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Kumon Reading Program Cost 2025

Kumon programs may look good on paper, but the Kumon reading program cost is not usually transparent. Having 10+ years of in-depth teaching experience, I decided to conduct my independent research on this. Here, I’ll show all the prices and the real value for money. Let’s dive into the details!

Key Points

• The Kumon reading program price per month in the U.S. typically ranges from $140 to $200, depending on the center’s location. The tuition fee is mostly $80, and the learning materials will cost you around $30.
• The Kumon cost is calculated per subject, so the prices for the reading and math programs are the same. Still, if you want both subjects, you should double the prices mentioned here to get the additional cost.
• Brighterly reading program can be a convenient alternative choice for those who believe that Kumon is overpriced. This service provides 1:1 lessons, a teacher-guided approach, and a customized schedule for a more affordable price.

Math & reading from 1st to 9th grade

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Kumon reading program cost

The cost of Kumon reading program is around $250 to $360 for the first month (including registration fee and learning materials) and $140 to $250 each next month. The exact price within this range depends on the individual Kumon center and can be either lower (around $220 first month and $120 each next month) or higher (around $475 first month and $375 each next month). 

To get you the most precise price range of how much is Kumon reading program, I’ve visited each center page in the USA to check their prices. You can see the results of my findings below.

States with Kumon centers	Kumon reading cost per month	Kumon registration fee	Kumon materials price
Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah	$140-$175	$50-80	$20-30
US West Virtual, US South Virtual, California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Oklahoma	$160-180	$60-80	$20-30
Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Texas, Washington	$180-200	$75-80	$25-30
Georgia, New York	$200-250	$80	$30

The highest Kumon prices I saw were in:

• Newington in Virginia (up to $375/month, plus $110 registration fee and books)
• Arnold in Maryland (up to $390/month, plus $80 registration fee)
• Baton Rouge – South in Louisiana (up to $340/month, plus $50 registration) 

The lowest Kumon math and reading center cost is in:

• Waimea in Hawaii ($120/month, plus $100 registration fee and books)
• Cary – West in North Carolina ($125/month, plus $50 registration fee)
• Chelmsford in Massachusetts and Brooklyn-Chinatown in New York ($130-150/month, plus $50 registration fee)

How does Kumon teach kids reading?

Kumon teaches kids reading through a sequence of worksheets that are picked based on the kid’s current level and steadily increase in complexity. So, before paying the Kumon reading costs, you and your kid should be ready: this site expects and strongly encourages individual work. Even though a team of tutors will be available in the center, the predominant focus remains on self-directed learning.

In addition to developing autonomy, the methods of the Kumon math and reading program can also be effective for building learning responsibility and attention to detail. However, they may be too rigid and harsh for elementary kids and those who need extra teacher attention available on specialized tutoring platforms like Brighterly.

One more strong pro factor about Kumon is that it offers learning plans for kids from ages 3 through 18. This way, it supports learners at every level — from early childhood through high school graduation. The reading schedule includes 2 weekly lessons, 30 minutes each, not to overburden even the youngest learners. Still, the remaining 5 days are expected to be fully dedicated to self-learning.

How much is Kumon reading per month?

The Kumon’s cost per month can start from $120 and rise up to $375 or maybe even more, based on the information I gathered from the U.S. centers’ pages in 2025.

Still, some users were lucky to find a better Kumon price ($80):

While others were bumped with extra costs that reached $400:

That said, most reporters reviewing the Kumon reading cost on Reddit were charged within the range of $140-$200, which is something in between:

Obviously, the pricing strongly depends on the Kumon location you choose. 

How much is Kumon reading per hour?

The Kumon cost per hour starts from $35 and rises up to $50. This price is calculated based on the monthly tuition (excluding registration fee and learning materials), considering that the chosen program includes 2 lessons a week, 30 minutes each.

How much is Kumon reading per year?

Kumon reading cost per year can fluctuate between $1680 and $2400, which is just swapping, especially considering that Kumon is rather a supplementary learning resource, not a full-scale program.

The summary of all the prices is shown in the table below.

Kumon cost per lesson (30 min)	Kumon cost per week	Kumon reading cost per month	Annual Kumon reading cost	Additional fees
$17.5-$25	$35-$50	$140-$200	$1680-$2400	$50-80 registration fee $20-30 materials fee

Does Kumon Reading offer any free resources?

