Kumon



Kumon Institute of Education Co. Ltd. (公文教育研究会, Kumon Kyōiku Kenkyūkai) is an educational network based in Japan and created by Toru Kumon. It uses his Kumon Method to teach mathematics and reading primarily for young students.

History
Kumon was founded by Toru Kumon, a Japanese educator, in July 1958, when he opened the first Kumon Maths Centre in Moriguchi, Osaka. Prior to creating the Kumon franchise, Kumon taught at Kochi Municipal High School and Tosa Junior/Senior High School. Inspired by teaching his own son, Takeshi, Kumon developed a curriculum focused on rote memorization.

Kumon initially grew slowly, only gaining 63,000 students over its first 16 years. However, in 1974, Kumon published a book titled The Secret of Kumon Math, leading to a doubling of its size in the next two years. Kumon opened their first United States locations in 1983, and by 1985, Kumon reached 1.4 million students.

Kumon attracted national attention in the United States after it was implemented at Sumiton Elementary School, in Sumiton, Alabama. This was the first instance in which an American school integrated the Kumon Math Method into the regular K–4 mathematics curriculum. Sumiton continued to use the Kumon program through 2001, and influenced other schools to also adopt the Kumon method in their curriculum.

As of 2008, Kumon had over 26,000 centers around the globe with over 4 million registered students. As of 2018, there were 410,000 students enrolled in 2,200 centers across the United States.

In North America, Kumon began a "Junior Kumon" program in 2001, targeted at children aged 2–5 years old.

Kumon method of learning
Kumon is an enrichment or remedial program, where instructors and assistants tailor instruction for individual students.

All Kumon programs are pencil-and-worksheet-based, with a digital program starting in 2023. The worksheets increase in difficulty in small increments. The program recommends that students study 30 minutes per subject on their own for five days of the week, and visit their local Kumon Center or attend a virtual class the other two days.

Psychologist Kathy Hirsh-Pasek claims that using such techniques for 2, 3, and 4-year-olds "does not give your child a leg up on anything", though studies have observed a high percentage of efficacy.