My Experience at Kumon: Patrick Chow
For 8 years, since I was in elementary school I’ve been with the program. Through these 8 years, it has helped me grow and learn far beyond my level. I’ve been doing Math at Kumon for 8 years and I started from the very first level. Each year I approved more and more, I learned more and more and even managed to surpass what I was learning in school by years in Mathematics. The Math program at Kumon managed to even help me surpass my Math level by 3 whole years. Each year at ceremonies they would reward me with medals and certificates for doing so well and working hard in the program. Step by step through each level I would learn something new each day and whenever I hit a roadblock with my work, assistants at Kumon would be there to help me through it.
By the end of my stay with Kumon, I was doing first-year University level Mathematics in my grade 10 year. Kumon did truly help me learn so much in a friendly and welcoming environment. With the support of the assistants and instructors at Kumon, I managed to achieve great academic success. At 16 years of age, I’m finishing my experience at Kumon and I’ve really learned so much from the program. I thank all the teachers for all their help and hope others will join Kumon and have an amazing learning experience! Thank you, Kumon!
- Patrick Chow
Heliya: Our Early Learner and Rising Star
Heliya is one of our students in the Early Learners program. We asked our assistant, Kelly, to speak with Heliya's parents about their experience so far with Kumon, as well as Kelly's own experience working with Heliya:
Heliya began her journey to higher education at our centre in 2013. Enrolled in both our Math and Reading programs, she began her journey at level 4A for Math and level 6A for Reading. In less than a year, Heliya showed steady progress and advanced two levels in Math and four levels in Reading.
When her parents first enrolled her in Kumon, they simply hoped for her to be able to learn sufficiently at her own pace while improving her concentration and self-confidence when exposed to new concepts and material. Just a few months later, Heliya’s parents are able to acknowledge her many improvements in math and reading, stating that she is able to "read an easy-to-read book all by herself now before going to Grade 1 at school” as well as “[mentally] do add up to 10.” Heliya is currently studying at approximately her grade level for both subjects, which is a wonderful achievement as it signifies that she now has a solid foundation to build upon as she continues to sharpen and enhance her mathematical and reading abilities in both Kumon and in school.
From observing Heliya’s advancements, her progress at Kumon has not only given her a competitive edge in her education, but it has also given her a taste of independence through completing her work with less help and prompting. She is beginning to experience the satisfaction of being able to accurately practice and retain newly explored concepts to the extent that she even finds that certain concepts “[are] easy”, making her all the more eager to complete each question. Frequently arriving at Kumon with perfectly completed assignments and an eager smile on her face, her positive personality surely acts as motivation which enables her to absorb the contents of her assignments while integrating comments on how to improve her work efficiency. With such positivity and steadily augmenting self-confidence towards learning, her diligence will doubtlessly continue to prevail in her bright future.
Divya Krishnan: Our Reading Program Completer
Divya Krishnan was one of our former students, as well as one of our Reading Program Completers. Her elder sister, Drishya, was previously one of our Kumon assistants. We asked Drishya to share her sister's story through her eyes:
In September of 2005, Divya Krishnan was just commencing her second-to-last year in elementary school. Seeing her struggles in English, as well as her intuitive grasp of math concepts, her parents decided to enroll her in Kumon, in hopes of addressing both these aspects of her learning. During the following years, she went on to level K in Math and completed the entire Reading program.
She began from the very basics: level A in Math and level AI in Reading. Within the first few months, there were sure signs of improvement. In Math, she was flying through the early levels, creating a much stronger foundation from which to build on. It showed clearly in her schoolwork through the speed and ease with which she was able to complete all her given math work. Over the course of the year, she was able to pass through more than five levels, catching up and beginning to surpass the level of work done at school. Her school teachers were highly impressed and prompted her to work on Gr. 8 Math in her 7th grade. In Reading, she was able to keep adding to her previously lacking vocabulary, and her progress was apparent in the steadily increasing marks on her report card.
Other facets of her life were also enriched by the Kumon learning experience. Her love for reading was nurtured to new heights, and trips to the library increased dramatically. The discipline and time management skills she acquired were put to use throughout her high school life, and still, continue to be a key factor in her outstanding academic success in college. Her involvement in various aspects of the community are also augmented by the determination and sense of responsibility she cultivated through the years at Kumon, and there is no doubt that these values will continue to contribute to her successful life in the forthcoming years.
Noor: From Catching-up to Exceeding Expectations
We asked one of our assistants, Nabil, to give a testimonial on his younger sister, Noor, who is now studying level F (Four-Operation Fractions) in our Math program:
Noor began her studies in late autumn of 2011. Starting from level A in Math, she made very quick advancements to level F in under 3 years. Her sudden advancements have boosted her one year in the standard Math curriculum.
Noor’s parents hoped that by enrolling her in Kumon, she would both gain speed and accuracy in her math as well as gain a greater knowledge than what is being taught to her at school. The improvements they saw fit along the lines of what they were looking for. Not only has she surpassed her grade level but she has also gained skills to do mental math swiftly and with ease. It can be indisputably stated that the Kumon program has put her on the track to success. Her mother had this to say about the Kumon program:
“My daughter Noor was in grade 3 when I started her with Kumon. Her marks weren’t up to par and I felt that if her marks continued the way they were, they would keep getting lower and lower as she went into higher grades. For this reason, I signed her up in Kumon. After a few months, she improved her math skills drastically. She became faster at solving arithmetic and since then her marks in math have been above expectations.”