The first paper at the 5th KUMON Instructor Thesis Conference was shared by Teacher Pan Yi-ping from KUMON East District Kanto Classroom. The topic was “Observing Key Positions to Grasp Students’ Learning Status and Providing Effective Guidance—Enhancing Self-Learning Abilities and Moving Towards Advanced Mathematics Materials.”

Teacher Pan is a strong believer in the KUMON philosophy of “continuously developing children’s potential,” and has always sought ways to help students maximize their potential, enabling them to confidently pursue their dreams.”

KUMON’s materials are affectionately known as “the silent teacher,” guiding children to think and learn new concepts through examples and exercises. However, these materials need to be properly facilitated by a KUMON instructor to truly unlock their value. To ensure that children gain something valuable every time they attend class, Teacher Pan believes that instructors must clearly understand the key positions in the materials, the examples, and the guiding questions, in order to observe and assist students accurately. She also shared several case studies of students and practical classroom methods with the attending instructors.”

KUMON’s curriculum is structured in a comprehensive and progressive manner. Teacher Pan firmly believes that by finding the most suitable starting point for each child, customizing their learning content and pace, and providing consistent guidance, it is possible to foster strong self-learning abilities in every student. Not only will this improve their learning outcomes, but it will also help them appreciate the joy of learning! This approach further builds trust with parents, allowing the KUMON education brand to take root in communities, benefiting more children.”

Next, Teacher Shen Yi-jun from KUMON Anping Jianping Street Classroom shared a paper titled, “Returning to the Basics: Helping Children Take Steady Steps on the KUMON Journey—Focusing on New Enrollments, Providing Proper Initial Guidance and Communication.”

Teacher Shen believes that if children leave the classroom within a year without learning enough, it is difficult to establish a correct understanding of KUMON. She is committed to ensuring effective initial guidance and communication, aiming to help parents recognize and accept the KUMON philosophy and experience the professionalism of the instructors. For this reason, regardless of the type of child entering the classroom, she ensures that every child receives thorough initial guidance, including diagnostic tests, analysis, and orientation, while establishing various communication channels with parents to keep them informed about their child’s learning progress and improvements.

Additionally, Teacher Shen emphasizes that every stage of the learning process must be ideal, ensuring that every child who enters the classroom enjoys learning KUMON. She believes that only when students enjoy learning can they learn well and persist over time.

In her sharing, Teacher Shen also mentioned that her greatest sense of achievement as a KUMON instructor comes from witnessing the joy of children learning new things. She encouraged all instructors to return to their roots and work together to help every child take steady steps on their KUMON journey, improving and becoming increasingly excellent.

The third paper, presented by Teacher Wu Shu-huan from KUMON Fengshan Wu Jia Ruilong Classroom, focused on “Reflecting on the Introduction of New KUMON Chinese AIAII and BIBII Materials—Enhancing Student Learning Effectiveness and Self-Learning Abilities.”

To maximize learning effectiveness, KUMON has continuously invested in curriculum development and revisions. The revised KUMON Chinese AI-BII materials are now suitable for younger children to learn independently. Teacher Wu believes that the key to success lies in sparking children's desire to learn while allowing them to feel that they have the autonomy to operate the learning pen and follow the steps to read aloud the materials.

In order to achieve this goal, Teacher Wu stresses the importance of empathy, understanding the differences in children’s abilities, and providing them with appropriate materials. Through gradual improvements in writing skills and concentration, it’s crucial not to burden younger children with excessive home learning demands. By developing good study habits and combining KUMON materials with tailored guidance from instructors, children will naturally feel a sense of achievement in their daily learning, which will boost their confidence and willingness to take on challenges.

In the path of guidance, there is no “best” but always “better.” Teacher Wu concluded by encouraging all instructors to help children cultivate lifelong reading habits by implementing KUMON’s Chinese curriculum and enhancing their reading abilities.

On the second day of the KUMON Instructors' Research Conference, we were honored to have President Tanaka from the KUMON Educational Research Association in Japan to open the session.

In his speech, President Tanaka shared the current global situation of KUMON. While the number of students worldwide decreased during the past three and a half years of the pandemic, by 2023, the number of students in certain regions has either surpassed or nearly reached pre-pandemic levels. This progress is attributed to the tireless efforts of KUMON instructors worldwide, who have continued to promote KUMON education and explore children’s unlimited potential.

Even during the pandemic, children’s learning never stopped. Starting in January 2023, KUMON adapted by offering online tutoring in five regions globally, allowing children to learn via tablets. Whether through in-person or online learning, KUMON’s goal remains unchanged: to develop children’s infinite potential.

KUMON’s materials and exceptional instructors are our irreplaceable advantages. KUMON’s global acceptance stems from this education system, which starts from “love for children.” The learning method and materials are universally applicable, helping each child realize their potential.

President Tanaka concluded by encouraging all KUMON instructors to view tutoring and communication as a continuous cycle, rather than separate tasks. Through professional guidance and good communication with parents, we can improve children’s learning effectiveness and enhance the value of KUMON learning, helping more children around the world benefit from KUMON education!

For decades, KUMON has been dedicated to the education of children, pursuing the “possibilities” and cultivating talents that contribute to society.

To ensure that more children in Taiwan can benefit from KUMON education, Chairman Chao, Wen-Yu outlined the key coaching goals for 2024, which focus on “caring for every student, ensuring the quality of learning, and strengthening communication with parents.” These goals aim to help more students continue their KUMON learning, while developing self-learning attitudes and methods that will allow them to surpass their grade levels and fully demonstrate the value of KUMON.

Chairman Chao emphasized that from the beginning of enrollment, we must use purposeful guidance to cultivate more students, helping them develop the habits, methods, and attitudes of self-learning, and truly experience the value of KUMON learning. Additionally, she encourages instructors to share the learning outcomes with students and parents more often.

As the saying goes, “A good horse is common, but a good trainer is rare.” Chairman Chao looks forward to continuing the effort to support children’s education alongside all instructors, bringing together KUMON students from around the world to care for each other, learn, and share, ensuring that KUMON education continues to thrive and grow for future generations.

This year’s Instructors’ Research Conference also included group exchange sessions, allowing instructors to discuss and share cases with one another, learning and growing together.

The theme of the group exchange session was “Focusing on New Learning Challenges, Providing the Right Guidance for Students,” with three videos and case studies for discussion, covering topics such as assessing students’ abilities and determining the right time for guidance. Through this collaborative exchange, instructors were able to reflect on what ideal learning should look like.

Whether for students or teachers, KUMON believes in unlimited potential, and we hope all instructors continue to refine their guidance skills, helping each child who comes to KUMON unlock their fullest potential.