Learn from children
BEGINNING
The Kumon Method began with handmade math problems created by a father for his child.
Approximately 70 years since the inception of the Kumon educational method, Kumon Institute of Education Co., Ltd. continues to pursue better worksheets and instruction, learning from over 1.3 million children in Japan who study with the Kumon method, along with about 14,000 Instructors across the country. The circle of learning has spread to over 60 countries and regions around the world.
As a group company, Kumon Publishing Co., Ltd. has also inherited the philosophy of the Kumon Method, valuing the principle of "learning from children."
We have developed a wide range of commercial products across various categories, including picture books, children's books, workbooks, toys, and programming, proposing diverse learning opportunities.
CONTINUE
The philosophy of "learning from children" continues even after the products are released.
For example, the "Spinning Ball Tower," a toy that children find enjoyable for its simple mechanism involving inserting a ball into a tower that spins and then releases the ball, has become a long-seller, now in its fifth generation, through continuous improvements in usability and safety based on customer feedback.
We will continue to cherish learning from children, aiming to provide children with experiences of joy as they succeed in completing a challenge.
Create something unparalleled
ORIGINALITY
Kumon Publishing values originality in creating something unique.
For example, the "Kumon Workbook," first released in 1977. At that time, it was common for children learning to write characters to start with "あ" following the general order of the Japanese alphabet. However, for children holding a pencil for the first time, writing "あ," with its many strokes and difficult balance, was very challenging. From observing actual children, a workbook was developed starting with "し," which can be written in one stroke.
The "Magnetic Number Playset" was born from actual teaching at Kumon centers. The "Magnetic Number Playset 30" is a toy where pieces with numbers from 1 to 30 are placed on a board printed with corresponding numbers. Initially, a homemade version was made using the backs of milk bottle caps* with numbers written on them. The idea was that familiar numbers for children, often seen on calendars, would be up to 30, hence the creation of the 30 board.
Although simple in construction, with, for example, the piece marked with "1" being placed on the "1" depicted on the board, this design allowed children to play attentively and develop a sense of numbers, making it an indispensable product for pre-math learning.
STANCE
Our approach to creating things
Our approach to creating things stems from closely observing children and thinking about how we can help them grow. In the process, ideas that defy conventional wisdom are born spontaneously, and by trying these ideas out with children, we end up creating something original.
This approach to creation, which could be considered the starting point of our originality, is still in practice to this day in the making of our products.
*In the past in Japan, milk was delivered in glass bottles sealed with round paper caps. We repurposed those paper caps.
Explore new things
WORK
We develop products in new fields
There was a time when the term "Preschool Workbook" did not exist, and workbooks for preschoolers were not common. Our sales staff struggled greatly to get bookstores to stock the "Kumon Workbook." Although there were challenges for us as the pioneers of this type of product, once families started using the workbooks at home, the fact that children could enjoy and progress through the workbooks became well-known and the product came to be used more widely.
The challenge of bringing new products to the world continues.
Kumon Publishing is working on product development in new areas, such as programming and STEAM-related products.
One example is the "Logical Route Puzzle," an educational toy that fosters computational thinking. Following the positive reception of the "Logical Route Puzzle," a more advanced product, the "3D Logical Route Puzzle," was developed.
We will continue to challenge ourselves in uncharted genres, keeping in mind the future of children and staying true to our unique approach.
Look beyond the moment of initial success
GOAL
When do we consider we have reached our goal?
Is it when the product is completed?
When it is placed on store shelves?
Or when it is purchased?
It is none of the above.
It is in the home, when a child completes a jigsaw puzzle, is moved by reading a picture book or children's book, finally solves a problem in a workbook, or when an adult finds joy in engaging with English or math again as a fulfilling part of their life… The goal lies within each individual's myriad learning processes.
Experiencing the joy of success within these learning processes, and having that success lead to further learning, is what lies ahead for all members of Kumon Publishing.