Sometimes, the only thing worse than a kid struggling with math is a parent struggling to help their struggling kid. For both the student feeling hopeless and like they “just don’t get it” and the parent at a loss for ways to help their child make sense of baffling equations, math can trigger a lot more emotions than you would think for a subject that’s mostly made up of numbers and symbols. But for more than 35 years now, Mathnasium has been helping students not only to understand math, but to understand it in a holistic, enjoyable way—a way that makes sense to them. The result is that Mathnasium students don’t just pass math, they appreciate and enjoy it. A subject that began as a source of frustration and self-doubt becomes a source of self-confidence and passion. If it sounds far-fetched, consider this: what began as one man’s unique method of teaching kids math has now expanded to reach children all over the globe at over 500 learning centers. Mathnasium centers are on almost every continent, spreading a love of math like wildfire. And as of June 1st, you can get your child in on the action at Mathnasium Roland Park.
Mathnasium Roland Park uses the time-tested Mathnasium method used for teaching math from grades 2 to 12. Developed by Mathnasium founder Larry Martinek, the Mathnasium method uses a hands on, creative approach to math. Children don’t just memorize which numbers are odd and even—they talk about what it means for a number to be odd or even. Is it a lonely number? A nice number? A mean number? Instead of memorizing factors and multiplication tables, they use tangible objects to represent numbers and practice equations. Mathnasium kids develop an honest love for math, rather than the stereotypical dread or boredom. And best of all, Mathnasium tailors instruction to the individual child’s needs. The student’s learning plan starts with an assessment administered by Roland Park Center Director, Jim Trexler. The assessment identifies the student’s “gaps”. Once the gaps are identified, a personalized learning plan is developed and the math magic begins. The learning plan is followed by Mathnasium instructors, who must pass a rigorous test to work at Mathnasium. In fact, all Mathnasium instructors can teach beyond calculus, so there is plenty of math fire power no matter what level of math your child needs. The instructors are skilled at helping elementary school aged children to those studying for their SAT or ACT tests, algebra, or might need help with AP calculus.
Mathnasium weaves in a combination of fun, math games and problems to move students forward. According to Trexler, the center’s philosophy is “play hard, work hard, get better”. The program is designed to supplement public, private, and home schooled math education, not replace it. Competence in math is becoming essential for our children to succeed today and into the future. Although our schools are doing their best to educate our children, our country has continually lagged in math skills and is currently ranked 32nd in the world. Sometimes a child needs help outside the school environment to reach their potential whether they are behind, on-track, or ahead of their grade level.
So if the long summer ahead is bringing up some creeping worry about next year’s math scores, and potentially falling grades, now is a great time to think ahead. Mathnasium operates both during the school year and the summer—with a fantastic 16 visit summer program that will have your child ready to go for September’s math homework. Following through with a 6 or 12 month program during the school year will surely help your child achieve their goals. And thanks to their amazing techniques that actually make math fun, they’ll be enjoying it while they do.
Mathnasium Roland Park is located at 600 Wyndhurst Avenue in Baltimore. For more information, visit www.mathnasium.com/rolandpark, or contact Jim Trexler at 443-863-0531 or rolandpark@mathnasium.com.
