Common questions relating to Kumon study

Kumon study is available throughout Ireland with individual study centres charging fees that reflect their running costs. Click here to find the fees for your local study centre. All centres charge a:

• Registration fee payable before starting Kumon.
• Monthly subject fee per child, per subject, per month (Discounts or promotions vary from centre to centre).

Both, and every child in between. We can make this claim because of our individualised approach to education which always asks the question "What is best for each individual child?" Kumon welcomes students with special educational needs, gifted and talented children and all those who believe they can achieve more and fulfil their potential.

We have students as young as two years old so it is possible to start a Kumon programme as soon as you feel your family is ready to make the commitment to long-term study. The sooner children begin, the earlier they can start developing skills to obtain the greatest cumulative benefit.

Kumon's primary concern is a child's ability, not their age. Because of our individualised approach to education, we have children of similar ages studying different material, and children of different ages studying the same material. Everything is dependent on the individual's needs, not on how old they are.

An integral part of the Kumon philosophy is ensuring that a student begins their Kumon studies with staightforward work. This ensures: 

• that there are no gaps in your child's understanding of the subject. Having a previously undetected 'hole in the foundations' is unfortunately very common and leads to problems later on. We make sure that we build on completely solid foundations.
• that your child builds confidence from day one. Self confidence is vital to success in any area of life and an easy starting point ensures that your child experiences success right from the start
• that your child establishes a daily study habit. With difficult work, this habit is hard to ingrain, but a short, easy piece of work is manageable and will enable your child to get into a regular routine of studying Kumon.

The Kumon Method facilitates self-acquisition of the skills and study habits needed to improve academic performance. Rather than preparing them for a specific test or assessment, it empowers children to succeed on their own, giving them a sense of accomplishment that fosters further achievement. A child who develops learning tools in this way may never have to resort to costly tutoring. Kumon allows the individual needs and abilities of each child to govern his or her own progress, and this is why Kumon students can perform at 100% of their potential.

Working every day is indeed a commitment that requires dedication and perseverance, even if the daily amount of work is quite small. We take this approach because working little and often is simply more effective for the student than having longer study sessions - they will learn more efficiently, have less time to forget things and make stronger progress.

Mastery of a topic implies fluency, and that means not only being able to complete work accurately, but also quickly. Knowing the answer to '8x7' is one thing; being able to recall the answer immediately is quite another. Fluency, not just accuracy, is required if your child wishes to tackle more challenging work successfully.

Our philosophy always focuses on the long-term: what skills and attributes will a child need to be successful later in life (not just in the end-of-term exams)?  Success in secondary school requires good study skills and the ability to work independently. Parents and tutors can help, of course, but it is the way your child works when they are by themselves that will really determine the results they obtain. Kumon's materials and methodology nurture independent learning skills that will serve them throughout school and beyond. As the saying goes: "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach him how to fish and he eats for life."

Kumon runs on a drop-in basis with students coming to class for 20-30 minutes during the time that the study centre is open. It is not necessary to stay for the full two hours that a study centre is open. We do however require that parents or guardians stay on-site while their child is in the study centre.

The core of the Kumon method of learning is the worksheets, but we also use 30, 50 and 100-digit Numberboards to improve hand-eye coordination and number sense. We utilise times table drills when learning multiplication tables. For the English programme we have a Recommended Reading List which is linked to the levels of the programme, so that students can enjoy a wide range of books appropriate to the level they are studying.

Your child should be able to complete their homework independently (in certain situations, your Instructor may advise you differently e.g. for the very early levels, or holiday work, but these are exceptions rather than the rule). Your child may well ask you for help, but you should ensure that, as far as possible, they complete the work by themselves. If your child faces genuine difficulties with their work, ask them to stop and contact your Instructor for advice.

Behind every successful child is a supportive parent, and nowhere is this truer than with Kumon study. The main things you can do are: 

• provide your child with a regular time and place to study
• ensure that the study area is free of distractions
• encourage your child to tackle problem areas by themselves
• ensure that each day's work is marked and corrected
• provide plenty of praise and encouragement
• maintain good communication with your Instructor

Your local Instructor will be able to advise you on this issue during the enrolment. Many Kumon students speak English as an additional language and it rarely presents problems, even when English is the second language of their parent or guardian. Please bear in mind that you will be provided with an Answer Book to help you grade your child's work.

Although the programme is designed to be studied five days at home and two days in the study centre, we do have some opportunities to study Kumon via correspondence.