|
Reading Program
The Reading Program consists of 22 Levels, numbered 7A through J. Each Level consists of 200 pages and is broken down by topic into sections. The sections are likewise broken into sets of 10 pages. Unlike the Math Program, Levels in the Reading Program are grouped together into Blocks, each block dealing with a certain aspect of reading instruction.
There are five main Learning Blocks:
- Word Building Block
- Sentence Building Block
- Paragraph Building Block
- Summary Block and Critique Block
The Program begins with simple letter recognition, phonics and vocabulary development and progresses into a study of grammar and sentence structure. This is followed by exercises in organizing information, paragraph structure, passage analysis and ultimately summary writing and critical analysis.
Level 7A
In the first level of the Kumon Reading Program, beginning readers build a sight word vocabulary through enjoyable "look, listen and repeat" exercises. Large, colorful illustrations help students grasp the connection between spoken and written language. Parents can help motivate children by reading with them every day.
Level 6A
Students continue to build a sight word vocabulary, adding longer phrases and more advanced words. Students begin to recite familiar words from memory in preparation for the transition to phonics study in Level 5A.
Level 5A
Phonics exercises help students learn individual letter sounds and consonant-short vowel combinations. Students increase concentration, improve hand-eye coordination, and develop their writing skills.
Level 4A
More sound parts, including consonant clusters, are introduced. Students trace words and begin freehand letter writing by filling in missing letters within words. These exercises, as well as exercises that focus on rhyming words, help develop a student's spelling skills.
Level 3A
Students develop greater pencil control by writing properly proportioned and spaced letters within box guidelines. Students develop the ability to read longer words through exercises focusing on syllables. Spelling skills are developed throughout the level and, for the first time, students demonstrate reading comprehension through matching exercises.
Level 2A
Students identify nouns, verbs and adjectives, and use them within sentences. Students learn the singular and plural forms of nouns and verbs, and the comparative and superlative forms of adjectives. Spelling skills are reinforced throughout the level.
Level AI
Level AI marks the beginning of the Sentence Building Block. Students study the structure of simple sentences and learn expressions which convey attitude or intention, such as "can," "must," "may" and "should." Students learn to write negative sentences, questions, and sentences using the past tense. Punctuation exercises appear for the first time. Students continue to develop their vocabulary and reading comprehension skills.
Level AII
Through reading stories and answering questions, students improve their reading comprehension and writing skills. Technical skills such as punctuation, spelling and capitalization are also solidified. Students develop the ability to recognize a sequence of thoughts developed within a short paragraph.
Level BI
Students refine their ability to identify subject and predicative in longer sentences containing modifiers such as adjectives and adverbs. Students conjugate irregular verbs, as well as study pronouns, prepositions and irregular plurals of nouns.
Level BII
Students focus on reading comprehension and vocabulary building. Students develop the ability to define words using context clues in the stories; to identify main ideas that occur within a story to better understand the story as a whole; and to compare and contrast actions, characters and information from a passage.
Level CI
In Level CI, students further refine their ability to identify subjects, verbs and objects, as well as learn how to conjugate the future, progressive and perfect tenses. Students' punctuation study continues with commas in a series and singular and plural possessives. By the end of the level, students write complete sentences independently.
Level CII
Level CII is the last level on the Sentence Building Block. Children continue to develop the reading comprehension, vocabulary and writing skills. Students develop the ability to construct and respond to questions using who, what, where, when and how; to interpret information in charts as well as take information from passages and organize it into a chart format; and to write answers independently.
Level DI
Level DI marks the beginning of the Paragraph Building Block. Students learn to write compound and complex sentences by combining simple sentences. Then, students learn to extract statements from paragraphs to identify a statement as a single unit of thought. Students also expand their vocabulary by studying selected words from expository passages.
Level DII
Students continue to improve reading comprehension by identifying the optic and then the main idea. Using their knowledge of the main idea of a paragraph, students then develop the understanding of how paragraphs flow within a passage. Students also practice expanding their vocabulary by studying selected words from literary and expository passages.
Level EI
Students learn how clauses can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. In addition, the student learns to convert direct speech to indirect speech and vice versa. Diagramming exercises enable the student to visualize information within a passage, which helps develop his or her ability to follow and organize content logically. Students also expand their vocabulary by studying selected words from expository passages.
Level EII
The student develops a better understanding of a story's sequence of events and imagery. Diagramming exercises help the student visualize a story, and learn how events in a passage affect a certain result or outcome. Reason and logic exercises build the student's ability to compose answers and develop skills of rephrasing. Students also expand their vocabulary by studying selected words from literary and expository passages.
Level F
Level F is the last stage of the Paragraph Building Block. Paraphrasing and concision exercises show students how to combine, condense and rewrite information found in a reading passage. The ability to identify the main topic and elements of a paragraph is emphasized and practiced. Vocabulary exercises also assist students in successfully paraphrasing.
Level G
Level G marks the beginning of the Summary Block. Students learn to condense all the important information from a passage into a summary one third of the length of the original passage. Students are formally introduced to story elements such as plot, character and setting. Included in this level are excerpts from the writings of Edgar Allen Poe, Louisa M. Alcott, and Oscar Wilde.
Level H
Students develop greater sensitivity to the author's use of descriptive language. Summation exercises help students focus on specific points within passages. Vocabulary exercises introduce Greek and Latin suffixes, prefixes and roots. Included in the level are excerpts from Jane Eyre, Treasure Island, and The War of the Worlds .
Level I
Students analyze the persuasive writing style found in speeches, advertisements and political documents. They also learn the components and strategies of the more formal 'argument'. The level concludes with a study of précis, the most complex form of summary. Among the readings included are speeches by Dwight Eisenhower and Albert Einstein, and fiction by General Durrell and Agatha Christie.
Level J
Exercises which focus on more subtle details of structure, theme and character lead students to a closer reading of a text than in previous levels. The reading selections develop a student's understanding of how a writer's intentions are reflected in various aspects of the work under review. Students read extensive excerpts from To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn .
| |