Through Kumon, 10-year-old Samuel is racing ahead of his peers, tackling concepts in maths and English five years above his school grade.

Samuel is completing a comprehension check in Kumon English and studying factorisation in Maths, well ahead of what’s expected for his year level in school. For Samuel, this progress is a source of pride.

“Studying five years ahead of my school grade makes me feel proud of myself for all the achievements I’ve been through,” he says.

The benefits of Kumon extend far beyond simply completing worksheets for Samuel. He has developed a solid foundation in maths and reading which gives him confidence in the classroom, allowing him to accurately grasp and understand difficult concepts.

“Kumon has helped me answer questions quickly and actually understand them”, Samuel says. “Even if I haven’t studied a topic before, I know the basics, which helps me in my tests.”

Self-learning has also become a habit for Samuel, a skill which he developed in Kumon. Self-learning is when Kumon students advance ahead of school grade level in the worksheets, they learn for themselves what they are yet to be taught at school. When they encounter something new, they study the example, draw on previous learning and give it a try. They try, and try again, until they finally get it, sometimes with a hint from the Instructor. This is how Kumon develops self-learning.

“When I’m doing self-learning, I actually tend to do it quicker because I’m used to it,” he explains.

Kumon students come to expect the challenge of something new, and gain satisfaction in working it out for themselves. They develop a mindset that no problem is too difficult to attempt.

Samual has such a mindset and thrives on new challenges. With the support of his Kumon Instructor, he has set clear academic goals: to complete the Kumon English programme and make major strides in Maths.