Kumon Virtual Advanced Student Forums 2021: For a bright future

Each year in November, Kumon Australia and New Zealand hosts a series of Advanced Student Forums to celebrate our highest achieving students.

In 2021, to ensure safety and comply with health regulations, we will host our Advanced Student Forum events online for the second time, this year under the theme of, ‘For a bright future’.

Students invited to the 2021 Kumon Virtual Advanced Student Forums have displayed the tenacity and determination to study Kumon Mathematics or English at a level at least five years ahead of their school grade, or have completed the Kumon programme.

Our events for New Zealand, Victoria, Tasmania, and Western Australia will occur on 21 November. The events for New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, Northern Territory, and Queensland will take place on 28 November. Invitations have been emailed to all awardees.

At these events, Kumon’s awardees will hear from a special guest speaker and be awarded for their achievements. Our awardees will also submit videos telling us about their hopes, dreams and ambitions for the future. Some of these will be featured at the events and on the Kumon Australia and New Zealand Facebook page.

We offer a massive congratulations to all our awardees for their achievements in Kumon, and thank families for their support and dedication. We look forward to seeing you at the 2021 Kumon Virtual Advanced Student Forums.

To learn more about the Kumon Virtual Advanced Student Forum events, please contact us via this form.

Kumon partners with Athletics NZ

Photographer: Alisha Lovrich

Kumon Australia and New Zealand is proud to announce a new corporate partnership with Athletics New Zealand.

As students and athletes understand the importance of persistence, practice and hard work in order to achieve results, both organisations have agreed to work together throughout 2022.

Under the partnership, Kumon will sponsor Athletics NZ’s 2022 Colgate Games to be held from Friday 7 to Sunday 9 January in Wellington, and Friday 14 to Sunday 16 January in Invercargill. Kumon will also support various local Athletics NZ events throughout 2022.

“Kumon is thrilled to support an organisation like Athletics NZ that shares our passion for helping young people to reach their potential”, said Bobby Nyoto from Kumon New Zealand.

“We look forward to connecting with local families and communities who are involved with Athletics NZ”.

Athletics NZ said they are excited to bring Kumon on board as a Supporting Partner of the Colgate Games.

“With over 2000 tamariki attending each year, Kumon’s partnership will help us to continue to provide an amazing experience and support grassroots athletics”, said Pete Pfitzinger, CEO of Athletics NZ.

To learn more about this partnership, please contact Kumon via our enquiry form: https://nz.kumonglobal.com/contact-us/general-enquiry/

Nine-year-old Ayson tackles calculus

Ayson hasn’t even finished primary school yet, but he can comfortably tackle calculus concepts that Year 12 students would find difficult.

Ayson, who is nine years old and in Year 4 at primary school, completed the Kumon Mathematics programme in September 2021 after studying it for more than three years. While completing the final levels of Kumon Mathematics this year, Ayson said he studied calculus concepts such as differentiation, anti-differentiation and integrals.

And beyond mathematics, Kumon helped Ayson to become more independent, because the worksheets are structured to develop self-learning.

“In Kumon, if you don’t know something in a question, you can look back at the formulas that were in the examples at the front, so you can get a much better understanding”, Ayson says. “This has helped me to become more independent in my learning”.

Being an advanced student has also helped Ayson to grow in confidence at school.

“Kumon helps you solve more complex questions. This helps you when in school because you have more confidence through knowing that you can solve a problem”, Ayson says.

Ayson hopes to become a doctor or engineer when he grows up.

Sam’s daughter flips her performance in mathematics

Zoe started Kumon Mathematics after falling behind because of missed schooling due to a childhood illness. But now, with the support of her local Kumon centre, Zoe is ahead of her class.

Zoe, who is in Year 5 at school, studies the Kumon Mathematics programme one year ahead of her school grade level. Her mother Sam explains that this is a complete turnaround, with Zoe’s maths skills and confidence boosted significantly.

“When Zoe first started Kumon two years ago, she was really behind with her maths. Now she’s actually beating the Year 6 students, all of them, in times tables, so that’s purely through Kumon”, Sam says.

