Josie’s Story
Josie is 10-years-old, studying three years above her grade level in the Kumon Program. In fact, she’s studying the same math material that her mom, who is an eighth grade teacher, teaches her students. Imagine that, a 10-year-old transforming equations, working with linear functions and simplifying monomials and polynomials. She’s well on her way to advanced algebraic expressions and she isn’t even in middle school yet.
One of the things that Josie likes most about Kumon is the fact that she’s studying above her grade level.
“Kumon gives me confidence because I know how strong of a student it has made me,” says Josie. “I know that I can do and learn anything if I do the work and practice daily. Kumon has taught me about the importance of focusing and to not be afraid of challenges, but to enjoy them and work through them because I know I can overcome anything.”
Josie embodies everything that Toru Kumon had in mind when he founded the Kumon Method. He felt that students would experience the true benefits of the Kumon Method if they acquired the study habits necessary for self-learning and advanced study.
Discover more inspiring success stories on the Kumon Blog !
Student of the Month (April)- Logan V.
Logan is a 4th grader and joined Kumon last February 2023. He began in math level A-81, and reading level 3A-1. With daily practicing, it took Logan 6 months to memorize all his timetables. After, he was able to complete single digit division, double-digit multiplication and division, and from there- fractions and reducing. He was recognized for his advanced math abilities during our annual Award Ceremony in December. Logan also puts great effort in his reading. He practices writing neatly and his parents and grandparents encouraged good penmanship. He is now working on CI-100 reading level. In the summer, Logan plans on reading many books during his free time. Great work Logan!
Student Highlight- Paisley
Paisley came to our Kumon center when she was in 2nd grade. She is now in 6th grade and on J-level math. Paisley enjoys a variety of hobbies and is involved in many activities- among them swimming, playing basketball, reading, video games, violin, cooking and writing to name a few. Despite her busy schedule, Paisley (with the support of her parents) is still able to attend Kumon classes once a week and has set a goal of trying to finish all Kumon math levels (complete level-O). Although J-level math is a little difficult, Paisley is not afraid to ask for help from assistants and her parents encourage her in challenging math. Keep it up, Paisley & you'll be onto level O in no time! Pictured: Paisley, in center, receiving her Math Platinum Award at December 2023 Awards Day with assistants, her mom, and Ms. Matoba.
Student of the Month (November 2023)- Rex
Rex is a seventh grader who has been a student at Kumon since July 2017. He was enrolled in both math and reading subjects. He recently finished all of Kumon's Reading levels this past August in just 6 years (starting from 5A in kindergarten to L level)! Rex is a very hard worker and balances his academics with playing soccer. He is currently working on level-M math, and is only 3 levels away from being a Kumon Math-completer! Rex and his family are a Kumon family- his father was a Kumon student overseas, and his younger brother is also a Kumon student now. We thank Rex's family for continuing to support Rex's education by entrusting Kumon with propelling Rex to the highest level of math and reading excellence. Congrats Rex!
Pictured: Rex (middle) receiving his Reading Award of Completion with Kumon staff (left), Ms. Matoba (right), & his younger brother
Student of the Month (October)- Max G.
Max has been in Kumon since February 2016. He is now in 4th grade and currently on levels F (6th grade math level) and EI (6th grade reading level). He enjoys coming to Kumon with his younger sister. During the pandemic, Max consistently attended Zoom class and progressed even quicker once he was back in class. He is a very hard worker and always completes classwork quickly and even eager to complete extra packets for practice during class time! His family supports him in academic advancements and we are proud of all his accomplishments. In his free time, Max enjoys playing basketball and reading. Keep up the good work Max!
Student of the Month (August) - Flower
Flower is going to 6th grade and has been a Kumon student for 4.5 years now. She began as a first grader on level 3A-150 math (addition level +1) and is now on G50 (7th grade level Algebra). She attends class once a week and is a very hard worker. Every year she travels during summer vacation but continues to take homework for 3 months and finishes work completely. Her parents' support Flower by having her attend class consistently and making sure she does her daily practice of Kumon. Flower has developed very good study habits with Kumon which she can apply in other areas of learning. Way to go Flower!
Student of the Month (July) - Otis
Otis just finished 2nd grade and joined Kumon in June 2019. He is currently on math level C140 (third grade level-division with remainders) and reading level CII130. Otis practices Kumon daily and never gives up on new levels. He has progressed very well. His brother is also a current Kumon student, and his father was also a previous Kumon student too in Taiwan! His family loves Kumon! Keep up the good work, Otis!
Student of the Month (August 2022)- Aiden
Aiden is a first grader and joined Kumon in September 2021. He started in Math level 3A, where he learned how to count numbers until 1000 and began addition. Aiden is now working on multiplication and has memorized his time tables. When he was younger, Aiden would accompany his older brother to Kumon classes for pickup. Now it is the opposite! Aiden is the one who patiently waits for his brother or grandpa/parents to pick him up from class. He always says “bye” to Ms. Matoba when he leaves class, and we appreciate him keeping himself safe by never leaving by himself. Aiden is an excellent student and is willing to practice more whenever he has extra time. We are proud of your hard work!
Student of the Month (June 2022)- Francis
Francis just finished 3rd grade and has been a Kumon Math student since he was in kindergarten. He started 3 years ago on addition and has now mastered multiplication and division. Although he has made a lot of progress, it wasn't always easy. Francis loves a challenge and practiced daily to excel in math. When he was in 2nd grade, he hadn't learned times tables yet and had to devote one year's time to practice and memorize it by copy writing times tables over and over again. From there, he was able to master division. With his parents support, he is now completing 4th grade level long division and is moving onto 5th grade-level fractions. Francis's work ethic and determination is proof that hard work does pay off. We are extremely proud of you Francis!