Yes, Kumon reading offers some of its resources for free. Even though all Kumon programs are paid, you take a test, check out free samples of worksheets, and get some extra recommendations for free. 

Free Kumon services:

• Free Diagnostic Test: Needed to check your kid’s current level, and can be done before investing in a Kumon program. 
• Intro Consultation: The best time to ask about how much does Kumon reading program cost and get more insights about your kid’s reading capabilities for free. This opportunity is available after diagnostic testing.
• Free Reading Worksheets: You can check some samples of Kumon worksheets for free on the program page.

• Book Recommendations: Kumon regularly publishes dedicated reading lists with specific books that help kids improve their reading skills.

You can rely on these free materials to help your kids boost their reading skills before searching for alternatives.

How much is the Kumon reading program? What people say

Above, I’ve investigated how much is Kumon fees per month based on the prices published on the centers’ pages. But now, I’d like to approach the whole thing from another perspective — and see what real people admit after they paid for Kumon reading. 

In this section, I’ve picked the most illustrative reviews of the Kumon reading price on Reddit and Trustpilot so we can clarify how satisfied people are with the price-quality ratio here.

So, some people are pleased with what they got in Kumon (check the image below):

However, some parents find the method very disappointing (and thus, not worth the money) in their Kumon reviews:

And here’s the most balanced view on is Kumon good for reading that can help with your final decision.

Searching for an alternative to Kumon Reading?

Based on the strengths and weaknesses of the Kumon worksheet-based method and the mixed feelings it gets from parents, Kumon reading is not among the most cost-effective options for personalized learning. In this regard, it’s worth paying attention to dedicated platforms like Brighterly reading tutoring. 

As part of the Brighterly math and reading program, tutoring overrides Kumon weaknesses in several ways:

• Transparent and fixed payment system: Brighterly has a unified list of pricing plans. The costs are lower than the Kumon reading price for the USA, and each lesson takes 45 minutes (compared to 30-minute lessons in Kumon).
• Teacher-guided approach: Brighterly teachers may use worksheets, but during lessons, they act as active assistants who explain materials and support learners whenever they need. In Kumon, the individual work is more important than in-class cooperation.
• Interactive learning: Based on the parents’ reviews on how much is Kumon reading on Reddit and Trustpilot, Kumon worksheets appear very rigid. In contrast, Brighterly tutors are frequently acknowledged by parents on these platforms as mentors who effectively engage and entertain their children and ensure better memorization.

Brighterly reading tutoring: Key features

Many know Brighterly as a math-focused e-service. However, this site offers equally effective reading lessons conducted by certified reading tutors. During my research, I noted many strong points in its approach. But for now, I’d like to discuss its core competitive advantages to Kumon pricing.

Certified and well-versed reading tutors 

Tutors on the Brighterly reading program pass rigorous selection and thus receive frequent acknowledgement from parents. Thanks to its tutors, Brighterly keeps a very high 4.4 average score on Trustpilot, with most comments mentioning the dedication of its educators.

The approach behind every Brighterly reading class is the secret to such success:

• 1:1 format: Face-to-face lessons at Brighterly build student-teacher concentration with enhanced focus. With time and trust, learners become more friendly towards their educators, which facilitates their progress and helps to eliminate their fears and struggles.
• Personalized learning plan: Each child is unique, so Brighterly tutors strictly adjust their approach to what private learners need. In contrast to a one-size-fits-all worksheet-based approach questioned in some Kumon reading reviews, Brighterly doesn’t offer any template learning.
• Inclusion of real-world examples: Throughout the whole cooperation with your child, Brighterly tutors carefully study their interests and try to implement the topics of their interest organically into the learning flow. This technique proves effective due to the powerful emotional connection it can create.
• Deep understanding of the provided materials: Brighterly tutors encourage learners to ask the “Why?” before they dive into the essence of concepts and learn to apply them in practice. 

By now, Brighterly’s approach has earned the trust of over 200,000 parents, with new users actively joining each week.

Advanced Brighterly reading program with a focus on interactivity

To help kids not only understand and enjoy reading but also advance at school, materials used in the Brighterly learning program are aligned with U.S. standards. This is not the strongest argument in the Kumon reading program price vs Brighterly discussion, as both these school-supplemental platforms align their courses to state standards. But the value for money is what makes the difference here.