“Zoe’s teacher has also told us how impressed she is with Zoe’s maths skills, but more than that is the confidence she brings to the classroom when she has a maths class. She really loves it. She looks forward to it”.

Sam says that the daily routine of completing Kumon worksheets improved Zoe’s attitude towards homework.

“Zoe’s attitude to homework has improved a lot thanks to Kumon”, Sam says. “The daily practise of Kumon has been really helpful. She understands that doing a little bit every day builds on her confidence, her skills, and it reinforces the learning”.

Kumon’s individualised approach to learning also helped Zoe to enjoy mathematics and other areas of learning, Sam says.

“No matter what stage she’s at, no matter what the concepts, it’s always tailor-made. I think that really helps children enjoy Kumon”, Sam says. “It makes it challenging for them in a way that they feel like they want to keep going”.

To learn more about how Kumon Mathematics and English could help your child, contact your nearest centre: https://www.kumonsearch.co.nz/

Nicole sees big improvements during her daughter’s first year of Kumon

While Kumon is primarily a long-term study programme, it can lead to big improvements within the first year of enrolment.

Sydney mum, Nicole, saw dramatic improvement in her daughter Jacinta’s confidence and calculation ability after six months of enrolment with Kumon Mathematics. This was even to the point where Jacinta comfortably studied Kumon Mathematics one year ahead of her school grade level.

“What we’ve noticed already by being at Kumon is her confidence in the classroom. Her school has two classrooms for maths, and she’s moved up to the top classroom now, so that’s given her so much confidence and I’d like to keep that going”, Nicole says.

Nicole believes Kumon’s individualised approach to learning and the daily study habit it instils in students are key factors contributing to Jacinta’s rapid progress.

“I have noticed that if a student is struggling on something, they’ll get more repetition on that particular topic until such a time when they are comfortable they know it. Then, they’ll move on to the next segment”, Nicole says.

“So, every child will dictate the speed at which they go through Kumon.”

The first year of Kumon study builds each student’s ability to develop self-learning; the ability to take in information, process, retain and understand it, without having to rely on being taught every new topic or concept. Confidence, a daily study habit, individualised learning and proficiency in the fundamentals in mathematics and English, are the foundations that underpin self-learning.

Our latest edition of Potential magazine is dedicated to students’ first years of Kumon and the development of self-learning. Visit this link to read the magazine: https://nz.kumonglobal.com/news/potential-magazine/

Hetanshi tops Cambridge International mathematics in New Zealand

Hetanshi, a former Kumon Mathematics student.

Hetanshi, 17 years old, in Year 12 at school and a former Kumon Mathematics student, topped the class in New Zealand by achieving first place in Cambridge International AS Level Mathematics.

Cambridge International AS Level Mathematics develops a range of skills in students including working with mathematical information, thinking logically and independently, considering accuracy, modelling situations mathematically, and analysing results and reflecting on findings. This programme and examinations are administered by Cambridge International, working with the University of Cambridge.

Hetanshi says her five years of study of the Kumon Mathematics programme helped her greatly in the examination for Cambridge International, and in her schooling too.

“Kumon takes you out of your comfort zone, so when I’m faced with new problems, I don’t run away from them, I attack them”, Hetanshi says.

“I think Kumon has helped me to carry out tasks with speed and accuracy, as well as confidence, which I think is a very crucial skill. This will definitely help me achieve my future endeavors to the best of my ability”.

Hetanshi hopes to pursue a career in science or mathematics once she finishes high school.

Manoj, Hetanshi’s father, says he enrolled his daughter into Kumon so she could develop good learning habits from an early age.

“Kumon develops self-learning techniques which helps kids to go beyond their comfort zone and to start developing their skills, even from the young age while they’re in primary school”, Manoj says.

“This doesn’t only help in school, but actually helps in their future profession and even in real life”.

New edition of ‘Potential’ magazine out now!

For our second edition of Potential for 2021, we discuss how Kumon develops self-learning and how this ability will help students to navigate a rapidly changing future.

We hope you enjoy reading!

Passion and great support help Berry’s Kumon centre thrive

Berry Zhu is the proud franchisee of Kumon Gladesville Education Centre in Sydney. She took over from the previous franchisee in 2019. Her own child was attending Kumon there at the time.

