In March 2020, Kumon Instructors throughout the UK coped remarkably when centres were, almost overnight, required to close their doors due to the outbreak of the pandemic. Many immediately took on the unfamiliar challenge of running classes online.

Online study turned out to be so successful over the subsequent months that many Kumon Instructors have decided it’s here to stay. For families wishing to enrol at Kumon, the choice is now often very much theirs – online classes via Zoom from home, or in-person classes with their Instructor at the Kumon centre.

Many parents considering enrolling their child in Kumon have the same question: “I don’t want to overload my young child, but equally I want to give them the best possible head start…So what’s the best age to begin Kumon?”

At Kumon, we believe that, essentially, the sooner children can begin, the better. Here we discuss the reasons we believe an early start is important.

As it’s not an instantly recognisable word within the English language, you may be wondering where the word ‘Kumon’ comes from, and how the world’s leading supplementary education provider came to acquire its famous name.

Kumon is in fact named after its founder - Mr Toru Kumon. Whilst many Kumon students are familiar with his story, what’s perhaps less well-known is the extent to which Toru’s own philosophies on life are woven into the Kumon Method itself.

Some parents may worry whether their child knows enough about numbers and letters ahead of starting school. Whilst familiarity with the basics of numeracy and literacy can certainly give children a great head start, what Reception teachers tend to be more interested in is whether children can perform basic, day-to-day ‘self-management’ skills. If these practical skills are already in place, your child is likely to get much more out of their learning experiences in the classroom.

We first met Diya in 2017 when she was seven and appeared in our Kumon advertising. In the past four years, Diya has remained focused on her Kumon and has just completed the Kumon English Programme! Diya’s parents are in no doubt that her excellent relationship with Kumon Instructor, Eirini, has been instrumental to her success so far.

How does it feel to be an Instructor and develop a child through to programme completion?  We spoke with Diya’s Instructor, Eirini Grammatikopoulou, from the Kumon Chelmsford North Study Centre to find out what it’s like to work with the students that she has.