By Jas Dillard, Kumon of Myers Park
Is your child struggling with word problems? The issue might be with reading comprehension, not with math. Reading comprehension is the bedrock for success in math and more. We see that in what we do at Kumon Math & Reading Centers.
There are many reasons why parents and students choose Kumon Math & Reading Centers – whether it’s to prepare a young learner for the transition from pre-K to elementary school and build the endurance for the long school days ahead, sharpen the skills needed to get to or above grade level, or to challenge a student to go beyond what he or she ever thought possible in a traditional classroom. Either way, every student, every subject has a place and a path.
Right now, nearly half of all Kumon students are six months to several years above grade level. That’s a remarkable testament to their commitment and perseverance. Well done! Worth noting is that of all these students above grade level in math, 82% of them are succeeding in the Kumon reading program too. Regardless of the students’ starting point, we continue to see that success in math includes a solid foundation in reading. And these on-the-ground results here at Kumon reinforce what research has shown for years: that there’s a direct connection between reading comprehension and performance in higher math.
“The results showed that performance on math word problems was strongly related to performance in reading comprehension. Fluent technical reading abilities increased the aforementioned skills. However, even after controlling for the level of technical reading involved, performance in math word problems was still related to reading comprehension.”
— Researchers at Educational Psychology, an international quarterly journal.
In other words, better readers are better at math. Reading comprehension means the student goes beyond just recognizing the words on the page but can actually engage with the text to interpret its meaning and understand the concept. The critical thinking skills that come from boosting reading comprehension are the same required to analyze text in word problems, higher math, and more complex equations. But it’s not just about crunching numbers. Those same skills power confident, logic-based decision-making in other study areas. Laying a foundation for mental calculation ability with all four operations combined with reading comprehension will lead to better critical thinking and problem-solving ability for years to come.
To learn more about us visit us at
Kumon of Myers Park
Parktowne Village
1600 East Woodlawn Road, Ste 261
Charlotte, NC 28209
704-327-8839
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Kumon of Matthews – Weddington McKee
Plantation Market
3016 Weddington Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28270
704-846-8798
Kumon of Wesley Chapel
5922 Weddington Rd. A7
Wesley Chapel, NC 28104
704-843-5555