“[When I enrolled my child] I was amazed by how well the Kumon worksheets were designed; how systematic it was,” Berry says. “Later on, the centre’s former franchisee decided to retire. She asked me whether I would like to take the opportunity. I said, ‘Yes.’”

Berry says she received great support from the Kumon Sydney Office in giving Kumon Gladesville what she describes as, “a complete makeover.”

When asked how she has found her new role as a Kumon franchisee, Berry says, “It is demanding and it involves lots of details.”

But for Berry all the hard work is worth it when she sees her students make progress.

“I keep seeing the progress of the students and their amazing improvements,” Berry says. “The feedback I receive from parents is also very rewarding.”

Kumon is looking for franchisees to open new or takeover existing Kumon centres at various locations across Australia and New Zealand. If you are interested in one of our franchise opportunities, please register for an Information Meeting.

Year 5 student Cheston studies calculus with Kumon Mathematics

Auckland student Cheston can already study university-level mathematics, and he has not even finished primary school yet.

Cheston, in Year 5 at school, comfortably studies calculus concepts, like differential equations and advanced differentiation and integration, in his Kumon Mathematics worksheets.

Since Cheston is in the final stages of Kumon Mathematics, he self-learns his way through difficult concepts. Self-learning is the ability to take in information, process, retain and understand it, without having to rely on being taught every new topic or concept.

“Kumon helps me face and handle challenges, and to gain confidence in myself,” Cheston says.

Cheston enrolled into Kumon Henderson Education Centre at the age of 3. His mother Vivien says Cheston’s Kumon Instructor individualised the pace of Cheston’s learning to his needs, helping him greatly in his progress.

“The flexibility of Kumon allows Cheston to study at his own pace, which doesn’t put too much pressure on him while helping him to grow and gain confidence,” she says.

Vivien also says Kumon will have long-term benefits for her son.

“Cheston is motivated to learn and to open up his mind to more challenges. Kumon has helped him to build a very good foundation in his learning journey and future growth,” Vivien says.

Cheston hopes to become an accountant or mathematics professor when he grows up.

Beyond mathematics and English: the full benefits of Kumon

Sometimes the purpose of tuition is to help a student catch up. Many families initially seek the support of Kumon Mathematics and English for this reason.

But Kumon goes beyond tuition. We empower students to learn for themselves, rather than preparing for a particular test or assessment. Kumon students work towards building self-learning ability, meaning they will not be dependent on the skills and knowledge of others

Key to this empowerment is advanced study, whereby Kumon students self-learn mathematics and English concepts far ahead of their school grade. Advanced study is more than knowledge acquisition. Toru Kumon, the late founder of Kumon, believed when students self-learn ahead of school grade, their character also grows. Confidence and discipline were specific character traits Toru Kumon saw thousands of students develop during his lifetime.

“Go to any Kumon centre and you can see examples of children developing as people as they develop their academic ability,” Toru Kumon once said.

Research, published in the American Educational Research Journal, backs up Toru Kumon’s belief in the link between academic ability and student’s character development. This study sampled more than 200 students in Years 2, 4, 6 and 8, and found that success in school was linked to children’s growth in positive character traits.

“With success in academic tasks in the school comes positive personality characteristics; with failure comes lower levels of regard for self and abilities,” the researchers conclude. “The relationships become stronger and more powerful as the success or failure becomes prolonged and as a consistent pattern of accomplishments emerges.”

Tan, 17 years old and a completer of the Kumon Mathematics and English programmes, says the personal development he acquired through Kumon is its most valuable aspect.

“I believe the greatest benefits of Kumon is the way it fosters characteristics such as perseverance and discipline,” Tan says. “Kumon helped me develop key characteristics that will enable me to further develop myself professionally and as a person.”

Both Kumon Mathematics and English support students to develop a daily study habit and to use self-learning to overcome challenges in their worksheets. As students build their daily study habit, they develop discipline, and as students overcome challenges using self-learning, they grow in confidence.

To learn more about the positive impacts of Kumon on the lives of our students, visit our YouTube channel.

Should you wish to enrol, please contact your nearest Kumon centre: https://www.kumonsearch.co.nz/