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 !
Aileen's Story
I remember the first day I started Kumon in 4th grade, I was unsure if I would be good at math, fast forward about 6 years and here I am, completing the program, something I never thought would happen. I partially didn’t think I can finish because when became more active in school like the law academy, moot court/debate, orchestra, and exec meetings, I didn’t think that I’ll have the time to finish it, but I truly believe that if you want something to happen, nothing can stop you from making it happen.
Mrs. Patel will help you finish the program and give you suggestions on what to do in order to do so. Kumon has been helpful to me in more ways than one, it helped me mathematically, I was able to be mental math quickly that most people can’t do and I’m helping people who are older with their math, it showed me that I can do anything I set my mind on, and Kumon helps you grasp concepts fully and quickly. Kumon has taught me a lot about myself like my strengths and weaknesses that I may never have found out if I had never done Kumon and I am truly grateful for that.
Shay's success story
Over the last 8 years, I have been working my way up until this day. During those years, I learned many things such as context clues, how to analyze poems, and many vocabulary words. Finishing reading has helped me very much during school. When I was younger and struggling to read, Kumon gave me the push I needed to help me. Because of Kumon, I am now in my advanced classes which will help me in the future. Mrs. Patel and the other instructors have been a great help whenever I needed it. The Kumon community is extremely supportive, making learning and asking questions easier. Once again, thank you Kumon!
Te family testimony
I'll try to keep this short and sweet, but it's difficult because of how much Kumon has helped our family thrive over the years. The kids thoroughly enjoy school because of the benefits of Kumon. For example, Austin is regularly looked to in his Kindergarten class as the star reader. They ask him to read to the class, and kids come up to him for help at times. It has really helped shift him into more of a leadership role amongst his peers. And, as we all know, confidence breeds success and growth, so this goes a long way. Furthermore, as both of our kids feel extremely comfortable tackling the academic aspects of school, they have much more time and energy to devote to social and extracurricular activities. Emma dances competitively while juggling multiple sports per season. And she's free to do this because schoolwork itself doesn't weigh on her.
Detractors of Kumon regularly point to the aspect of rote memorization of Kumon. And from the outside looking in, it wouldn't be difficult to believe that after seeing piles upon piles of the packets awaiting Kumon students. In fact, I was a bit weary of this in the beginning as well. However, after our kids have gone through several years of the program, we can see that the method plants the seeds for independent, self-driven learning. The act of learning isn't just reserved for crunching numbers or reading text; it's a process that is fine-tuned through many iterations of learning new subjects. Our kids regularly follow the emotional cycle of change through Kumon's curriculum. When they travel through uninformed optimism of a new packet level, only to hit informed pessimism upon trying the new material, they gradually work towards hopeful realism as they correct their mistakes. Then, with informed optimism, they gain confidence, and will eventually experience change upon completion. This cycle repeats regularly, and I feel like our kids adapt to learning more effectively upon each cycle. The critical thinking required for the math packets, for example, are seen applied whenever Austin starts learning a new board game meant for older kids. We also see Emma regularly challenging herself with chapter books normally reserved for the middle schoolers. The great part is that they genuinely love these activities, and naturally gravitate towards them.
The most important aspect of Kumon is that it fosters whole-family buy-in. Yes, it's not easy staying up with your kids while helping them with their work. We've fought through the tears and fits (and still do to this very day). Kumon takes work. It's not an easy, hands-off solution. But much like anything valuable in life, it takes time and dedication. We've taken the steps to integrate Kumon into our morning routine. Alongside their breakfast, Emma and Austin regularly try to wrap up their work before leaving for school. Most of the time we have work leftover, but at least they've begun the work, and there is, surprisingly, very little pushback during the morning sessions. It also helps that both mom and dad are sitting at that same breakfast table. If it's an easy Kumon day, we even have time to check our email. But the most important part is that the entire family is gathered, and we're working at the same time. This initiates dialogue about why we learn, and our roles in the family. We tell our kids that Kumon is their job. Sure, it doesn't pay a salary now, but it will eventually help them excel in whatever they choose to do later in life. And like most jobs, it's not usually glamorous, nor posh. But we do it because we have to. It's my hope that one day, after my kids graduate from Kumon, they'll appreciate the level of grit and perseverance that they've gained, which will help them live fully enriching lives.