GOAL SETTING AND TIME MANAGEMENT ARE KEY TO THIS STUDENT’S EARLY SUCCESS

Taarun, 11-years-old, Reading Program Completer, Math Level N

11-year-old Taarun may not be in high school yet, but that hasn’t stopped him from advancing through Kumon to work on high school academics in math. He has found that the key to his success both in school and outside of the classroom has been his goal setting and time management skills.

Taarun has been a Kumon Math and Reading Student for 6 years. In that time, he was able to complete the Kumon Reading Program and is on his way to do the same in math.

“Kumon always helped me remember that time is limited, and I have discovered that many times with doing Kumon homework for the week. With time-management, you must know what is urgent. I started with setting a daily routine for me to do on that day. Printing out a daily routine every day has allowed me to do many different things in a day,” said Taarun. 

How time-management has helped

Having strong time management skills has allowed Taarun to achieve success at a young age. In addition to being recognized for his accomplishments at the 2020 Kumon Student Conference, he has competed in various math competitions. He received top scores in the Mathematical Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools, Continental Mathematics League, and Math Kangaroo. Sometimes he can also be found writing his school’s newsletter thanks to the skills and vocabulary he learned in the reading program.

He believes that goal setting is important to achieving success. “By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals,” said Taarun. “Also, you’ll see forward progress in what might previously have seemed an insurmountable task. You will raise your self-confidence as you recognize your ability and competence in achieving the goals that you’ve set.”

Taarun values setting goals and managing his time because it has allowed him to advance academically and develop skills in other areas outside of the classroom. He shared that the Kumon Program has been a rewarding experience. “A long rewarding road worth traveling every inch of it,” said Taarun.

This year, Taarun looks forward to completing the Kumon Math Program and becoming a dual program completer at the age of 11!

Outside of school, he enjoys singing, playing the violin, and playing basketball. He has been learning Indian Carnatic music for 5 years in which he’s competed in and won many competitions.

Taarun shares some of his achievements thus far and who inspires him to go after big goals.    

What do you enjoy most about Kumon?

I have become an enthusiastic learner, the ability that I acquired through my years of learning at Kumon. More importantly, I have become an independent self-learner with a positive attitude to study.

How has Kumon helped you academically?

The school district identified my advanced math skills and placed me in Algebra 1 Honors which is typically considered a high school level course. Without Kumon’s help, I could not have accomplished this great feat.

What achievements are you most proud of?

At competitions, I see many students who are at least two or three years above my grade level, which makes me feel very proud to have gotten there. It is such a great feeling that I simply cannot express in words, it needs to be experienced and felt from within. Being a sixth grader in an elementary school and to be sitting in a high school level math classroom filled with other higher-grade students makes me proud, blessed, and thankful to Kumon.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I have many dreams of what I want to be – a doctor, a computer scientist, a researcher, a singer. I wish one day I could become all of these.

Who is your biggest inspiration and why?

Albert Einstein is my biggest inspiration because he is a ground-breaking physicist, Nobel Prize winner, outspoken moral leader, and philosopher. Einstein is constantly an enduring symbol of intelligence and hope. He has inspired me countless times to drive innovation and ingenuity, and he has said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”