When Ayisha Hayes-Taylor opened her Kumon of Louisville-Wellington Center a year ago, it was students like Jaylin, Cameron and Muhammed she wanted to help most.

 

While they faced challenges both in and out of the classroom, she knew they had the ability to excel academically if given a chance with individualized instruction. It’s why she opened her own Kumon Center and sought a partnership with the Louisville Urban League to fund Kumon services for under-served students from urban areas. She wanted to reduce the education gap that continues to plague education systems throughout the U.S. and Canada.

 

That partnership has been a booming success for students across Louisville. In her center alone, she has more than 300 students enrolled in both math and reading services.

 

“This is making a difference in my community,” she said. “What’s great about Kumon is that it can teach to any child, whether they are behind, on grade level or just want enrichment. People don’t find systems like that. That’s why I wanted to open my center here.”

Student Growth

 

When Hayes-Taylor met Jaylin at the end of his sixth-grade year, she knew he was a likable kid, but he faced several challenges.

 

He attended an all-boys middle school for under-served communities, had a severe ADHD diagnosis, many outside activities, transportation issues and school disruptions.

 

“We worked with his mom to find the perfect seat in the center, the best time for him to attend Kumon, timers and rewards for homework completion,” Hayes-Taylor said. “It turned out the perfect seat for him had to constantly change.”

 

It took some time, but Hayes-Taylor relied on her faith in the Kumon Method to see positive results emerge from Jaylin’s hard work.

 

“After two months, he was able to settle in and his results have been tremendous,” she said. “And after eight months, he had grown seven levels in math. He’s not at 7th grade level yet but he’s building on what he’s learned and making the right strides.”

 

Hayes-Taylor has had the same success with other students, too. Two other students, Muhammed and Cameron, have both excelled in her Kumon Center and been beneficiaries of the Urban League’s grant program.

 

Muhammed was heading into fourth grade behind in math. After he took a placement exam, Hayes-Taylor began working with him on skills to build his confidence – starting with one- and two-digit horizontal addition.

 

He also faced challenges. He was from a different culture, and at the time, his mother was pregnant and spoke little English. His father had been deployed with the military and he had to become the primary communicator. But in eight months, he grew six levels in math – the equivalent of being six months ahead of his grade level.

 

For Cameron, who is autistic, the results were just as positive and drastic. He was heading into first grade, but his skills were still at the preschool level. He had not yet mastered counting and filling in missing numbers in a sequence. He had an ADHD diagnosis, co-parenting situation and had a school IEP for time consideration.

 

“When he came to us, he moved fairly quickly through reading and math,” Hayes-Taylor said.

 

She said Cameron and his father made it a point to stay on top of his work, complete his homework and attend the in-person sessions each week.

 

“If he missed a day, it was because he was sick,” she said. “He keeps moving up and it’s great to see.”

 

In eight months, Cameron mastered five levels in math, which is six months above his grade level.

 

“Now, as they are both heading into the summer, we have Kumon Connect and they are able to keep up with their work while they travel,” she said. “A lot of our students are starting to use that now.”

The Program

Hayes-Taylor knows her location differs from the traditional Kumon business model. But she’s OK with that because it’s helping her community and isn’t exclusive to her location.

 

“Any families who meet the Urban League’s requirements can go to any Kumon Center in Louisville,” she said. “This is not just here.”

 

When her center opened, it was closest to an urban area, she said. There were bus lines that came by her location, which would run closer to some of the urban neighborhoods. The location made it easier for parents to access.

 

She had to teach parents what Kumon is and what it isn’t.

 

“Probably 60% to 70% who have come through the grant never had interaction with Kumon before,” she said.

 

As the grant program grew over the course of the year, Hayes-Taylor also conducted a pilot program in one of the schools in the Jefferson County School district to bring worksheet learning into traditional classrooms. She has plans to expand that program into more Louisville classrooms in the coming school year.

 

“A year later and we are still going great, the partnership with the Urban League is continuing, and we have been able to fund students and search for and get grants that fit under the umbrella of what the partnership serves,” she said. “I want to serve my families, to give them what I could and give them Kumon, which is the right atmosphere and right environment.”