the worse he learns and remembers information.

From all of the above, we can highlight the basic principles of the Makoto Shichida method.

PRINCIPLES OF THE MAKOTO SHICHIDA METHOD

All children are born geniuses;

A strong bond between parent and child is essential;

The dominance of the right hemisphere of the brain in young children is unique opportunity for training;

In 1954, there lived a mathematics teacher, Toru Kumon, in Japan, and one day his son Takeshi brought home a bad grade in arithmetic. Mr. Kumon was not at a loss and began to give his son simple addition tasks every day that fit on one piece of paper. Soon Takeshi became the best in the class, and the parents of his classmates took their children to classes with his father.

60 years have passed. Now KUMON training centers are located in almost 50 countries around the world. More than 4 million children study there using special workbooks.

In Russia, the notebooks of the KUMON center are published by the publishing house Mann, Ivanov and Ferber. We talked with the head of the children's department "MYTH.Childhood" Anastasia Kreneva about what is different Japanese technique development of children from Russian; what and how KUMON notebooks teach and what other educational aids for children are available in Russia.

What is KUMON and what are their “tricks”?

KUMON is a Japanese method of developing skills that should usually be developed in a child before school. At KUMON centers they teach how to hold a pencil, draw lines, cut, glue, count, and write numbers and letters.

In total, in the series that we publish, there are more than 50 workbooks - each for a specific skill and age. The notebooks contain 40 tasks, and they are designed for a month or two of lessons. The main thing is to practice every day, consistently and little by little. It is very important. Key Principle The whole technique is a consistent complication. It’s always the simplest first, then more and more difficult. This is what distinguishes them from most domestic publications.

So, for example, you can often find this: you open a notebook to prepare your hand for writing, and one of the first tasks there is to circle a flower or a sun along a dotted line. And the question immediately arises: how can a 2-year-old child, who still doesn’t even know how to properly hold a pencil, do this? This is difficult - you need to draw a circle and straight lines going under different angles. Not every adult can handle it well. It's different at KUMON. It all starts with very, very simple things. First the child learns to lead short line, in the next task the line lengthens, then one bend appears, then several, etc. That is, according to the logic of the Japanese, the task with the sun would be at the very end of the notebook...

Another feature is that KUMON is not only a mechanical training of a skill. These notebooks teach the child to be independent. Parental participation here is reduced to zero. Thanks to the illustrations and page design, all tasks are intuitive for the child. He opens the notebook and does everything himself, without prompting. Plus, the Japanese constantly repeat to parents that children must be praised. When you praise children, it increases their self-esteem, they begin to believe in their abilities, and the activities themselves evoke only positive emotions in them. They themselves want to exercise every day. And this is very important - because this is how the child also develops good habit to classes.

I heard that the Japanese even think about the thickness of paper for children. This is true?

Yes, they thought of everything possible. Notebooks for children 2 years old - small format; notebooks for older children - large. The thickness of the paper is also different. For example, notebooks for children use the thickest paper. How older child, the thinner the paper. Everything is done to make it comfortable for the child to write. At 2 years old, it is still difficult for him to hold a pencil and draw a line, so he presses hard on the paper. If the paper is thin, it will tear, and this will upset the baby. There will be no satisfaction from the completed task. And next time he won’t want to study.

Another example of thoughtfulness, and far from obvious, is in the illustrations for the assignments. At the beginning of the notebook, the tasks are very simple, and the illustrations for them are bright, with many details. The child perceives it all as a game and immerses himself in it. The further you go, the more difficult the tasks become. And the picture becomes less saturated and colorful. Why? Here it’s also very simple: the more difficult the task, the stronger for the child you need to concentrate. Nothing should distract him.

So the reason for the popularity of KUMON is that everything is very thought out there?

Yes, but not only. It’s also about the emotions of parents who see the real result. The child did not know how, for example, to hold a pencil or use scissors. He did 40 exercises - and now he can do it perfectly.

