Articles for parents

How Kumon boosts confidence and prepares children for academic success

31 January 2013

Reports today state that 58% of children in England who have utilised supplementary education, did so to be coached for an exam. The rise in the use of supplementary education over the last few years, despite the recession, indicates the value parents place on their child's education. We all know exams can be a pressurised time for children, and parents will want their child to enter the exam hall with confidence.

At Kumon, we place great value on confidence and nurture this in each of our students. Rather than preparing a child for a particular exam, our unique programmes empower children to learn for themselves. From day one a Kumon student experiences success as they build their independent learning skills and confidence in their own abilities. A Kumon student is therefore never dependent on - or limited by - the skills and knowledge of others.

As Kumon aims to develop independent study skills, a Kumon study centre does not have a teacher at the front of the class, nor do we provide one-to-one tuition. Our carefully developed worksheets teach students how to find the answer for themselves, whilst the Instructor guides students along their journey providing individualised instruction.

We offer the maths and English programmes as we believe these subjects are the building blocks for all academic success. Through studying these programmes children gain transferable skills and a foundation is laid for effective learning across all other subjects, both at school and beyond.

Each child initially starts at a comfortable level with a focus on building a strong foundation in the way they study; this stage develops pace, concentration and rhythm, whilst also cultivating the child's ability to work independently.

Once this foundation is established, more challenging work is set to help the child discover and learn for themselves. They will be guided to apply what they have already learned to solve questions they have never seen before, ultimately progressing to study advanced work above their school level. Learning in this way builds confidence from the offset as the worksheets lead the students to finding the answers for themselves. This process nurtures confident, independent children who can utilise their transferable skills to succeed, whether it is in an exam or any other challenge in life.