Junior High School Entrance Exams Starting in Autumn. When "It's Too Late" Becomes "The Best Start." ~A Challenge from Autumn Awakens Dormant Potential~
This is the season when the autumn breeze deepens and the pages left on the calendar grow fewer.
"Is it really possible to start preparing for junior high entrance exams at this time of year...?"
It is only natural to feel a sense of impatience or anxiety when you think about the other children who have been preparing for years. It is a parent's love, wishing that the path for your precious child would not be a difficult one, precisely because you care so much about their future.
However, at Manabi Research Institute, there are indeed children who come to us every year at this time with a firm determination to "take on the challenge," and who pass through the gates of their desired schools with smiles on their faces in the spring. Especially for the Hamamatsu Nishi High School Junior High School entrance exam. What exactly is the difference between them and the children who started preparing early?
There is nothing to lose
The runner who has been running for a long time versus the runner who has just stepped onto the starting line. Perhaps the biggest difference between them is the color of the flame burning deep within their eyes.
They did not start running because someone told them to; a strong desire to "go to that place" has ignited from within the child's own heart. That flame, rising from within, creates an incredibly dense period of time, even if it is short. The driving force that illuminates and pushes them forward on a difficult and long journey is something that can only ever be found in the individual's own "autonomy." Moreover, starting from the back, they only have to look forward and chase the lead pack. There is nothing to lose.
And that challenge is by no means a start from zero.
The strength that has been carefully nurtured beneath the soil, unseen until now, may be just about to sprout.
Successful children have three characteristics
So, why are they able to catch up and overtake others in such a short period of time? It is similar to the task of finding and fitting the one or two missing pieces into a beautiful puzzle that is nearly complete.
In fact, children who can quickly fit those pieces have a common "foundation." It is non-cognitive skills that cannot be measured by numbers, such as "honesty," "perseverance," and "well-ordered lifestyle habits."
For example, when we propose a new solution, if they have an honest heart, they can immediately put it into action by thinking, "Let's try it first." Even if they don't get the results they want, if they have the power to persevere, they can work on it tenaciously without giving up. And well-ordered lifestyle habits, such as going to bed early and waking up early, provide a stable supply of the concentration and energy needed for daily learning. Because they have this foundation that dramatically increases learning efficiency, our guidance is absorbed like water into a sponge, making rapid progress possible in a short period of time.
And a typical example of the "missing pieces" that we specifically identify is the imbalance between thinking-based subjects and knowledge-based subjects.
They are good at applied math problems and reading comprehension in Japanese. They find joy in thinking deeply and show glimpses of high thinking ability. However, it is not uncommon for such children to lose points on knowledge-based questions in science or social studies. This is a state where the base of their thinking ability, or their potential academic ability, is high, but their study methods for retaining knowledge or their awareness of the necessity of doing so have not kept up.
This is not a lack of ability, but merely a bias in characteristics. They simply lack the fuel called "knowledge" to utilize their wonderful thinking ability.
And it is the job of us professionals to accurately analyze where those missing pieces are and how to fit them in the shortest time possible, and then execute that plan.
Instead of blindly expanding the scope of learning, we identify the characteristics of each individual child and focus our efforts on the single point of "optimizing the method of inputting knowledge." Then, the moment arrives when the overall picture, which had been blurry until now, comes into sharp and vivid focus.
At Manabi Research Institute, we provide entrance exam consulting to find the optimal solution for your child within the limited time remaining until the exam. We strategically and surely guide the "academic ability to pass" that lies dormant within your child toward success.
A challenge that begins in autumn. It is not a reckless gamble. Everything begins with believing in the days your child has accumulated so far and the hot flame that has just been lit in their heart.
Take a moment to look closely into your child's eyes. What color flame is flickering deep within them? What kind of treasures can you see buried in the days you have spent together so far?
If you ever feel lost on how to find that flame or how to unearth those treasures, please feel free to reach out at any time. I will serve as a pacer to guide you toward success. I sincerely look forward to the day I can meet both you and your child.