The Kumon English Programme

Levels 5A to 2A, move learners from repeating and reciting to fluently reading words and short sentences aloud. They begin to trace words and learn letter sounds and how to blend them, all the time increasing their vocabulary. They also start to work on spelling patterns. By the end of level 2A they will be able to read short passages as well as write words independently and neatly. Throughout these levels, students are working to develop a sound study approach. 

Levels A to C, help students to put together simple sentences and understand more about their structure, expressions and punctuation. They build reading speed whilst being able to visualise the contents of the passage they are reading and grasp its meaning. They work on sentence complexity learning how to use the correct word order, verb forms and punctuation and use these skills to answer questions fully. 

From levels D to F, students work on grasping the flow of a story, identifying topics and main ideas, using many texts from the Kumon Recommended Reading List. In their reading they learn how to deduce the point of each paragraph and to express their understanding in written form through restatement and description. By the end of level F they will be able to unravel text and break it down to understand its topic and conclusion. 

Levels G to I, start to work on the students’ ability to express their own impressions of texts and to understand the sentiments of characters, including variations of mood and action, and how that is expressed. They learn how to summarise text, identifying key words and their relationship to each other, as well as answering comprehension questions concisely, drawing reasoned conclusions from the information they have read. 

Levels J to L, further enhance students critical reading skills developing their understanding of plot, atmosphere, irony and comedy, as well as analysing literary characters. They build understanding of language complexity covering figurative language like metaphors, similes and symbols. Students consolidate their skills learnt thus far by writing a comment on a passage from an objective standpoint. Our learners are often inspired by the passages they cover, going on to read many of the books on Kumon’s Recommended Reading List.