Makoto Shichida

“Illy was born with Down Syndrome. Like any parent, we wanted to give her the best chance in life and started exploring therapies for her. When Illy was 6 months, we enrolled her into the program and she was there for the next 4 years.
The program has had a significant impact on Illy, especially in the areas of memory boosting and the ability to focus on activities for long periods of time. She never experienced any problems transitioning from childcare to Kinder and then to school. She also scored close to normal IQ levels in her assessment. Her therapists are always in awe of what she is capable of doing.
Illy is now in Grade 1 and progressing well with her reading and socialising. I highly recommend Shichida to parents of special needs children. They will benefit from the nurturing environment and fun and stimulating activities. Start them early to fully benefit from the program. We are forever grateful to Shichida for all they have done for Illy and our family.”

– Angeline & Illy (5 years old)

"This program isn’t like your standard music class or kinder gymnastics. It’s a whole-brain training program that uses puzzles, games, flashcards and songs to develop young children’s memory and problem-solving skills to give them the best start in life. The main thing for us is that my kids think it’s really fun. They love learning and what I love about the program is that they don’t see it as a chore. They get a real sense of achievement from all of this. Some people ask me if I’m trying to raise geniuses – I’m not. I just want to give my kids the best chance to succeed in life. I wasn’t exposed to these sorts of activities when I was young. I was always a really keen learner, but never knew anything like this. I wondered if I had been exposed to these activities, would I be doing something different now?"

– Michelle, Alric (8 years old), Jensen (5 years old) and Elise (3 years old)

“Matilda has always been hungry for information, she's a little firecracker, and Shichida just seems the perfect fit for us. She loves the mazes, and puzzles, and I've found that even without us trying to incorporate the learnings at home, she is bringing them home with her on her own. For example we have a giant tub of bug toys, and sometimes I'll see her playing with them and she has them grouped into their colours. Then the next time it will be by their size, or their type … the grouping and ordering of things just seems to come naturally to her now. I just feel like it's a really great start for kids, I want to fill her brain while it's in this sponge-stage, I don't want to miss this window.”

– Suzanne & Matilda (3 years old)

“Matilda has always been hungry for information, she's a little firecracker, and Shichida just seems the perfect fit for us. She loves the mazes, and puzzles, and I've found that even without us trying to incorporate the learnings at home, she is bringing them home with her on her own. For example we have a giant tub of bug toys, and sometimes I'll see her playing with them and she has them grouped into their colours. Then the next time it will be by their size, or their type … the grouping and ordering of things just seems to come naturally to her now. I just feel like it's a really great start for kids, I want to fill her brain while it's in this sponge-stage, I don't want to miss this window.”

– Suzanne & Matilda (3 years old)

"Shichida has given me a strong foundation for school, and I find that it's benefited me in more ways than I can count. It helped me learn to notice patterns and connections, so now I find that I can pick up new concepts quicker than most of my peers. Another thing Shichida has helped me with is to discover my love for writing. It's been very useful for essays in school, but moreover writing helps me express myself. Shichida's peg words have helped me with my memory, something that will definitely come in handy as I work through my VCE subjects in the coming years. Most of all, the attitudes of the Shichida teachers and the enthusiasm with which they approached their classes nurtured my love of learning, and I can't thank them enough for how much it has helped me throughout my life.”

– Jacqueline, 13 years old, Year 9 student, Haileybury

"I attended Shichida in 2009, and I now find myself reaching VCE. My two siblings had also attended Shichida after me, and we can all testify that Shichida had helped us to reach the point that we are at now. Shichida brings a new style of thinking and encourages a love of learning. It provided me with a solid foundation for primary school and allowed me to easily grasp new concepts and ideas. Even 12 years later, I still remember going to Shichida being the highlight of my week. I had recently returned to do work experience with Shichida, and although some things may have changed over the years, and I can say that the passion and drive in the teachers, as well as the fun songs and activities, have retained the same energy that just makes every child want to learn."

– Natalie, 16 years old, Year 10 student at MacRobertson Girls’ High School

"I’ve managed to memorise the first 60 accurately. It helps with memorising numbers that can save you a lot of time, such as page numbers in a book or a new passcode you set. It also helps with mental maths when multiplying three-digit numbers."

– J, 15 years old, a student at Kilvington Grammar