Kumon is the world’s largest after-school enrichment program. Our math and reading curriculums start with preschool material for kids as young as age three, and advance all the way to the end of high school.

Kumon has two sides: the academic learning side and the side where we teach students how to self-learn, gain confidence and become independent thinkers. We combine advancing their math and reading skills with teaching them how to become even better students. They learn how to put in effort. How to learn from failure. How to evaluate and be analytical when they’re solving a problem and find a mistake—and how not to erase the whole answer but go back and find exactly where the mistake occurred.

Over time, many of our students become very confident as they work on material years beyond their grade level. They often find themselves doing school homework much faster and with better results. And many are able to qualify for advanced classes in high school that help with their future college education.

In the Kumon Program, students learn through daily practice of about 30 minutes per subject per day. Two days a week they complete assignments at their Kumon Center, and the other days they do them at home, or wherever life takes them. When you first enroll your children, we’ll have them complete a placement test that identifies the most appropriate starting level for them. This has nothing to do with their age or grade in school; it’s about the skills they’ve mastered to date. Based on their starting level, they’ll work on daily assignments through what we call a self-learning approach. As they’re working on their assignments, we’re also assessing whether they’ve mastered each concept by looking at their speed and accuracy. If they’ve mastered it, great! They advance to the next level. If they haven’t, we have them go back to relearn those concepts.

Kids can be enrolled in Kumon from as young as age 3, all the way through high school.

A wonderful difference between the Kumon curriculum and the school curriculum is that your children advance based on their abilities alone. In school, your kids are limited—regardless of their knowledge level, if they’re in third grade, they’ll be limited to studying third-grade material. In Kumon, however, they have the freedom to move ahead when they’re ready for each incremental lesson. That’s why so many Kumon children are studying material one, two, three or more years ahead of their grade level.

If you are concerned that your child will be bored in school after advancing with Kumon, our parents and students report the opposite. Students with a firm grasp of the fundamentals in math and reading become much more engaged and self-confident in school. Doing homework each night also becomes less daunting and time consuming—a plus for both students and parents. And with Kumon, you have more information on how their learning is advancing, so you can make sure any curriculum includes classes that are appropriately challenging.

1. Tutoring may not get to the root of the problem.

   When a child needs help with math or reading, tutoring often focuses on addressing an immediate need. The Kumon Method recognizes that a child’s struggle likely stems from having missed earlier, fundamental learning.

2. Kumon identifies where your child’s learning started to fall behind, while a tutor may not.

   To fix the root of your child’s struggles, the starting point needs to be correct. While a tutor may begin tutoring a fifth grader on fifth-grade material, Kumon may start them at a different level.

3. Tutoring is passive learning. Kumon teaches self-learning.

   A tutor often sits with a child and explains how to solve a problem. This makes the child a passive learner, listening to an explanation with no guarantee the concept has been fully grasped. Conversely, self-learning in Kumon keeps your children actively engaged. They learn by studying examples that equip them to do the work on their own.

If your child is a bit behind in school, struggling with homework or having some difficulties with math or reading, Kumon is an excellent choice. Kids often struggle in school because the teacher moves on without knowing if every student fully understands the lesson. Our method uses carefully designed worksheets. Each teaches a lesson that’s one small step more advanced than the previous one. As children complete each worksheet, our method ensures they have fully absorbed that concept before moving on. If your child is like many kids who come to us a little behind, he or she will likely be ahead of his or her peers after spending some time with us.

Kumon is based on the concept of self-learning. To understand self-learning, it’s important to first understand what we’re all familiar with, which is traditional learning. In the classroom environment, your children are often passive learners. They may be sitting in class, but are they always paying attention? Are they fully engaged or daydreaming in space? There’s no guarantee they’re fully grasping every lesson the teacher is teaching.

Conversely, self-learning in Kumon ensures your children are always actively engaged. They learn by studying examples, which empower them to do the work on their own. This differs from sitting in front of a teacher—or a tutor—listening to them explain how to solve the problem. Your kids learn by doing, not watching, and build the confidence to rely on themselves instead of what the teacher knows.

