Abacus Math Student and 1st Grader Gets into North Brunswick, NJ’s Gifted and Talented Program after Transferring from Kumon to Genie Academy

1st Grader Yogi soars into North Brunswick’s Gifted and Talented Program under the SOAR curriculum a year after transferring from Kumon to Genie Academy. Kirthika, Yogi’s mom, shares how Genie Academy’s unique and innovative approach made a difference in unlocking Yogi’s full potential.

At 18 months, Yogi already knew numbers, colors, and basic words that children normally learn at 3 years old. Seeing Yogi’s incredible potential, Kirthika decided to enroll him in an after-school program to optimize his cognitive development.She enrolled him at Kumon but it only overwhelmed him due to its heavy homework. “We were sending him for Math and English and it’s too much for him to do 5 pages of English and 5 pages of Math in a day.” Their rote approach to learning also limited Yogi’s creative and logical thinking. “It’s a mugging up type [of learning]...their homework sheets will say 2 plus 9, 3 plus 9, 4 plus 9, one sheet will be full of 9 and the second sheet will be full of 8. I felt it’s not a great [teaching approach].” Motivated to unlock Yogi’s full potential, she enrolled him in Genie Academy’s abacus math and reading classes instead. 

Kirthika saw the difference between Genie Academy and Kumon’s teaching approach. If Kumon employs rote learning techniques, Genie Academy fosters logical thinking by teaching the concepts behind mathematical operations. “In [Abacus Math], he’s able to reason out what addition is and how it is done. The difference between Kumon and Genie Academy is that he is understanding the [concepts behind the answers]. I feel that Yogi’s logical thinking increased a lot,” shares Kirthika.

After a year and a half in Genie Academy, Yogi has consistently been excelling academically. Early in first grade, his schoolteacher evaluated Yogi to be one level above his classmates in Math. Then, a month ago, he got into North Brunswick NJ’s Gifted and Talented Program under the S.O.A.R. curriculum after taking the COGAT test. A remarkable feat for a 1st grader! 

Yogi's qualification for the Gifted and Talented Program is a testament to his hard work, supported by his mother's guidance and the effective educational environment provided by Genie Academy. 

Kirthika consistently instilled discipline in his study routine and regularly coached Yogi on the type of questions that are included in the COGAT exam. “He studies and does his homework for 45 minutes to an hour on Mondays to Thursdays. I kind of have strict evenings at home [on these days] and Saturday mornings,” says Kirthika.

Meanwhile, Genie Academy optimized Yogi’s brain development through its reading and abacus math classes and reinforced the skills needed to understand the test questions. “Genie Academy has definitely helped because without [the basic foundation in reading], he cannot understand the questions and how to answer them. In Math, [the questions] were about puzzles and number series and without logical thinking, he wouldn’t be able to answer these questions. These two really helped him answer [the test]” 

His math coach, Rima, also shares his wonderful experience with Yogi. ""Yogi is a fast paced thinker that continues to accelerate his way through abacus and mental practice. Watching Yogi's progress over time has been wonderful! His accuracy and speed with arithmetic problems only grows stronger each day. I truly appreciate Yogi's positive attitude and knack to learn. I look forward to seeing him flourish and excel through our program, and in all aspects of life!"

Indeed, we have no doubt that this is just the beginning of greater things ahead for Yogi. We’re honored to witness and take part in his present and future success. We're proud of you, Yogi!