Maths and English Learning Programme | Kumon Australia

Jonathan tackles university-level maths in primary school

Jonathan (right), with his Kumon Instructor Haide (middle) and older brother Matthew (left), who is also a programme completer of Kumon Mathematics

Ten-year-old Jonathan hasn’t yet even finished primary school, but he can tackle university-level calculus problems.

Jonathan, in Year 5 at school, finished the Kumon Mathematics programme in April last year – meaning he has already covered most mathematical concepts that he will encounter in high school. This includes calculus, differentiation, integration and differential equations. Jonathan says he is proud of his achievement and there are many ways that Kumon helps him in and outside of school.

“Kumon has helped me a lot in maths, reading, and writing. I can do all the subjects very easily and flawlessly,” Jonathan says. “It’s helped me stick to a schedule where I can do my homework, play games, and eat.”

Jonathan aspires to become a pilot when he grows up. He believes that the strong maths skills that he acquired in Kumon will help him in reaching this goal.

Steven, Jonathan’s father, says that advanced study with Kumon boosted Jonathan’s confidence and self-esteem, and will benefit him for life.

“[While Jonathan was studying Kumon], as a parent there were times when I was thinking, ‘Does he really need to study something so difficult and so hard?’ But later I observed that when he encountered a challenge or difficulty in his day-to-day life, he was able to find a solution very quickly,” Steven explains.

“In future, I think he will be able to enjoy life more as he will have more time to do other things. He likes to play basketball and he likes to play soccer: he will find that he has more time to be able enjoy those activities, because going to school, doing tests and exams, to him, they are not really a problem at all. I think that is the benefit.”

Jonathan was recently accepted into the Opportunity Class stream in NSW, which operates for academically gifted and talented students in Years 5 and 6. Steven says Jonathan’s prior Kumon study was a significant contributor towards his son being accepted.

“When people ask me, ‘What do you need to do to prepare your child to go to OC?’ I think Kumon is the answer,” Steven says. “You can’t really cram to get into OC. But for Jonathan, because he does not have any issues with calculations and all he needs to do is familiarise himself with word problems, this challenge is easy because of the foundation he has established at Kumon.”

Jonathan’s next goal in Kumon is to complete the English programme before he enters high school, so he has a strong foundation in calculation and reading comprehension that can be applied to all subjects in school.

*Disclaimer: Jonathan is the son of a current Kumon Australia staff member.