Every child is different. Children advance at their own pace through their program of worksheets. Since each worksheet teaches a lesson that’s one step more advanced than the previous one, children fully absorb each concept before moving on. That’s a big part of why Kumon works for kids of all abilities. And why so many of our kids end up studying above grade level.

All of our Instructors are required to have a four-year degree, and all have completed extensive Kumon curriculum training.

Kumon works alongside it and is supplemental to your child’s schoolwork. During your Parent Orientation, you’ll speak with the Instructor and will be able to see the Center and our materials, so you can understand how it works.

While we don’t specifically do test preparation for SAT, ACT or state standardized testing, we help our students develop the work skills they need to feel very prepared for major standardized exams. Our timed assignments also help children become comfortable working in those high-pressure test-taking conditions. Our program also helps strengthen time-management and problem-solving skills.

The most important step you can take is to help your child establish a routine by scheduling daily “Kumon time.” To encourage your child, you’ll want to celebrate and praise victories and progress large or small. Younger children may need some extra guidance from you in completing worksheets. It’s also very important to maintain regular communication with your Instructor about homework, motivation, curriculum or any other major activity in your child’s life. The Instructor is there for you as well as your child, and wants what you want: to help your child succeed.

The typical cost for the Kumon Program ranges from $110 to $140 per subject per month, but most Kumon Centers are individually owned and operated, so that cost may vary slightly by Center. During your Parent Orientation, your Kumon Instructor will discuss tuition and fees.

Your first step is to schedule a free Parent Orientation at the Kumon Center most convenient for you. Click here to find a Center near you. At that session your Kumon Instructor will provide further information on how the Kumon Program works and answer your questions. Your child will also complete our free assessment test, which helps your Kumon Instructor determine the perfect starting point for your child’s lessons. You should plan on spending between 45 and 60 minutes at the Parent Orientation.

1. In traditional teaching, your kids are passive learners, meaning they listen to someone explain how to solve a problem, instead of figuring it out for themselves.

2. Kumon teaches them self-learning, where your kids learn by studying examples and figure out how to complete the work on their own. They learn to rely on themselves, not on what the teacher knows.

3. This ability to learn independently is a valuable skill that can help them be successful in school and throughout their lives.

1. In school, a teacher may move on to a new lesson, but not all children may have fully absorbed and mastered the previous one. Even the best students sometimes miss bits and pieces of fundamental learning. This missed learning adds up and can lead to difficulties later on.

2. In Kumon, kids complete short, daily assignments known as the Kumon Worksheets. Each is designed to ensure your child fully masters a concept before moving on to the next, incrementally more challenging worksheet. This is how Kumon eliminates the learning gaps that often lead to struggles in school.

3. For over 60 years, this proven Kumon Worksheet method has helped Kumon kids advance and reach their full potential.

1. In school, children traditionally learn at one speed—the pace of the class. So if your kids master a concept more quickly than their peers, they have to wait until the class moves ahead to the next lesson. In Kumon, your kids continually advance at their own pace, often beyond the material allowed for their grade in school. That’s why even young students can progress to high school calculus, Shakespeare and other advanced material with Kumon.

2. If your child moves ahead in Kumon, will he or she be bored in school? Our parents and students report the opposite. Students who walk into school with a firm grasp of the fundamentals become much more engaged and self-confident in class. Each night’s homework also becomes less daunting and time consuming, making evenings more enjoyable for everyone.

1. Even if your kids attend extracurricular activities like sports or music, they’ll have time for Kumon. Two days a week, they’ll complete their Kumon Worksheets at their Kumon Center, with the instructor there to guide them and monitor their progress. The other days, the Kumon worksheets are done at home.

2. As your kids advance in the Kumon Program, they’ll likely find themselves completing class homework assignments more quickly and feeling more prepared for tests. This can actually leave them with more free time than their friends.