Can I do Kumon online?

Along with many businesses worldwide, Kumon was faced with a new challenge in March 2020 when centres were, almost overnight, required to close their doors due to the outbreak of the pandemic. Kumon Instructors throughout Ireland and the UK coped remarkably; many immediately took on the unfamiliar challenge of running classes online, ensuring that their students’ learning and development could continue at a time when our daily lives were disrupted so unexpectedly.

Online study turned out to be so successful over the subsequent months that many Kumon Instructors have decided it’s here to stay. For families wishing to enrol at Kumon, the choice is now often very much theirs – online classes via Zoom from home, or in-person classes with their Instructor at the Kumon centre.

Having enrolled at the Kumon Portishead Study Centre in September 2019, Charlie, now 13-years-old, was one of many Kumon students to experience the transition from in-centre to online classes. When the Portishead centre was once again permitted to open its doors later in 2020, Charlie and his parents decided that they would continue with classes over Zoom.

Charlie’s mother, Sarah, told us: “Once we’d got the hang of setting up the computer camera so that his Instructor, Vicky, could see his writing, Charlie actually found it a lot easier working online. He continues to attend classes on Zoom once a week and feels much more comfortable working at home. There are benefits for us as parents, too: we don’t have the stress of getting him ready to drive to a class and we don’t have the issue of arranging our evening around taking him. This also means he can carry on with his homework and other activities with little disruption.”

Kumon is a daily study programme; students typically attend up to two classes a week, and complete around 30 minutes (per subject) of set work at home on the days in-between classes. This combination of regular class sessions and independent daily practice means students build their skills in small, manageable steps, steadily increasing their ability and confidence under the guidance of their expert Instructor.

Vicky, Charlie’s Instructor, plans to continue offering online classes for the foreseeable future. She told us, “There are so many benefits. We have numerous students who now only use our Zoom class option, and they are making incredible progress. They receive close instruction and feedback in a quiet and comfortable environment. Parents can also hear the instruction their child receives and can mirror that at home on homework days.

“Online classes are a convenient option for busy families, too. There’s no travel time or cost, and no waiting for children while they’re in class. I will continue to offer online classes at my Kumon centre so that families can choose the option that best suits them.”

To find out more about the availability of online and in-centre Kumon classes in your local area, you can search for centres within Ireland here. You can also submit an enquiry form to request a free, no-obligation assessment meeting for your family.