If you’re a parent with kids in school, you might have tried some at-home maths tutoring, only to hit a brick wall as your child tackles some of the trickier sums and formulas. Either you’re unfamiliar with the methods being using … or you’ve just forgotten it all from your own school days! Making things tougher is Singapore’s super-competitive academic environment – especially in mathematics. Also, maths has a reputation for being unpopular among kids, which can make it more difficult to teach and be taught.
Mathnasium is a mathematics learning centre that offers an intuitive and structured way to teach maths. The Mathnasium Method was developed by American educator Larry Martinek and designed to be fun and strengthen your child’s maths skills at the same time. Larry spent over four decades developing and refining the approach based on his on-the-ground teaching experience. The highly personalised maths tutoring method seeks to boost both results and confidence. There are no “classes” – each child is taught individually based upon a detailed assessment and their own tailored learning plans.
We’ll take a look at this method of maths tutoring in this post; but what better way to understand it than by experiencing it? From now until 30 June 2021, Mathnasium is offering a free, no-obligation assessment and a $300 discount.
Here are just a few of the features that Mathnasium utilises to teach maths.
#1 An assessment of strengths and weaknesses
In school, students learn as a group. While this is great for overall efficiency, it can mean that your child’s specific needs aren’t addressed. The Mathnasium Method requires all students to take an assessment to pinpoint their individual strengths and weaknesses. Both written and verbal evaluations are given to offer insight into the areas that require more work.
Throughout the course, follow-up assessments track your child’s progress and help them to keep up with shifting priorities.
#2 A customised learning plan
Based on the results of the assessment, Mathnasium constructs a customised learning plan; this plan focuses on the mathematics concepts that your particular child has most difficulties with. There are also specific learning goals mapped out for your child to meet. This step-by-step approach is to ensure they can confront the challenges without being overwhelmed by all the problems at once.
#3 No assigned homework (that’s right!)
It’s rare that you hear of a learning centre that doesn’t assign homework for children, but this is exactly what the Mathnasium Method believes in. The reason? The maths tutors want to make sure they are there to provide the crucial guidance when your child’s learning takes place. To this end, they’ll even provide homework help where it’s needed.
#4 A relatable teaching style
A common complaint from students at school is that teachers don’t know how to “speak their language”; they teach in a way that can’t be easily understood. Mathnasium’s instructors are trained to translate complex maths concepts into simpler, more relatable information so students can “get” them – that is, to teach maths in a way that makes sense to children. They also have to pass a screening test to ensure they have the essential maths tutoring skills required, and a familiarity with the approach.
#5 An encouraging environment
If your child has been struggling with maths for a long time, they may lack confidence in the subject. Their self-esteem might be affected by this, especially if they’ve been giving wrong answers in class or scoring poorly in exams. Conversely, if your child feels they’re not being pushed enough, Mathnasium can provide the challenge they’re looking for.
The programme aims to create a caring and encouraging environment for children. This way, it can foster long-term development not only in their maths results but also in their attitude to learning. It’s imperative that your child doesn’t feel judged for making mistakes, so more learning can happen without fear or concern.
Maths tutoring special offer for Expat Living readers!
As mentioned earlier, to help you experience the Mathnasium’s approach to maths tutoring, the centre is offering a $300 discount on its programme. The offer is valid for sign-ups until 30 June 2021.
Mathnasium was established in over 1,000 locations worldwide before arriving in Singapore. If you like the sound of its offerings, schedule a free assessment here. For more information, you can call, email or enter your email at the website listed below.
Mathnasium – The Maths Learning Centre
Forum, The Shopping Mall #02-01/02, 583 Orchard Road
9114 8757 | forum@mathnasium.sg | mathnasium.sg/forum
Liked this? Read on for more about schools and other aspects of living in Singapore.