We firmly believe that virtually any child can be good at maths. Different from physical limitations which might prevent a child from excelling in sports or the arts, the majority of children possess the ability to understand the relationship between numbers. They just need the right instruction – they need to be taught maths the way that makes sense to them.
Understanding – the gateway to mastery.
Maths is based on logic, and when students understand why they’re doing something instead of simply memorising the mechanics of problem solving, retention levels increase dramatically. For that reason, “just because” is never an explanation. At Mathnasium, the ‘why’ is just as important as the ‘how’.
The stronger the foundation the more you can build.
Maths is a sequential subject, and what students learn today builds upon the maths they have learned in the past. With the process of learning maths requiring a continual expansion of existing skills, it is imperative that students build from a solid foundation – the type of foundation we work to build at Mathnasium.
Working with children adds meaning to our lives.
The Mathnasium Method – An individualised approach.
The strength of the Mathnasium Method™ lies in its individualised approach. As no two students come to us at the same skill level, our approach includes a personal skills assessment designed to tell us where strengths and weaknesses lie for each student. We meet them right where they are and move forward from there.
The right instruction makes all the difference.
Instructors are the heart and soul of education and the foundation of what we are able to achieve at Mathnasium. All our instructors should be like “that one teacher” who we will always remember for their caring, their skill, their passion, their belief in our potential – and their devotion to helping us achieve it.
We diagnose like doctors.
Imagine going to a doctor who operated without first performing x-rays and other tests to determine the actual issue. The results would not be good. In general, education seems to lack process, which doesn’t bode well for a student trying to learn maths. For this reason, our instructors are given a method that enables them to assess what children know and don’t know. Identifying gaps is the first step to closing them. Once a “diagnosis” has been made we take a systemised approach that includes creating a customised learning plan with consistent follow-ups and reassessments to ensure the desired results are achieved.
We don’t compete with school curriculum.
Our methodology was designed to be compatible with, and complementary to, everything students learn in school. We know this because the Mathnasium Method™ was developed by a maths teacher on a mission.
Meet the man behind the method.
Maths doesn’t change, but the teaching method can. This observation and the ensuing Mathnasium Method is the product of Larry Martinek’s 35-year teaching and educational consulting career. As he taught in environments ranging from poorly-performing inner city schools to highly acclaimed private schools, Larry identified a disconnect that seemed to be present throughout: children were not learning the basic maths concepts they needed to master lessons they would encounter in the years to come.
With the help of his son, Nic, Larry decided that it made sense to find a better way to teach children maths the first time around than it did to focus on remediating them in Seconday School. This objective – to teach kids maths in a way that makes sense to them – is the foundation of the Mathnasium Method, Larry’s life work.
Today, Larry’s method is the foundation for over 1,000 Mathnasium franchises around the world. This proprietary method provides our franchisees the ability to impact lives and improve self-esteem for hundreds of thousands of children.
