50 Years of Pursuing Potential
06/05/08
Half a century ago, a father’s love for his son led to the now famous and global ‘Kumon Method of Learning’.
It all started from a common experience. One day, a grade two boy returned home from school with a crumpled arithmetic test paper in his pocket. His mother found it and noticed the test result was poor.
The boy’s father, Toru Kumon, was a mathematics teacher and he took uncommon action which led to a child-centred approach to learning considered revolutionary even fifty years later.
Every night Tory Kumon carefully prepared mathematics problems on a sheet of paper for his son to solve for 30 minutes the following afternoon. He carefully matched these worksheets to his son’s growing ability to help the boy think for himself and grasp the concepts with little or no assistance.
Toru Kumon saw his son effectively self-learn concept after concept, which improved his grades and quickly allowed him to learn comfortably well in advance of his school curriculum. This proved to Toru Kumon that if education could truly match and nurture each child’s ability, they would be able to learn comfortably beyond expectations, beyond school curriculum, this leading to a more enjoyable school experience, opening up their lives and strengthening their character.
Encouraged by the requests of many local parents, Toru Kumon decided to open a mathematics study centre in his home for children in his neighbourhood. He witnessed that these children also responded enthusiastically to his worksheets and learning method. It led to his firm decision; to help as many children as possible pursue their potential in the same way.
Today, students are able to study mathematics and language worksheets through the Kumon Method in 45 Countries around the globe. Every hour of the day, children are somewhere studying their Kumon worksheets which are matched to their individual ability enabling them to pursue their own potential through self-learning.
We offer our sincere thanks to all families who have studied with Kumon over the last 50 years. We also offer our thanks to the millions of current students, their parents, and all the people who have so warmly welcomed Kumon’s centres as education hubs in their communities.
All of us are dedicated to the learning and blossoming of our students. Our wish is that each child develops personal goals and big dreams for the future. We will continue to serve our communities through the development of such children.
The associates of Kumon resolve to continuously study, think and grow as educators, always mindful of our tremendous responsibility for children and the future.
We will continue to pursue the potential of children around the globe for another fifty years!
Half a century ago, a father’s love for his son led to the now famous and global ‘Kumon Method of Learning’.
It all started from a common experience. One day, a grade two boy returned home from school with a crumpled arithmetic test paper in his pocket. His mother found it and noticed the test result was poor.
The boy’s father, Toru Kumon, was a mathematics teacher and he took uncommon action which led to a child-centred approach to learning considered revolutionary even fifty years later.
Every night Tory Kumon carefully prepared mathematics problems on a sheet of paper for his son to solve for 30 minutes the following afternoon. He carefully matched these worksheets to his son’s growing ability to help the boy think for himself and grasp the concepts with little or no assistance.
Toru Kumon saw his son effectively self-learn concept after concept, which improved his grades and quickly allowed him to learn comfortably well in advance of his school curriculum. This proved to Toru Kumon that if education could truly match and nurture each child’s ability, they would be able to learn comfortably beyond expectations, beyond school curriculum, this leading to a more enjoyable school experience, opening up their lives and strengthening their character.
Encouraged by the requests of many local parents, Toru Kumon decided to open a mathematics study centre in his home for children in his neighbourhood. He witnessed that these children also responded enthusiastically to his worksheets and learning method. It led to his firm decision; to help as many children as possible pursue their potential in the same way.
Today, students are able to study mathematics and language worksheets through the Kumon Method in 45 Countries around the globe. Every hour of the day, children are somewhere studying their Kumon worksheets which are matched to their individual ability enabling them to pursue their own potential through self-learning.
We offer our sincere thanks to all families who have studied with Kumon over the last 50 years. We also offer our thanks to the millions of current students, their parents, and all the people who have so warmly welcomed Kumon’s centres as education hubs in their communities.
All of us are dedicated to the learning and blossoming of our students. Our wish is that each child develops personal goals and big dreams for the future. We will continue to serve our communities through the development of such children.
The associates of Kumon resolve to continuously study, think and grow as educators, always mindful of our tremendous responsibility for children and the future.
We will continue to pursue the potential of children around the globe for another fifty years!