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 was a Japanese mathematics educator, born in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. He graduated from the College of Science at Osaka University with a degree in mathematics and taught high school mathematics in his home town of Osaka. In 1954, his son, Ta ...

. It uses his "Kumon Method" to teach

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

and

reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...

, primarily to young students.

History

Kumon was founded by

, a Japanese educator, in July 1958, when he opened the first Kumon Maths Centre in

Moriguchi is a Cities of Japan, city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 142,655 in 73353 households and a population density of 11,000 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Moriguchi border ...

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

. 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 Rote learning is a memorization technique based on repetition. The method rests on the premise that the recall of repeated material becomes faster the more one repeats it. Some of the alternatives to rote learning include meaningful learning, as ...

. Kumon (the company) gained 63,000 students over its first 16 years. 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 its 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 Sumiton is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson and Walker County, Alabama, Walker counties in the U.S. state, State of Alabama. It incorporated in 1952. At the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census the population was 2,520, down from ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

. Sumiton continued to use the Kumon program through 2001. In 2008, Kumon had over 26,000 centers around the globe with over 4 million registered students. In 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

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. Psychologist Kathy Hirsh-Pasek says that using such techniques for 2 to 4-year-olds "does not give your child a leg up on anything". One study has observed a high percentage of efficacy.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Education companies of Japan Pedagogy Education companies established in 1958 1958 establishments in Japan

History

Kumon method

See also

References

External links