By the way, we made a discovery for ourselves. It turned out that our children have problems with cutting. The most popular notebook in the entire series is “Learning to Cut.” In principle, there is an explanation for this. Analogs that are offered on the market today are notebooks with applications. But how can a child cut out a circle or square for an applique if he doesn’t yet know how to cut paper? In KUMON, everything is sequential: first we learn to make simple cuts, short, along thick lines, then the lines become thinner and longer, angles, arcs, waves appear, and only then circles and lines of complex shapes.

Another trick is that in cutting books the child doesn’t just cut out, but at the end he gets some kind of toy that he can then play with. For example, some kind of snake that he cut out in a spiral. Or, for example, you cut out a blanket and cover the drawn girl with this blanket.

What types of developmental notebooks are there in Russia?

Educational children's notebooks can be divided into two types. The first is comprehensive development notebooks. These are such development tools general. Here, within the framework of one notebook or series, everything can be: mathematics for kids (shapes, opposites, correspondence, etc.), and general development speeches (groups of words by topic), and creative tasks(finish drawing, molding, gluing). The child develops, learns new things, of course. But the process is completely different, this intellectual development. Such notebooks do not “stretch your hand” and do not teach you exactly how to cut out, as KUMON does.

Or, for example, notebooks with stickers are quite popular now. They are wonderful and interesting in their own way. The tasks here are also for general development and, in parallel, for development fine motor skills. That is, usually you first need to think, decide what and where to glue, and only then glue.

In similar KUMON notebooks you just need to glue it. That's all. Complete concentration only on this task. For example, an apple with an empty circle will be drawn there. And the child must carefully paste a round sticker into this white circle. The point is not for him to know that it is an apple and that it is green. Or for him to find out how big “big” differs from “small”. From the beginning to the end of the notebook, he is taught to place stickers and paper on paper. The main thing is that by the end of the lesson he does it perfectly!

It's clear. What is the second type of notebook?

The second type of notebooks is focused specifically on mathematics, like Lyudmila Peterson’s manuals for preschoolers. Or, for example, Zhenya Katz has interesting notebooks for the development of mathematical thinking. There are all sorts of puzzles, game tasks for logic and attentiveness. Working in such a notebook, the child does not even understand that he is doing mathematics; there are very few numbers there. Zhenya, by the way, believes that before the age of 5 you shouldn’t torment a child with numbers. He, of course, will remember what they look like, but at 2-3-4 years old he does not understand what exactly this number means. He has not yet developed mathematical thinking.

It turns out that no one teaches us basic skills?

It turns out that way. They don’t teach purposefully, they teach indirectly. The exception is the topic of preparing the hand for writing. Many publishers have such notebooks. True, again, most of them are built on the principle of “circle the shaded lines and continue on your own.”

From the Japanese point of view, such tasks do not make much sense. For example, a 2-3 year old child is asked to trace and draw the teeth on a comb. But how can a child draw them? Where to put the pencil? Where to stay? A 2-3 year old child does not understand this yet.

Yes, this is, of course, a mechanical exercise. But this way the child will never learn to draw lines consciously. If we take a similar KUMON notebook, we will see that each task will be a labyrinth - from very simple (like a straight tunnel) to complex. In a labyrinth, its beginning and end are always marked. The child needs these hints so that he understands where to put the pencil and where to stop. The child first thinks through the route, and then he consciously draws a line along a blank sheet of paper to where he needs to go. It is this skill that will help him write and draw later.

And one last thing. What basic principle of education do the Japanese have that it would be nice for us to adopt?

The Japanese very much ask parents not to interfere in what the child is doing. What is the problem with many of our mothers? For example, a child begins to draw a line and does not succeed. Mom immediately snatches his hand away and says: “Wait, you’re doing it all wrong!” This is the wrong message. Even if the child hasn’t done anything at all, he definitely needs to be praised. At least for the fact that he tried.

Prepared by senior teacher Lyudmila Nikolaevna Shadrina

60 years have passed. Now KUMON training centers are located all over the world - in almost 50 countries. More than 4 million children study in centers using special workbooks.

