Joshua was enrolled into Kumon Mathematics and English in February 2022, when he was in Year 3. Now, he is in Year 5 at school and is an advanced student studying both programmes at a level equivalent to one year ahead of his school grade. Last year, Joshua received an academic certificate from his school for demonstrating excellent skills and understanding in a mathematics test.
Joshua says there are many ways that Kumon is helping him, both in school and elsewhere.
“I help my mum work out sums when she needs me to,” he says. “In school, it is awesome when I already know the maths work before we start it in class. This helps me with my confidence.”
Joshua says he is considering becoming a tradesperson when he grows up. He believes that strong calculation ability is an important skill for his future.
Brigetta, Joshua’s mother, says Kumon’s structure and focus on the basics was of great benefit to her son.
I think the Kumon programme took my child back to basics. Then it really solidified his learning as he moved through the levels. It’s been really helpful for him because he’s grown in skill and confidence as he’s hit each milestone.
Brigetta also says that his Kumon Instructor was able to individualise and tailor the programme around Joshua’s learning needs, which includes managing ADHD, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia. As Kumon is a home-based, daily study programme, Brigetta says while it is not easy and perseverance is required, Kumon’s benefits for students make it worthwhile.
“Give Kumon a good go,” she says. “It does take some serious perseverance from both parents and children, but your child will definitely reap the rewards later and gain confidence in their own abilities. It cements their learning at school and seeing Joshua’s face light up every time he passes a module or does well in a test at school is just so wonderful.”
The Kumon Mathematics programme develops the quick, precise calculation skills necessary for the study of high school mathematics. It is a comprehensive programme, beginning with the basics of number recognition, counting and writing; the four basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; fractions and decimals, before moving onto more advanced topics such as algebra, equations, functions and calculus.
As Joshua is developing these capabilities through Kumon Mathematics, Brigetta has confidence that her son will make smooth academic progress through school.
“For me, maths is so important. I know Joshua will excel at school, and this will afford him more opportunities to go to university and who knows from there,” Brigetta says.
“So, I think it’s really been helpful to get him through. Furthermore, because Joshua’s work in Kumon is being solidified, he can move on to the next level and not really forget what he’s learned, which is really important when you have ADHD.”
“Later in life I think it’s definitely going to help him if he wants to be in a trade or something similar.”
Equally important to strong calculation ability is reading. Kumon English builds a high level of reading comprehension ability. To inspire students to read widely, the worksheets contain more extracts from published texts than any other reading programme in the world. They are arranged in order of increasing difficulty, from the simplest to the most complex.
The worksheets begin with familiar words, phrases and short sentences. Students then learn to read and write by sounding short vowels, consonants and sound parts; tracing, copying and writing words; and reading aloud short passages. They progress to reading and writing simple and complex sentences, and comprehending paragraphs. The worksheets culminate in summarising and critical reading.
Joshua is making strong progress in his reading through Kumon English.
For 40-years since Kumon arrived in Australia in 1984, more than one million students like Joshua have been supported to develop confidence, study habits and essential mathematics and reading skills. During this time, over one million children have relied on Kumon to develop essential mathematics and reading skills through studying Kumon worksheets. In September 2023, Kumon had 59,000 students enrolled in Kumon centres in Australia and New Zealand.
These achievements demonstrate Kumon to be a trusted, dependable organisation, who are dedicated to improving learning outcomes for children.
To learn more about how Kumon Mathematics and English can help your child, please contact your nearest Kumon centre:
