How does Kumon work?

The Kumon programmes are for every child, whether gifted or in need of extra help, and every child will follow their own path of learning, working at a pace and level which is just right for them. In this way, we will ensure they develop a firm foundation in maths and English, while becoming an independent, confident learner equipped for success.

How it works

Easing them in
Following an initial diagnostic test your child will study familiar work to build their confidence, develop their study skills and build a work habit.

From day one, the Kumon Instructor will be working on building your child’s concentration, ensuring they sit with a good posture and work at a steady rhythm, as they get into the habit of studying every day and understand how to progress through the worksheets.

Encouraging independence
As students move on to work they haven’t seen before, they begin to learn new topics by themselves, by following the instructions and examples on the worksheets.

Here, students will be building on what they’ve learned in the previous worksheets, they will be correcting their own mistakes and will know how to use the hints given. They will also develop the ability to work under timed conditions.

Having confidence in their own abilities
As students advance, they are able to apply their knowledge to review the questions and select the most appropriate methods and techniques to tackle high-level work.

By this stage, they will be able to take ownership of their own learning and set their own goals. They will be increasingly independent and will tackle work with an ‘I can do it’ attitude.

The Kumon parent
Whilst the Instructor will support your child in the centre, we ask parents to support their learning at home. Here’s how:

Create the right environment

Find a quiet space they can work in every day, allowing them to give their full attention to the worksheets. Schedule their study time and ensure once they start, they don’t stop until that day’s work is completed.

Kumon does require parents to mark their child’s worksheets every day so they can correct their mistakes straight away, and are able to learn from them. If your child is experiencing difficulties with a particular question or worksheet, they can let the Instructor know and address it during class.

Giving encouragement and praise while supporting with marking and feedback
At Kumon, we want your child’s learning to be a positive experience. Setting medium and long-term goals in consultation with your child will allow the Instructor to make a study projection to achieve these.

The Instructor provides feedback and guidance based on their observations (paying attention to the development of your child’s study skills, how they tackle new work, their ability to self-correct and their growing maths and English proficiency) to help build their academic and self-learning skills.

Focusing on the improvements a parent notices in their child, no matter how small, helps build confidence in their own abilities and maintains their motivation and enthusiasm for learning.

As a Kumon student progresses through their Kumon journey, they will increasingly take charge of their own learning, as they become an independent learner.

Discover your child’s potential and book Kumon’s two-week Free Trial at your local study centre.