Mathnasium centers are math-specialized learning centers that any child can attend year-round to boost mash skills and knowledge. Marsha Rimokh is the managing director of the Boca Raton, Florida branch of Mathnasium. Here, she talks about life at Mathnasium.
Yodle: Some people may not know what a “Mathnasium” is. Could you explain?
MR: Sure. There are Mathnasiums across the country. A Mathnasium is a specialized math learning center which students can attend year-round to boost their math skills and confidence.
Yodle: What benefits to students get from Mathnasiums that they wouldn’t from, say, regular school or a generalized tutor?
MR: We teach directly to the personalized needs of each and every student. Because of large class sizes and other factors, teachers are usually forced to teach to the median of the class, and therefore a child can get lost or stuck if he “misses” a concept. And tutors usually focus on getting through that day’s homework and not on learning the fundamental basics of a math concept. Students may become learning-dependent upon the tutor’s help. At Mathnasium, kids learn precisely the concepts and skills they are missing. This gives them the confidence to learn and achieve in the classroom and at home.
Yodle: Why do you think students’ math and science proficiency is so low across the country?
MR: Well, I mentioned large classroom sizes earlier and that is certainly a factor. It’s difficult for overloaded teachers to make an assessment of individual students and their strengths and weaknesses, and even more difficult for them to help each and every student catch up on a fundamental math skills he doesn’t understand. And of course, there is a lack of educational funding in public schools across the country that is certainly in part responsible for oversized classrooms and other problems.
Standardized testing is another huge factor; teachers are teaching to the median of the class and must cover a standardized curriculum or else they will be blamed for their pupils not doing well on standardized tests.
Because of these things, many students get lost in the shuffle, managing to just “get by.” They may be placed in a class they aren’t ready for. A kid that hasn’t mastered multiplication may be put into an algebra class. You have to know multiplication in order to learn algebra, so of course they will struggle. They might get into the “I hate math” thing and never really get out of it.
Yodle: Do students enjoy their time spent at Mathnasium? Are there any social or fun aspects?
MR: They work, but they do have fun. The kids definitely enjoy the puzzles and the picture problems (math problems that are accompanied by or involving a explanatory picture). We incorporate fun things into our program. We have competitive math triathlons and math Olympiads, which the kids love. There are fun aspects, sure, but perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of Mathnasium for the kids is the pride they feel after mastering a math concept that they felt like they would never understand. It gives them great confidence and makes them really happy.
Yodle: What kind of progress can be expected for a child enrolled in the Mathnasium program?
MR: I always hesitate to answer that question with the true result path that I have seen taken place, because no one believes it when I tell them. After a consistent six-month program, with the student “working out” twice a week, we see double-digit increases in average test scores in 100% of our kids. I always say, “Inside every child of average intelligence is an A in math.” And it’s true, at least up to pre-calculus. Up to that point, it is simply a matter of teaching math concepts in a way that can be understood by the student. If you can truly asses the concepts and learning skills the child is lacking in, you can create a nearly foolproof method of teaching this child to master all basic math concepts.
That’s why Mathnasium teachers do this job; that’s why we’re here. To see a child whose eyes just completely light up when he understands is a great feeling.
