Kumon

Kumon is a self-paced math and reading enrichment program founded in 1958 in Japan by Toru Kumon, and now one of the largest after-school learning networks in the world. The program operates through franchised centres and has grown to more than 6 million students across 25,000+ centres in over 60 countries, serving children from roughly ages 3 through 18.

The Kumon method is distinctive: it is worksheet-based and mastery-driven rather than lesson-based. Students complete short daily worksheets at home and typically attend a local centre about twice a week, where instructors check completed work, grade it, and assign the next incremental set. Children progress through carefully sequenced levels at their own pace, building fluency through repetition. The two programs — Math and Reading — can be taken separately or together.

Because Kumon runs as a franchise, each centre sets its own tuition and the company does not publish standard prices. In the US, tuition is commonly around $150-$200 per subject per month, so families enrolling in both math and reading often pay roughly $300-$400 monthly, plus a registration fee and materials cost. Kumon suits parents seeking a long-term, daily-practice routine to build foundational skills rather than short-term exam cramming.