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 !
Brandon's story
Brandon completed the Kumon Math Program when he was just 12 years old. When he was 4, his mother enrolled him in the Kumon Math and Reading Program. Within a few years, he was studying 3 years above grade level and teachers in school recommended him to be in the school district’s gifted program. Eventually, he was accelerated to the next grade in elementary school and continued excelling through advanced placement courses in high school, garnering awards along the way.
One of the things Brandon liked most about Kumon was that he was challenged to think for himself, leading him to advance above grade level. He said, “after completing the Kumon Math Program, high school math classes were easier, and I was able to focus my time on other passions.”
Brandon has many passions and aspirations in life. As an avid coder and robotics team leader, he led his team to the PA State First Tech Challenge Championships semi-finals three times and participated in Science Fair every year since 8th grade. Although robotics is his most recent passion, his love for gymnastics, piano and drums led him to become a gymnastics student coach and a jazz band member at the Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble. He will be starting his college career at Stanford University studying computer science with an academic scholarship in the fall of 2020.