Kumon Opens its Doors in South Orange

 After 17 years as a college educator, South Orange resident John Lang was shocked to realize he was at a loss when it came to helping his own daughter who was struggling in her first year of school. After researching his options, he enrolled her in the Kumon math and reading program and was blown away by the results.

In fact, Lang was so impressed with the program that he recently left his position as a Senior Administrator and Associate Faculty at the Gallatin School at NYU to become the owner and educator of his own Kumon franchise, which opened on May 1st of this year. Lang's aim is to "support the school system and parents who have goals for their children, but don't know how to help them arrive there." Given that he had been in that very situation, the South Orange location was the perfect opportunity for Lang to become an integral part of the community and to help local students and their families. He has been able to achieve great work-life balance and is able to spend more time with his daughter, who is still a student at Kumon. He has also linked up with Seton Hall to create an internship program for students of the university's education program.

Started in the mid-1950s by Japanese math teacher Tor Kumon, Kumon is a stand-alone math and reading program with its own unique academic curriculum. The program, which now serves 4.3 million students globally, is individually tailored to each student to go at a pace that is appropriate for them. According to Lang, this allows students to reach their full potential and to take ownership of their education. The structure of the program creates independent learners, something that Lang considers to be the cornerstone of academic success. Parental participation is also an integral component of the Kumon program, which gives a structured yet manageable role for parents to inhabit.

When talking to Lang, one realizes that this is not just a job for him. He is passionate about what he does and about taking his students to the next level. "What you are doing is trying to motivate students to realize just how smart they actually are," says Lang. "You lead them down the path of awareness of their own capability to achieve." Lang, who has had over a year of training with Kumon, believes in educating students by letting them do things and allowing them to realize that they are competent and don't need help. The students receive praise for what they do right, and they know when they've done something wrong without having to be told. Through this process, the students gain invaluable academic self-esteem during their time at Kumon, which is about 2-1/2 years on average.

Lang's enrollment has been rapidly growing in the few months since he opened his doors, and he expects the trend to continue. Students of all ages are enrolled in the Kumon program, as well as preschoolers through kindergarteners in the Junior Kumon program. With Lang at the helm, this business is sure to thrive. If you hadn't heard of Kumon until now, keep it on your radar because you're sure to hear more about it in the future.