Student of the Month (September)- Paisley L.
Paisley is currently in 4th grade and working on pre-algebra level F math (6th grade level). She loves math, but is also interested in many other things. Her hobbies include piano, violin, swimming, and coding! With all her activities, she still manages to complete her daily Kumon work. During summer vacation, she took and finished 3 months of Kumon work. With her dedication and excellent time management, it is no wonder she has progressed above her grade level. Great work, Paisley!
Student of the Month (June) - Trystan
Trystan is in 3rd grade and enrolled in both our math (D-100 long division) and reading (DI-120). He is an advanced student and possesses the qualities of a successful Kumon student- hard working and independent. During COVID-19, Trystan always did his daily work and took his time on his packets. Although he did not pass his first attempt at achievement test, it did not deter him from learning from his mistakes and passing his test the next time in class. Excellent work Trystan!
Student of the Month (May 2022) - Joshua
Joshua is a newer student to Kumon, joining us only half a year ago, but in that short time he has managed to excel in his reading and writing skills. In his previous lessons at Kumon, he focused on understanding and analyzing information given in more complex sentences. Now, Joshua is working on EI-level reading, which focuses on developing a deeper understanding of the links between clauses, sentences, and paragraphs in a passage.
His success is note-worthy given how quickly he masters each new lesson. On each of his last five achievement tests, Joshua placed in Group1, the highest level possible! In other words, Joshua finished his test speedily and with few mistakes in each of his initial attempts, emphasizing his mastery of each level. His achievements in reading and writing can be attributed to his diligent work ethic.
Since he started, Joshua maintained a consistent pace of 5pages a day in both classwork and homework, never failing to complete his work in a punctual manner. He furthers his skills by doing what he loves most in his free time – reading. Through the stories he reads, he continues to build and strengthen his vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension skills in the process. Joshua expressed to us that he wants to continue to challenge himself at Kumon, aiming to accomplish L-level reading, the highest level offered.
Great job Joshua! We are so proud of you and are grateful for the chance to help you achieve your goals!
Student of the Quarter - Jackson
Jackson is an outstanding 2nd grade student who has mastered his way up to studying Math Level G (7th Grade Math). He is already on his way to mastering algebraic expressions and linear equations and he is not even in upper elementary yet. Kumon has taught him to be a confident and focused learner with solid foundations to be more than ready for middle school and high school. Jackson understands that he can learn and overcome anything if he practices daily. We love that as a young learner, he has already applied these principles in becoming a competitive pianist as well. We are so proud of you, Jackson!
Student of the Month (April 2022) - Liam L.
Liam L. has been enrolled at Kumon since August of 2019, initially attending for both math and reading. Now, as a 4th grader, he attends only for instruction in math and continues to excel in this area of study. When he first joined Kumon, Liam was working on 2A-level math. Since then, Liam made excellent progress and is now diligently studying E-level math. As a student, Liam attends Kumon remotely, receiving instruction over Zoom. During these sessions he is always focused and eager to learn from his mistakes. Liam's success in Kumon can no doubt be attributed to the support he receives from his whole family, his own drive to do well, and his curiosity to know more. What inspires us about Liam is his achievement extends beyond Kumon; just recently Liam expressed how the additional practice and review in Kumon prepared him for a math test. With confidence and hard work, Liam aced his exam. No doubt Liam will continue to thrive in his education. Congratulations Liam! Keep up your hard work and dedication!
Student of the Month (March, 2022) - Tyler W.
Tyler W. is a 3rd grade student who joined Kumon May of last year. While initially only attending for support in math, as of this past December he now attends for reading too. Tyler requested to start reading himself, expressing his love for a challenge and his desire to receive the platinum award. In both subjects, Tyler reveals he is a great student. In math, he has advanced one grade level, now working on mastering 4th grade curriculum and in reading he is excelling in his current grade level and is soon to advance past it. Tyler’s biggest change since joining Kumon can be seen in his ability to focus and work diligently. While initially Tyler struggled to stay on task and avoid distractions, his regular attendance at Kumon has helped him learn how to concentrate for longer durations of time and to complete his work efficiently. Tyler, we are so proud of all your hard work and dedication! Great job!
Student of the Month (February) - Jessica H.
Jessica is a 1st grader who joined Kumon last June. She is an outstanding student who shows great promise! Currently, she is showing competency in her work on B-100 level math and BI-70 level reading (2nd grade level). During her 1-hour sessions, Jessica stays concentrated on her work and rarely shows signs of distraction. Her concentration and self-discipline even extend outside the classroom, with her homework always finished completely and on time. Great job Jessica! Keep up the hard work!
Student of the Month - Kiana
Kiana is in kindergarten and is a multi-language speaker (Chinese, Japanese, and English!). She is currently on Reading level AII. Kiana is a hard worker and comes to class for 1 hour on Saturdays. She always finishes her homework and records time on her packets. Kiana is always willing to learn and is eager to do more worksheets. She is an independent student and can complete packets by herself! Good work, Kiana!
Christmas Award Ceremony December 2020
Congratulations to Rati! She is a 4th grader who is currently learning a year ahead of her peers in school. She is in Math level E, practicing operations with fractions, and Reading level EII where she is developing a better understanding of multiple paragraphs with reason and logic. Her eagerness to learn from her mistakes allows her to continually improve and master new concepts! Keep it up Rati!