Mathnasium centers are math-specialized learning centers that any child can attend year-round to boost math skills and knowledge. Marsha Rimokh is the managing director of the Boca Raton, Florida, branch of Mathnasium. Rimokh says that while a parent’s help in their children’s education is always invaluable, the Mathnasium method is instruction-driven, rather than parent-dependent. Read below to find out more.
Are parents very involved in the learning that goes on at Mathnasium?
Not really, although certainly parents play a huge roll in their children’s education in all aspects. At Mathnasium, however, we are instruction-driven. We do not send home work. All learning materials stay at the center. Our curriculum has been developed for over 30 years, and that’s the tried-and-true method we use to provide each and every child with a strong foundation in math. And because we have such an effective plan going in, we know that we can cover everything we need to at the Mathnasium center, during the time the kids come into “work out.”
We find this beneficial to both the parent and the child. As Mathnasium instructors, we are trained to identify holes in each child’s math knowledge and skill, and based on that we can rebuild a solid foundation in mathematics using our time-tested program. Each individual child learns from a curriculum that we have developed especially just for him. By sticking with the curriculum, gaps in math knowledge and skill get filled by our specialized instructors.
Of course, most parents are not trained to identify their children’s mathematical weaknesses or teach fundamental mathematics concepts using the Mathnasium concept. Not to mention, most parents are busy with jobs and other issues. So instead of sending kids home with additional work to do with their parents, we cover it all at the Mathnasium center. We even help with school homework.
Also, students who rely too much on help from parents may become learning-dependent upon this help. What that means is that rather than mastering the concepts themselves and feeling confident in their knowledge, children may just “get by” with help from their parent. This can also be a risk with a tutor who helps only with homework, rather than focusing on the fundamental math skills and knowledge needed to improve. We don’t want a child feeling like he’s not truly understanding a math concept at Mathnasium and then asking his parent for help to get by. At Mathnasium, kids learn to be independent. We give them the fundamental math skills they need to feel completely capable to do their schoolwork.
We do encourage parents to talk about math with their kids, and make it fun. Whether it be number games or a simple math puzzle with breakfast, the benefits could be great and it may make your child feel more enthusiastic about math.
Do you communicate with parents about their child?
Absolutely. We keep parents updated about their child’s progress at Mathnasium throughout their time spent with us. It’s important that the parents know where their child is at with the program, so that they can provide positive encouragement. Every success- big and small- should be rewarded.
Communicating with parents also helps them recognize the changes in behavior that their child displays as he is improving and growing confidence, versus when he was struggling. Learning to identify these different behaviors may prove helpful in your child’s education and beyond.
