Kumon Upper Thomson Learning Centre

Because when the going gets tough, the tough finds little joys when least expected and gets going!

“He has a lot of activities every day, really no time.”
“Don’t want to over-stress them.”
“She doesn’t want to do.”
“He cannot sit still.”
“They are too tired.”

Every thing we do or do not do, we have a choice. In fact, we make that choice.

As parents, it is on us to set the tone.

Kumon is not rote learning, it is not blind drilling and mindless repetition.

Kumon is a daily practice for our children to learn a little every day.

Much like meditation or yoga, 30 minutes a day of brainwork, in the field of English and Mathematics. Where continuous practice means commitment, discipline, and little by little over time, mastery.

Even at an exhaust shop somewhere out there in Malaysia, when there’s a will, there’s a way.

It’s that simple ;)

A placement test isn’t a pass/fail. It’s a GPS.

What it does:
1) Finds your child’s just-right starting point
2) Prevents frustration or boredom at school
3) Creates a clear, step-by-step learning map

No pressure. No labels. Just a plan that lets a child succeed independently.

Want a free placement test at our Upper Thomson centre? DM “TEST” or click the link in bio. ✨

One Wednesday a month, a few Kumon Instructors gather together.

Not to vent about work or difficult students.
We gather to study the worksheets.

(Yes, we do the worksheets too, every question from the first level. Several times over.)

We talk about how different children responded to the same questions, where they hesitated, what clicked, what surprised us.

And somehow, there is always more to learn.

Between us, the years of experience range from 20 years to 6 months.
Yet every session ends the same way — everyone leaving a little more energised than when they came.

Someone shares a small observation.
Someone else rethinks the way they explained something.
Someone goes back wanting to try again differently.

I chose Kumon because I believed the method could shape children beyond academics.

I also thought that maybe, in the process of running a centre, I could work on parts of myself too.

What I didn’t expect was this —
to find myself among a group of women who are endlessly thoughtful, passionate and generous with what they know.

Quietly learning.
Quietly unlearning.

Unwavering,
Together.

One of the small things Mdm Han (somewhat) willingly braves the chaos of online shopping for — motivational stickers.

Not just for the colours or the cuteness, but for the words. We take our time to select the sets for various ages and personalities. Then, we go through every sticker one by one and remove those that do not align with our values.

We believe these stickers could be that little pick-me-up a child might just need to see on a day they feel stuck, tired, or unsure.

Some go for bold and bright. Some go for “the pretty flowery one”. Some shyly ask to pick one for a sibling who isn’t even here. We always say yes.

Because sometimes, a simple “you can do hard things” lands at just the right moment.

And when it does, it’s not just a sticker. It’s a reminder:
your effort is seen,
your work matters,
and you’re moving forward — even on the days it doesn’t feel like it.

Chief Instructor-Mom edition

Marking Kumon worksheets at McDonald’s while my boys are releasing energy in the playroom with their new Friday friends.

A few kids come over every now and then, curious at all the rapid page-flipping and circling I was doing. Shoutout to my fellow instructors, 😉

After warming up, one of them reveals she goes to Kumon. Soon the conversation takes a turn.

👧🏻: “Kumon is the worst tuition! … Huh? You’re a Kumon teacher? But this is the first time I’m sitting and chatting so happily with an adult that is a teacher!”

“Well… I’m not a teacher.”

👧🏻: “Then what are you?”

“I’m an Instructor.”

👧🏻: “So you don’t teach? Then how the kids learn?”

“From the worksheets.”

👧🏻: “On their own?”

“Uh huh.”

👧🏻: “…every day? Even at home…?”

“Yes.”

She pauses.

👧🏻: “Ohh… but what if I still don’t know ?”

“You ask. Then next time, you try again.”

Another pause.
The kind where you can almost see something shifting.

She nods. Curiosity piqued.

There was this fleeting moment of thoughtfulness then cheeky grins all around. And just like that, they run off.

I go back to my worksheets.

…still smiling 💃🏻

“Concentration! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Concentration!

This is
a game of

👏🏼 CON 👏🏼 CEN 👏🏼 TRA 👏🏼TION!”

__
The sound of silence is golden when you feel that deep focus in the air.

As I walk around and all is still, I can almost hear their brains cranking away. Little fingers clasped around the pencil hovering over the page as their hearts push their souls over one hurdle and the next.

Because we didn’t give up yesterday; we are not giving up today.

We have, and we will, we will keep going.
Because step by step, our minds grow a little stronger day by day. 💫

We are obsessed with the "Score," but we ignore the "System." 🛑

In business and in education, we often make the mistake of judging performance based on lagging indicators—results that have already happened. But by the time you see the grade on the report card, the work was done months ago.

If you want better results, stop looking at the results.

At Kumon, we focus on the Leading Indicators:

Did they start on time?
Did they focus for 20 minutes?
Did they correct their own errors?
When these habits become automatic, the grades take care of themselves. The "A" is just a side effect of a child who has mastered the art of showing up.

Don't get discouraged by a flat line. The breakthrough is built in the quiet moments of daily practice. 💙