The Kumon worksheets were made and are constantly revised over 45 years by our International Materials Development and Instruction Department in Japan in order to accomplish this goal. These materials are designed so students reach highschool level mathematics smoothly and improve their reading comprehension with the least amount of waste. Thus, only the most essential amount and type of problems are selected. The selected problems are then placed in order that will make learning the easiest and most effective for children.

Currently, with over 4.12 million Kumon students worldwide, Kumon is becoming widely associated with Math and language instructions. Kumon´s multi-subject offering reflects the importance on a firm foundation in the two most fundamental areas of education: Math and Reading.

Reading Program

The Kumon Reading Program is an individualized study program designed to improve the students´ reading comprehension ability in the English language. It is divided into 5 learning blocks: the word building block, the sentence building block, the paragraph development block, the summary block, and the critical reading block. Each block has an overall learning goal and builds the necessary foundation for the next learning block. A block consists of carefully sequenced study levels. The entire program consists of 18 study levels with a total of 3,800 double-sided worksheets.

Though the main focus of the program is the development of reading comprehension skills, some grammar lessons were also incorporated. Comprehension questions will follow the reading selections. In order for the students to produce accurate & meaningful answers, they must be equipped with the proper grammar skills.

The Kumon Reading Program instills confidence from the first day, by having students work on materials they are able to complete successfully. By completing work that is not too difficult at the beginning, students improve concentration, study habits, and attention to details.

1. Goal of the Kumon Reading Program: For students to develop reading comprehension skills. To achieve the goal of improved reading comprehension, the curriculum focuses on the development of summarization skills. This is similar to the Kumon Math Program´s emphasis on strong computational skills as the foundation for success in advanced Mathematics. When students can quickly, easily and accurately summarize a passage, they tangibly demonstrate reading comprehension.
   
2. The Structure of the Kumon Reading Program:

Level	Aim	Sample
7A	Vocabulary Building I - Familiar Words, Word Stories Repeat basic words and short sentences Learn 306 basic words Begin to associate spoken words with their written form
6A	Vocabulary Building II - Simple Phrases, Familiar Sentence Structure Recite basic words, phrases and short sentences Reinforce vocabulary learned in Level 7A, and learn 210 new words
5A	Letter/Word Tracing, Sound Blending Read sentences of up to six words Reinforce vocabulary learned in Levels 7A and 6A, and learn 113 new words Trace words in lower case Learn the sounds of initial consonants, short vowels, and consonant-short vowel combinations
4A	Familiar Letter Combinations, Rhyming Skills, Word/Sentence Tracing Read sentences of up to ten words Reinforce vocabulary learned in Levels 7A - 5A, and learn 225 new words Trace sentences of up to ten words Learn double consonants, consonant clusters and phonograms
3A	Spelling Patterns, Syllables, Sentence Reading/Writing Read aloud sentences with polysyllabic words Reinforce vocabulary learned in Levels 7A - 4A, and learn 181 new words Copy words Learn simple vowels before 'r', vowel digraphs, diphthongs and long vowels
2A	Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Word Puzzles Understand the function of nouns, verbs and adjectives in sentences Read and spell Level 2A vocabulary Read passages of up to 50 words within one minute Consolidate their understanding of sound parts within words
AI	Basic Sentences I - Structure, Grammar, Punctuation Learn the structures of simple sentences Use basic expressions Develop their skills in completing simple sentences Read passages of 50 - 60 words within one minute Read and spell Level AI vocabulary
AII	Children's Literature - Sentence Topics, Thought Sequence Understand the meaning of short passages by utilizing their knowledge of the structures of simple sentences Read passages of up to 70 words within one minute Read and spell Level AII vocabulary
BI	Basic Sentences II - Subject and Predicate, Expressions in the Past, Modifiers, Making Statements Identify the subject and predicate in a variety of simple sentences Expand their knowledge of expressions specifying past events Learn the functions and correct usage of adjectives and adverbs Improve their skills in making sentences including modifiers Read passages of up to 75 words within one minute Read and spell Level BI vocabulary
BII	Defining Words Through Contextual Clues, Identifying Ideas, Comparing & Contrasting Learn how to figure out the meaning of words through contextual clues. Analyze a passage by identifying and comparing /contrasting pieces of information within it Read passages of up to 85 words within one minute Read and spell Level BII vocabulary
CI	Basic Sentences III - Parts of a Sentence, Expressions of Language, Constructing Sentences Independently Master the structures of simple sentences Further expand their knowledge of expressions to comprehend the meaning of each sentence accurately Make sentences using the correct verb forms Read passages of up to 95 words within one minute Read and spell Level CI vocabulary
CII	Elements of Statements, Organizing Information, Synthesizing Ideas Grasp the elements related to 5W's and 1H in each sentence Analyze a passage by organizing and synthesizing information within it Write complete answers with proper information, responding to 5W-1H questions Read passages of up to 110 words within one minute Read and spell Level CII vocabulary
DI	Paragraph Development I: Compound and Complex Sentence Analyze complex sentences to enable them to comprehend the meaning of each sentence accurately Read paragraphs precisely in order to complete statements using key words or phrases from the paragraphs Study Level DI focus words and their related words to expand their vocabulary
DII	Topic and Main Idea of a Passage, Order, Events Grasp the topic and main idea of a paragraph Follow the flow of a story by identifying the topics and/or main ideas Study Level DII focus words and their related words to expand their vocabulary
EI	Paragraph Development II: Types of Clauses, Reorganizing Passage Information Convert a compound or complex sentence into simple sentences and vice versa
EII	Sequence of Events, Reason and Result Understand the logical flow of passages, focusing on reasons, results and explanation
F	Paragraph Development III - Paraphrasing and Concision Reinforce their knowledge of sentence structures through exercises that involve analyzing sentences Develop their ability to paraphrase and condense short paragraphs by identifying pronoun references , and by inferring the meaning of key words
G	Summary I - Themes, Story Element Extract the points, themes and story elements of passages Further improve their reading ability through acquiring basic summarization skills
H	Summary II - Facts and Opinion, Passage Organization, Interpretation Enhance their reading skills by being able to; distinguish between facts and opinions, follow the flow of the passages, and understand descriptive language Complete a summary focusing on a particular aspect of the passage
I	Persuasion, Argument, Description, Précis Read various types of passages precisely, including passages with persuasive and descriptive writing Further improve their reading comprehension ability by completing précis (short summaries)
J	Critical Reading - Passage Structure, Character Analysis Writing comments on aspects of passages Understanding how ideas are organized in a passage Analyzing literary characters
K	Elements of Literature, Critical Reading Further understanding the elements of literature, such as plot, setting, atmosphere, irony and comedy Writing comments about extracts from novels, textbooks, poetry, and plays
L	Elements of Figurative Language, Critical Reading Interpretation Understanding the elements of figurative language, such as metaphors, similes and symbols Substantiating given interpretations of passages Writing comments on passages