Matthew is in Grade 2 and excited to learn about fractions!

Matthew is in Grade 2, and is working over three years above his school grade level in the Kumon Maths Programme. This means that at his age he has already mastered long division sums, and his Instructor Monique at the Olivedale Study Centre says Matthew is very excited at the thought of learning all about fractions, which is what he has just started on the programme. This is an incredible achievement for his age!

When you watch Matthew work you are amazed. Not only is he able to concentrate and focus on the advanced maths that he is doing for a period of time, but he works fluidly through the worksheets, and he self-corrects while working which is a high-ability skill. What this means is that Matthew discovers and corrects his own errors while he is working, and without having to be told that an answer is incorrect or for the error to be pointed out to him. This is an indication that at his age, Matthew is self-learning through work that he has not yet seen before, and doing so confidently.

Maths is his favourite subject. Matthew enjoys Kumon because he says it is challenging. He enjoys the fact that he is “in front of everyone else at school” and doing maths that he has not yet done at school. Matthew says that Kumon helps him to get full marks at school, and that he is the best in his grade in both maths and English. He also says that he likes all the Kumon ‘teachers’.

The family so believes in the Kumon Programmes that Matthew is also enrolled in the English Programme, and his twin siblings, Chloe and Alex who are in Grade 1, are also doing both the Maths and the English Programmes, both working a year above their school grade in maths. Mom Vanessa says that they were aware of the Kumon Programmes, having heard other parents speaking about it. When Matthew started showing signs of being fascinated with numbers and with maths they decided to enrol their children in the programmes to encourage Matthew’s love for maths and give him opportunity to be stimulated. This decision was made at the beginning of Matthew’s Grade 1 year and when Chloe and Alex were in Grade R.


Vanessa says that having to do Kumon at home is sometimes a battle, but that it is teaching them discipline. All three of them love the fact that they are always getting full marks at school, and Vanessa then reminds them that they are doing so well at school because they work so hard at their Kumon. Vanessa says having all three children on the programmes is having a very positive impact on their development, and that it is “all worth it”.

When Matthew is not at school or at Kumon he loves to play outside, and enjoys sport, mostly soccer and basketball. When asked what he wants to do one day, he is not yet sure.  Given his sound academic start and his love for maths, Matthew will have the benefit of being able to discover and decide what career he would like to pursue, and given his love for the subject, it will probably involve something with numbers and calculations. Chloe and Alex are following in big brother’s footsteps and also building on a solid foundation for their academic careers.

We wish all three siblings, Matthew, Chloe and Alex, well as they continue their Kumon studies, and we look forward to all that they will be achieving in future.