While the Kumon method involves 2 weekly 30-minute sessions and leaves 5 days to independent work with worksheets, Brighterly takes the opposite approach. The tutoring sessions on the platform are longer and highly interactive to ensure the kid understands the subject learned. Brighterly tutors work with reading worksheets — but their methods are not limited to worksheets only.

In both approaches, the positive results include improving academic excellence and exam preparation. Yet, compared to the Kumon reading program cost, the Brighterly approach is more inclusive and can help students who don’t have enough discipline, focus, and rigor to do worksheets alone.

Careful evaluation when picking a tutor

To choose the most suitable teacher in the expanded tutor base, Brighterly offers parents to go through a specific flow before their child embarks on their first reading lesson:

• Initial evaluation: Brighterly asks kids to pass a free diagnostic test before applying for a tutoring program. It will show their special learning needs or objectives and estimate the current level. Then, the platform will use the information gathered at this stage to find the best teacher according to your needs.
• First demo lesson: Consider it the meet-and-greet or a free trial. In contrast to the package within the Kumon reading program cost, a child gets to know their tutor for free. At this session, the teacher won’t rely on the test results only and will proactively continue assessing the kid and their learning style. There are no obligations at this point.
• Ongoing learning: Once everything goes smoothly and parents decide to start learning with Brighterly, they can already see some advancements at this stage. Notwithstanding the first successes, the tutor will continue doing their job by carefully tracing the progress and altering schedules as needed.

Covering the full range of reading skills from grade to grade

Any topic that Brighterly reading tutors include in your schedule will be tailored to your needs. But to help you get oriented, I’d like to include a short resume on the objectives covered across different grades.

Grades 1-5	Grades 6-9
Focused Practice for Reading Comprehension Phonics Skills  Vocabulary Development  Word Recognition  Reading Comprehension Fiction and non-fiction passages  Main idea and story structure  Integration of knowledge and ideas  Key ideas and details	Focused Practice for Reading Comprehension Phonics Skills  Figurative language  Reading Comprehension  Fact and opinion listing outcomes Fiction and non-fiction passages  Story structure  Integration of knowledge and ideas  Key ideas and details

Brighterly reviews

Here is the most illustrative feedback I’ve found about the Brighterly learning approach. Check out what parents say to compare and see is the Kumon reading program worth it: 

• Better results at school: The Brighterly math and reading program delivers measurable academic results. What’s better is that the first achievements are usually accessible within a short time. Theodora Ejidike shares her vision, “I have been looking for an English class for my daughter. I was impressed with what I saw at Brighterly. Though I just did a 3-month subscription, I love her progress already.”
• Dedicated tutors with real value for money: As mentioned earlier, Brighterly has a team of experienced and committed reading tutors. All of them undergo extended training in psychology and achieve respective degrees in their subjects. Mandy T is only one of many happy parents, eagerly sharing their opinion, “Brighterly tuition is awesome. Ms Jasmin takes her time and is very patient with my daughter Maliyah.”

Brighterly cost

Brighterly affordable price starts from $17.3 per 45-minute session, which applies to both math and reading classes and is lower than the typical Kumon reading program price for a 30-minute session. This Brighterly charge applies if you decide to book a 12-month course with 3+ weekly lessons.  

If you’re not ready for such long-term commitments, you can also consider alternative pricing of how much is Brighterly:

•  $19.4/class when you book a 6-month course 
•  $20.2/class when you book a 3-month course 
•  $20.7/class when booking for one month of learning

Mind that whichever variant you choose, you can enjoy this range of features:

• Tailored program aligned with U.S. state standards
• Game-based studying approach
• Several performance reports to help you estimate how well your child progresses
• Help with homework

Get started with the Brighterly reading program today!

Here I am finishing this review. By now, you know that Kumon Reading costs generally range from $120 to $400, with average expenses usually fixed between $140 and $200 per month. Remember that this price does not include the $50-$80 registration fee or the $20-$30 fee for learning materials. 

As such, the price for how much does Kumon reading cost is surely high — especially during the first month when you need to pay around $100 extra — so why not start for free with tutor-based services like Brighterly.

Once you go for Brigtherly, you get: 

• Fixed, reasonable prices
• Strong tutor-guided approach towards teaching
• Gamified learning, which contrasts with Kumon worksheets
• Tailored schedules with priority on individual needs

And here’s the best part — the first lesson is completely free, so that you can explore the platform without any commitment.

Ready to start? Then book free reading lesson now!