Kumon began 50 years ago in Japan as a system to provide tutoring in math and reading to children from pre-school age through adults. Akihiko Tominaga and his wife, Aiko, run this Kumon center on the border of Albany and Berkeley. Tominaga says the program centers on independent self-learning. Students complete a range of worksheets and problem sets to refine their skills. Tominaga said students can start as young as 3 years old, and that he's worked with students as old as 65. It can be a good activity for senior citizens, he said.