For those unfamiliar with the learning center, Kumon is an institution with reading and math programs that supposedly enrich students’ education in addition to normal schoolwork. Kumon is a private institution outside of school whose purpose is to help students advance in school and to keep students from falling behind their peers. Students enroll in Kumon as early as preschool and typically stay in the program up to or through high school.
Kumon offers both a reading and math program. Students complete a worksheet of two pages, five pages, or ten pages each day. Each worksheet is supposed to take around 30 minutes to complete. A skill, or in school is represented by a letter of the alphabet. The aim of the program is for students to move up through letters until they complete the program. Kumon begins with the most basic math and reading skills and moves up to college level math and reading.
At first glance, Kumon seems like an incredibly helpful tool for students to learn. However, there has recently been discussions surrounding the effectiveness of the Kumon program. Students have voiced their opinion on the matter.
Kumon employee and former Kumon student Lasya Maganti (‘24) states, “I did Kumon for 3 years; now I work there. Working there is the worst experience. It ruins children’s lives and will to live. It helps a lot with your education, but breaks you down mentally.”
Many Barstow students are currently enrolled or were once enrolled in Kumon. With so many members of the Barstow community involved in Kumon, it brings into question the effectiveness of the program. Barstow’s known for its rigorous education, which could explain why many students at Barstow enroll in Kumon as a way to become advanced in school. Is Kumon the reason why students are advanced? Or is it that advanced and driven students are signed up for the program?
The environment of Kumon seems to affect the children’s ability to learn to some degree. “Some were smart, but some would not focus long enough to work,” Maganti (‘24) continued.
Anecdotally, Kumon seems to have some positive effects. Kumon was started by Toru Kumon in 1954. He started it because he wanted his young son to be successful in school and pass any high school and college entrance exams he would need to take.
His son turned out to perform extremely well in school, and parents began asking him how he did it. Toru Kumon started teaching his son’s friends using his method as well. Then, Toru Kumon expanded his program throughout Japan. Now, Kumon institutions exist in over 50 countries, and millions of students are enrolled in it worldwide.
Although many students at Barstow participated in and even completed Kumon, views on the program were negative for the most part. Students’ reactions seem to demonstrate that even if Kumon is the reason why they have become advanced in school, the program may not be worth it.
Paranjay Sharma (‘24), a Calculus BC AP student, stated, “I did Kumon for 10 years. I finished both math and reading. Kumon was quite annoying. The center had bad vibes, it was scary almost. It doesn’t help everyone, I could teach myself, which is why they need a better method of instructing people.”
Nithin Guduputi (‘24) and Sunny Gandhari (‘24), both advanced calculus students, expressed a similar sentiment, “Kumon was terrible and depressing, and I never really liked it. I’d recommend Kumon, but only as a torture device.”
Niki Adma, an advanced math student, (‘22) stated, “I did Kumon for about eight years, I stopped in middle school. I did both reading and math there. My experience was a little forced and stressful, and tedious. I think it maybe helped a little bit, but not to the point where I would want to do it again.” Many students have cited Kumon as causing emotional distress from a young age.
Alexandra Huynh, an advanced calculus student, (‘24) commented, “I did Kumon for 3 years. Since I had to do 10 pages a day, I would have to have my mom help me learn each new thing, and then cry about it more. It helped, but it made me want to cry.”
Lia Levin, an advanced algebra student, (‘27) shared, “I have done Kumon since I was four. I am doing both math and reading. The walls in the Kumon center make me want to barf, and everything is so scary and intimidating. I remember being terrified of going in there because I didn’t want to sit through doing my work. I shed many tears while doing Kumon at home.”
It seems that working there often is not much better than learning at a Kumon center. Maganti (‘24) says, “The working environment sucked because we weren’t allowed to talk to our coworkers.”
While this paints a pretty grim picture of Kumon, it’s possible that this is an-American specific phenomenon. “According to recent research by Stigler and Stevenson (40), Japanese elementary school teachers use inquiry-based methods to conduct math classes by using small groups to explore concepts, encouraging mistakes, and leading open-ended discussions. Class time is rarely spent practicing computational skills,” according to a study conducted on Kumon pedagogy published in the Journal of Japanese Studies.
The drilling that the Kumon program is known for happens outside of the traditional schooling context in Japan as well, but Ukai indicates that there are important cultural difference. “In the evening, however, children practice drill and calculation at “juku,” by doing homework sheets or by filling in practice books sold at corner bookstores. Thus, concepts are considered during the day and practice takes place at night (41). Recent psychological research indicates that this is a powerful combination for learning,” Ukai continues.
It is the combination of exploratory classroom methods with drills later at night that make the program effective. “It has become clear that without Japanese support mechanisms, such as fervent parental support, and other technical features, such as the uniform training of instructors, the method functions less evenly and effectively,” Ukai concludes. This might imply that a student’s home and school environment are more important than any individual learning method.
Every student interviewed at Barstow who experienced Kumon had something negative to say about it. This should go to show that the negative aspects of Kumon may outweigh the positives. However, many students interviewed stated that they would still recommend Kumon to other students.
Sharma (‘24) concluded, “Honestly, I believe Kumon is the only reason I am advanced in math. It taught me the basics of calculus, and that’s the only reason I liked the class. I knew it helped me in the long term, which is why I completed it.” Similarly, Alexandra stated, “I would recommend it if you want to get better at school.” Finally, Lia added, “I think it is helping me in the long run because it helps me become advanced. I would recommend it, because it makes me advanced in school.”
This view may speak to how students’ priorities change in certain academic environments. Students often prioritize academic achievement over their own mental health. This can have long-term implications for students, including increasing their risk of anxiety, depression, and suicide. Kumon is certainly not the sole cause of this achievement anxiety, but may speak to larger patterns and problems in our modern education system.
Despite the negative things Barstow students had to say about Kumon, some believe it was worth it. When looking at Kumon, parents should be cautious. Kumon may prove beneficial for some students, but it is not for everyone.