In Russia, notebooks from the KUMON center are published by the Mann, Ivanov and Ferber publishing house. We talked with the head of the children's direction “MYTH.Childhood” Anastasia Kreneva about how the Japanese method of child development differs from the Russian one; what and how KUMON notebooks teach and what other educational aids for children are available in Russia.

- What is KUMON and what are their “tricks”?

KUMON is a Japanese method of developing skills that a child should usually have developed before school. At KUMON centers they teach how to hold a pencil, draw lines, cut, glue, count, and write numbers and letters.

In total, there are more than 50 workbooks in the series that we publish - each for a specific skill and age. The notebooks contain 40 tasks, and they are designed for a month or two of lessons. The main thing is to practice every day, consistently and little by little. It is very important. The key principle of the entire technique is consistent complication. It’s always the simplest first, then more and more difficult. This is what distinguishes them from most domestic publications.

So, for example, you can often find this: you open a notebook to prepare your hand for writing, and one of the first tasks there is to circle a flower or a sun along a dotted line. And the question immediately arises: how can a two-year-old child, who still doesn’t even know how to properly hold a pencil, do this? This is difficult - you need to draw a circle and straight lines coming out at different angles. Not every adult can handle it well. It's different at KUMON. It all starts with very, very simple things. First, the child learns to draw a short line, in the next task the line lengthens, then one bend appears, then several, etc. That is, according to the logic of the Japanese, the task with the sun would be at the very end of the notebook...

Another feature is that KUMON is not only a mechanical practice of a skill. These notebooks teach the child to be independent. Parental participation here is reduced to zero. Thanks to the illustrations and page design, all tasks are intuitive for the child. He opens the notebook and does everything himself, without prompting. Plus, the Japanese constantly repeat to parents that children must be praised. When you praise children, it increases their self-esteem, they begin to believe in their abilities, and the activities themselves evoke only positive emotions in them. They themselves want to exercise every day. And this is very important - after all, this is how the child also develops a useful habit of studying.

- I heard that the Japanese even think about the thickness of paper for children. This is true?

Yes, they thought of everything possible. Notebooks for children two years old - small format; notebooks for older children - large. The thickness of the paper is also different. For example, notebooks for children use the thickest paper. The older the child, the thinner the paper. Everything is done to make it comfortable for the child to write. At two years old, it is still difficult for him to hold a pencil and draw a line, so he presses hard on the paper. If the paper is thin, it will tear, and this will upset the baby. There will be no satisfaction from the completed task. And next time he won’t want to study.

Another example of thoughtfulness, and far from obvious, is in the illustrations for the assignments. At the beginning of the notebook, the tasks are very simple, and the illustrations for them are bright, with many details. The child perceives it all as a game and immerses himself in it. The further you go, the more difficult the tasks become. And the picture becomes less saturated and colorful. Why? This is also very simple: the more difficult the task, the more the child needs to concentrate. Nothing should distract him.

- So the reason for the popularity of KUMON is that everything is very thought out there?

Another trick is that in cutting books the child doesn’t just cut out - at the end he gets some kind of toy that he can then play with. For example, some kind of snake that he cut out in a spiral. Or, for example, you cut out a blanket and cover the drawn girl with this blanket.

- What types of educational notebooks are there in Russia?

Educational children's notebooks can be divided into two types. The first is comprehensive development notebooks. These are general developers. Here, within the framework of one notebook or series, everything can be: mathematics for kids (shapes, opposites, correspondences, etc.), and general speech development (groups of words by topic), and creative tasks (finish drawing, making, gluing). The child develops, learns new things, of course. But the process is completely different, this is intellectual development. Such notebooks do not “set your hand” and do not teach you exactly how to cut out, as KUMON does. Or, for example, notebooks with stickers are quite popular now. They are wonderful and interesting in their own way. The tasks here are also for general development and, in parallel, for the development of fine motor skills. That is, usually you first need to think, decide what and where to glue, and only then glue.