About the Instructor

KUMON OF NEWINGTON, CT

INSTRUCTOR:  MISS BARBARA

As an extensively trained and certified professional instructor, I serve as a mentor who guides your children through their work while also providing direction, support and encouragement. I create an at-home study plan, which I adjust weekly, in addition to monitoring classroom assignments, and I emphasize the importance of accurately completing each assignment within a designated time frame. This has helped many of my students increase their self-confidence, thus becoming more self-reliant.

In order to maintain consistency at home, parents also grade their children's work to ensure daily feedback.  We have answer books for most levels, and my staff will teach you how to grade.

Like all Kumon Instructors, I have a true passion for education and an earnest desire to help children succeed.

My completed Kumon worksheets are on display in the classroom, which higher level students can use as a reference, and I am constantly going over higher level material in order to help my students.  I also attend professional development meetings on how to both complete and teach higher level worksheets effectively.

Prior to becoming a Kumon Instructor, I worked at three Kumon centers (owned by a husband and wife who have since retired) for 10.5 years. I started out when I was still in college (2009), going on to graduate with honors. I have a degree in English language and literature but have always been passionate about math.

After a year of working as an Assistant, I was asked to become Chief Assistant, and gradually began taking on more responsibilities, such as running the centers when the Instructors were away at a conference.

I deepened my understanding of the Kumon Method by completing worksheets to experience Kumon from a student's perspective. It made me a better assistant, and (not so surprisingly) faster in my calculations!

I always say that I live and breathe Kumon! Between working six days a week as an assistant and the constant adaptation of being an Instructor (professional development, awards events, etc.), that is still true today.

I invite you to come in for an orientation and look forward to guiding your child on his/her Kumon journey!


Summer Reading Challenge

• 2021: 130 books
• 2022: 165 books
• 2023: 11 books (high school level only--average of 48.6 pages/day)
• 2024: 11 books (high school level only--average of 50.8 pages/day)

My goal is to tackle all of the books on Kumon's Recommended Reading List, and I have about 4 levels left. I may try to read throughout the school year as well since some of these books are over 600 pages!


Local Support/Outreach

• Little League team for the 2022-2023 & 2023-2024 seasons
• Newington High School--various fundraisers and donations
• Martin Kellogg Middle School--fundraisers
• Lucy Robbins Welles Library--donations and student materials to get ready for Kindergarten