Kumon method

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The Kumon Logo
The Kumon Logo

The Kumon method, created by Japanese educator Toru Kumon, is one of the largest maths and language tutoring systems in the world. As of 2007, there are over 4 million children studying under the Kumon Method in over 43 different countries. There are more than 1,400 Kumon centers in North America.

Students do not work together but progress through the levels at their own pace, moving on to the next level when they have achieved mastery of the previous level. This sometimes involves repeating the same set of worksheets until the student achieves a satisfactory score within a specified time limit. In Kumon centers in the U.S., the mathematics program starts with very basic skills, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and progresses to increasingly challenging levels, such as college-level calculus, probability and statistics. The Kumon Method does not provide geometry training, as it is difficult to self-study calculus and therefore would not fit within the Kumon Method of learning.

In Kumon centers in the U.S., the reading program focuses in the early stages on reading and word building. Like the math program, the Kumon reading program builds upon basic skills, reaching more advanced skills like summary and interpretation of texts in the higher levels.

While the mathematics program is the same world-wide, countries may have their own language program. Furthermore, the language program may be different based upon the region. For example, the Chinese reading program in China is different from those in Hong Kong, which is different than that in Singapore. Additionally, Kumon Korea has other subjects that students can learn, such as chemistry, calligraphy, Korean, Chinese characters, etc. Just recently, the world's first Thai worksheets were developed and launched by Kumon Thailand.

[edit] The Thinking Face Logo

Around 2002 Kumon released a new company logo in Japan, and was named the Thinking Face. The logo was released in the United States in March, 2003. This logo consists of the letter "o" in "Kumon" being replaced with a Thinking Face. The Thinking Face as contained in the Kumon logo was developed to represent not only the children, who, thinking deeply as they study, gain the necessary life skills and academic ability at the centers, but also the instructors that guide the children in their study in the centers, because just like the children, these instructors are also continually learning and developing with each day. The Thinking Face represents the child thinking as he or she studies.

The blue color appearing in the logo represents honesty, intelligence, and integrity, as well as the color of the sky. Since the sky is universal to everyone in the world, it represents the universality of the Kumon Method. In addition, the "sky blue" color used also represents Kumon's hope that the world will achieve unity, that the future of all children will grow on a grand scale and that all people all over the world will think deeply about education.

[edit] Timeline

  • 1954 July - Toru Kumon creates a learning method for his son.
  • 1959 July - The number of enrolled students exceeds 10,000.
  • 1974 January - The first overseas Kumon center is set up in New York, United States.
  • 1975 July - The number of enrolled students exceeds 100,000.
  • 1975 September - The first overseas Kumon office is set up in Taiwan.
  • 1980 April - The Kumon English Program is started.
  • 1981 April - The Kumon Japanese Program is started.
  • 1981 November - The number of Kumon students worldwide exceeds 1 million.
  • 1981 and onward - The Kumon industry spreads throughout the world
  • 2004 October - The North American workbook publishing division of Kumon is established.

[edit] External links

Kumon North America (KNA)

Kumon Japan & Kumon Institute of Education (KIE)

Kumon Asia & Oceania (KAO)

Kumon Elsewhere in Asia

Kumon South America (KSA)

Kumon Europe and Africa (KEA)

    • For correspondence study in Bahrain, please contact Kumon United Kingdom
    • For study in Italy, please contact Kumon United Kingdom

Kumon Elsewhere in Europe

    • For study in Austria, please contact Kumon Germany
    • For study in France, please contact Kumon Germany
    • For study in Hungary, please contact Kumon Germany
    • For study in Switzerland, please contact Kumon Germany
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