At 12 years old and in Year 7, Christelle is discovering how persistence, confidence and steady effort supports success both in the classroom and on the basketball court.

Christelle was enrolled in Kumon to strengthen her learning skills, become more confident in maths and English, and develop better study habits. Through regular practice, she says Kumon has helped her grow not only academically, but also in how she approaches challenges.

“Kumon has helped me both inside and outside of school by improving my confidence, concentration, and problem-solving skills,” Christelle says. “It has also taught me to be more independent and responsible with my learning.”

Christelle mum, Jinan, has also seen the difference Kumon has made. Jinan says her daughter is now more comfortable with classwork, completes tasks more independently and is more willing to try challenging work without giving up easily.

“Kumon has really improved her confidence at school,” Jinan says. “Outside of school, it has taught her responsibility, time management, and consistency.”

Beyond academics, Christelle is also achieving in basketball. She enjoys playing the sport and has recently reached some important milestones, including being selected for the Basketball Tasmania Development Programme, receiving the MVP award for her team last year.

The persistence Christelle has developed through Kumon also supports her approach to sport, she says.

“Kumon has helped me develop persistence and a positive attitude because it teaches me to keep trying even when work becomes challenging,” Christelle says.

Jinan agrees that Christelle’s persistence has been one of the most valuable outcomes of Kumon. She says that while some worksheets were challenging at the beginning, Kumon helped Christelle learn to approach challenges step by step.

“Over time, [Christelle] learned that regular practise and patience lead to improvement,” Jinan says. “Now she’s much more persistent and doesn’t give up as quickly when something is difficult.”

Looking ahead, Christelle hopes to achieve success in both her education and basketball. She wants to keep improving her skills, work hard and create opportunities for herself in the future.

For Jinan, the biggest long-term benefit of Kumon is the mindset Christelle is developing. She believes the discipline, independence and problem-solving skills that Christelle is building now will continue to support her through high school, university and her future career.

“Kumon is not only about academics,” Jinan says. “It also teaches discipline, independence, and problem-solving skills.”