Khang - Math and Reading Program Completer
I completed the last level of math at Kumon last month (April 2022). Being in 8th grade, that was a whopping three years since I completed the Kumon reading program. Nevertheless, I remembered the emotion vividly as I walked out of the Kumon building that evening. Free. Proud. Featherily light. Zero gravity. Suddenly, old memories came back just as clear as ever.
My journey at Kumon started at 3, when I was still wearing diapers but eager and proud. I came to Kumon already reading and doing simple math, so things were easy for me. I started with reading to improve fine motor skills, and then math was added six months later. At the age of 5, I knew the multiplication table by heart, and I read chapter books to other kids in my class to their amazement. Piano and sports were eventually added, but that did not add any constraints to my Kumon schedule. I completed the reading program in 5th grade and set a goal to complete the math program in middle school. When things got tough (and trust me, doing calculus and trigonometry in elementary and middle school was not fun at all), it was a considerable temptation to discontinue, give up, quit, or fold. However, I am glad I was not given that option. I am glad I continued.
Kumon was an investment with momentous return. Being many grade levels ahead because of Kumon, I slide through all the math classes at school with ease. My English grade is also stellar. I cannot stress enough how vital the Kumon reading passages were, as they were precisely the same as the books I read and learned later in middle school. I have lost count of how many times I buzzed and answered a quiz bowl question because the answer came from a Kumon text I read many years back. I also credit Kumon and its strong foundation for my SAT score of 1250 (no writing) that I took at the beginning of 7th grade. Academics aside, the most significant return on investment was its individualized learning method that has honed me to become the person I am today. At Kumon, we do not have teachers; we have facilitators. The Kumon method allows students to build up knowledge and self-explore solutions with little guidance from one level to the next. The facilitators are there when I need them, but there is no handholding. I needed them a little more in the math levels M-O. I realized long ago that how students learn in Kumon is how students maneuver school and life’s obstacles. These acquired self-learning skills are essential for high school and college. I am a self-starter and a diligent explorer, and I do not give up. All these benefit me greatly in everything else I do, from playing the piano and chess to competing in quiz bowl and sports.
Last month, I walked out of Kumon so free, proud, and full of gratitude. I exhaled. Heck, that was 11 years of my life, but I know I am well prepared for high school and beyond. I did it. I completed both math and reading programs. And you can too.
Jan's Story
My name is Jan T., and I started the Kumon Math program at this center in 7th grade and finally completed it in 12th grade. I am off to the college of my choice soon and am currently a teaching assistant at the center, and I truly believe in the potential Kumon can unlock within students. This program, Mr. Steve, and the various staff have helped me in many more ways than the most obvious one, which is improving my math skills.
Kumon exercised my problem-solving skills. Kumon Math isn’t just about knowing how to work with numbers; the work is set up in such a way that students first develop a strong foundation, so they truly know what they are doing. They then use their knowledge to take on unfamiliar problems. Even though it may seem like just numbers, the Kumon math worksheets are an effective way for students to practice solving problems using information.
Kumon helped me develop a good work ethic and discipline. Students often do their homework for school because they feel obligated to. At Kumon, while there may be some obligation to do homework, students must have an intrinsic motivation to consistently do worksheets if they want to make progress in the program. Completing work because it is a good source of practice and learning is much better mindset to have than doing it to beat a deadline.
Kumon helped enable me to become an independent self-learner. This program isn’t focused on 1-on-1 instruction, a type of instruction which is okay in some cases but not the most effective for lifelong learning. Kumon is structured in such a way that the student is responsible for most of what he/she is learning rather than having information simply handed to them. Though the program isn’t meant to last a lifetime, the exposure to self-learning sticks with Kumon students forever.
Kumon made SAT math and high school math seem easier. Amazingly, Kumon math is aligned with SAT curriculum, so once a student at Kumon reaches a high enough level, they should be able to achieve a perfect score on the math section without a problem. Also, the rigor of Kumon math makes most of high school math seem like a breeze, even up to calculus.
A parent may wonder, “Can my child complete the Kumon Math program?” Of course, they can. The thing about me is that I started on level ‘B’ in 7th grade (the last level is ‘O’). From what I have seen as a teaching assistant at the center, every student is on track to finish the program much earlier than I have. They just need to understand that this program is much more than just extra homework- Kumon is giving them not only mastery of concepts necessary for success in high school, but all skills that will last a lifetime. I even tried to quit Kumon a few times, but I’m glad I didn’t because of all the ways it truly has benefitted me. Thank you Kumon for all that you have done for me and for students in the Pearland community!
Anirban's Story
I did it. After years of working page after page, I finally did it. I always thought it would come about a different way: people around me would be cheering. There would be a celebration. I would get fame. I could say I did it, all of those pages, by myself. I did the pages with ease. I finished first on reading, but then I had to finish the mathematics program. But that is not what happened. The last pages became very difficult. Concepts became more and more of a challenge. What became a sense of accomplishment became a feeling of worry. Could I do it? Was I able to handle it. I was not sure. But then I got help; I got lots of it from my instructors. They gave the support to push on and make it possible. They told me that I was the only one stopping myself from accomplishing great things. That is how, during the summer of 2014, I was able to finish the last three levels of Kumon. Recently, Derek Jeter has retired from 20 excellent years as a baseball player for the New York Yankees. He never did for the fame, the money, nor the accolades. He did it because he loves the sport, and because he wanted to be better than the Derek Jeter who wore that uniform the day before. I realized that revelation as well from working and learning from Kumon. Sure, I can teach you anything from differential calculus to Shakespearean plays. But it was much more than that. It was about having a drive to learn, to want to become more intelligent when you walked out than when you came in. Anirban, age 18 - Math Program completer, Fall 2014