Come 4 p.m., the local Kumon Center in Superstition Springs really gets busy, with children buzzing in to pick up their package from the honeycomb compartments behind the reception desk.
Learning is sweet at Kumon, it seems. Kids just sit down and do it.
“Each child learns at a different speed and rate,” stated Kathy Leano, owner and executive director. “We cater to each child’s individual math or reading ability. Once the student has achieved mastery of a concept, he is moved on to the next level.”
If you’re quick and accurate, let’s say, solving 140 problems in 30 minutes max, you have mastered the level. Students enjoy this self-directed challenge, because they only have to compete with themselves.
At the starting point, students receive a placement test. Then, they are gently eased into a performance curriculum. Regardless whether students seek remedial coaching or enrichment, they soon catch up to their best potential—or a grade level above.
“Here at Kumon,” Kathy said, “you can be advanced and not be stressed. Students can progress as far as they want, and not be limited by their grade or age. Schools don’t have the manpower for such an individualized approach.”
Kathy, originally from Hawaii, has lived the Kumon creed for many years. She has an MBA in finance and marketing, and was a longtime field consultant for Kumon corporate, ensuring U.S. centers correctly applied the method. Kathy bought the Superstition Springs location three years ago, because she wanted to be involved with students again.
“We provide precise math and reading curricula for students K through 12, and even into college,” the director said. In the process, students build up concentration, focus and mental acuity, as well as time management and test-taking strategies.
“We tell students to preview each test, and put the hardest problems last as to not lose points on easy questions,” Kathy continued. “At the higher levels, we teach students to solve problems in a more efficient way and explore strategizing.”
Kumon sometimes has to patch significant academic gaps. “A lot of kids are struggling in first grade, because they suddenly are expected to read, but they never learned the blended sounds and vowel combinations in kindergarten,” Kathy pointed out.
“We are always strict on grammar and punctuation,” she said. “We can’t let the standards go just because they write beautifully. The handwriting has to be neat, as well.” The pencil grip! Definitely. It is not just an outdated technique.
At the center, students work quietly and independently, while parents sit by or run errands. Sixth-grader Alex pulls a pre-algebra packet he has not finished, and fourth-grader Rachel works on decimal conversions. They go right to it.
Shraddha Patel, mom of Shivam, who is in the first grade, and Shrey, who is in the fourth grade, at Franklin Elementary School, had specific goals in mind when she enrolled her sons. “Shrey had a problem in preschool. He was bilingual, and we were unfamiliar with the teaching style,” she said.
So, a friend recommended Kumon to Shraddha. Both boys started the program at 4 years old, and have been very happy with their accomplishments. “Our goal is to get Shrey into level G, Algebra I, before he is in fifth grade.”
“I challenged myself to do the package within time limits,” said Shrey, who wants to be a doctor. His younger brother, Shivam, is just as ambitious. “He is so fast in his tasks and helpful that his teacher loves him,” Shraddha stated.
No limits to the top indeed. Ayush, a second-grader, from Cambridge Academy, has been attending Kumon studies for two years. He has become a wizard at division, so much so that everybody in class wants to get the right answers from him.
And what does he want to be when he grows up? “A Kumon instructor,” he said without hesitation. That’s how much he has come to love learning and mentoring there.
About Kumon
Since 1954, when Toru Kumon developed teaching materials for his son, who was struggling in math, the methodology has spread to 46 countries worldwide. There are more than 26,000 Kumon centers worldwide, and well above 4 million students enrolled. The Kumon success principles are based on three pillars—the level of material must correspond to the student’s ability; the rate of progress is determined by the student, not the teacher; and the material must be organized into a logical progression.
Stop in for a visit on Monday or Thursday afternoons, from 3:30 to 7 p.m. at the Superstition Springs Kumon Center, located at the southeast corner of Power Road and Southern Avenue. To find out more about Kumon learning strategies and availability, call Kathy Leano at (480) 807-5515.