Mathnasium?
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Anonymous
| I'm almost afraid to ask this question because the top thread on this forum right now seems to be one of name-calling and stereotyping and I'm not sure what else. I'm not a tiger mom or anything remotely like that, but my 3rd grader is truly struggling with math. Yes, even in the supposedly easy-peasy MCPS new curriculum. He had a college student tutor during the summer and it was wonderful - at least in the sense that he seemed to make a tiny bit of progress and develop a little bit of self-confidence. But we need to find someone now during the school year. We have some feelers out to MCPS teachers, but because we both work FT and have a rambunctious younger child, I wouldn't mind an option that is out of our home. I saw an advertisement for Mathnasium in Bethesda ... can anyone speak about it from first hand experience? Or other options? Stupid question, but does Kumon do math and is that one we should consider? Thanks for any advice, and please no accusations. I'm not trying to get my kid into the Ivy League at 8yo, just keep him from crying over basic multiplication. Thanks! |
Anonymous
| I have a relative who used Kumon for math and can't say enough good things about it. |
Anonymous
| My DS (2nd grade) goes to Mathnasium as one of the school's after-school activities. It's only been a few weeks and he's already asked to sign up for the next session (and this is a kid who does not normally like sitting-still activities). |
Anonymous
| call ASDEC (asdec.org). they have a program for kids with math difficulties. |
Anonymous
| Thanks PP - I don't think my son has dyslexia, although it's entirely possible that he has some other learning disability. He is an advanced reader and madly interested in other issues (mostly science/nature/animals). But when we sit down to do math, it just doesn't work. Subtraction with "regrouping" as they call it totally does him in. He always assumes the smaller number is being subtracted from the larger. He knows some of his multiplication tables (they don't seem to hand those out for memorization anymore, but he seems to have the hang of the lower numbers.) Still if he has to do multi-digit mutliplication (365x24) he just collapses. Is this indicative of a LD? Or just a kid who is not grasping basic math? Either way, I want to find a support system that will buttress his skills and boost his confidence. Thanks for any advice! |
Anonymous
|
Hi. My name is Barry Fausnaugh and I am the owner and center director of Mathnasium of Bethesda. Our program is designed to meet students where they are and help them catch up, keep up and get ahead in math.
At Mathnasium, we only teach math allowing us to specialize in the subject and really focus our energies and attention towards helping the kids who attend our program. With over 330 centers throughout the country, the Mathnasium Method has a proven track record of helping students increase their math skills, understanding of math concepts, and overall school performance while building self-confidence and forging a positive attitude toward math. We don't believe that children hate math, we believe that they hate being confused and intimidated by math! We do our very best to make coming to Mathnasium a fun learning environment. The center is well lit and decorated in a way that most kids (and many adults) find fun. We use a variety of techniques to help kids understand and improve their math and math related skills. Our approach uses sophisticated techniques to identify, with great accuracy, what a student knows and does not know. Next, we create a tailor made learning program which each student follows. Students work specially trained Mathnasium math tutors who provide instruction and lots of encouragement. All work is done in center and we never send homework home. We begin by evaluating your child's knowledge using a two part (oral and written) diagnostic evaluation. These evaluations allow to assess your child's strengths and weaknesses with respect to grade-level material and assess the depth of your child's understanding of key mathematical concepts and skills. We recognize that it is difficult for some kids to sit still during an assessment and will work with your child to accommodate that if it is the case. Based on the above assessments, we will develop a learning plan and provide curriculum materials that cater to the unique needs of your child. Your child would typically attend our center two or three times a week for about an hour each visit. Your child would guidance from a qualified Mathnasium math tutor. The curriculum focuses primarily on written materials and mental math while using manipulatives and other teaching tools when appropriate. As part of working with your child, we will continuously monitor their progress against the learning plan and make adjustment where needed when identified instead of waiting until a predetermined amount of time has passed. We will reassess each student every two to three months unless there is a good reason (such as noticeable improvement in a shorter timeframe) to allow both us and you to gain factual insight in to the progress your child has made. However, we believe the best measure of your child's progress is to rely on third party proofs of progress such as report cards and standardized assessments which are provided by your child's school. The assessment is no risk and no cost to you. I'd be happy to discuss the program with you in more detail. The best way to do this is to come in and see the center. Our regular hours are 3pm - 7pm Sunday through Thursday. Other times are available by appointment. Please call us at 301-652-MATH (6284) to schedule an appointment (we also take appointments during our regular hours) or just come by when we are open. You can also email us at bethesda@mathnasium.com either with questions or to schedule an appointment that way. When you come in, please let me know you are following up from this post. Sincerely, Barry ___________________________ Barry Fausnaugh Center Director Mathnasium of Bethesda Ph: (301) 652-MATH (6284) bethesda@mathnasium.com www.mathnasium.com/bethesda |
Anonymous
|
Many people go with Kumon for math because they are already there for reading.
Give a side by side why one would chose mathnasium over Kumon. Thanks |
Anonymous
Dear Barry, You should only spend hours on a side-by-side if you want this particular PITA parent as a client. Sincerely, The rest of us |
Anonymous
You mean Mathnasium comes to the school? |
Anonymous
| Mathnasium comes to my son's FCPS school as an after-school activity. |
Anonymous
|
OP, I would also recommend the Linda Mood Bell program:
http://www.lindamoodbell.com/programs/on-cloud-nine.Aspx |
Anonymous
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Kumon isn't evidenced-based and after looking at the Mathnasium website, it doesn't seem to be either.
The Linda Mood Bell program is, so a better use of your money. |
Anonymous
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I believe Mathnasium is evidence based. They use an assessment process to identify specifically where a child has strengths and weaknesses in math.
Check out the following from a couple years ago. It provides a good comparison. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100111144010AAA7oi9 |
Anonymous
| When can you start Mathnasium? My DD is 5.5 and going into K in the Fall. Do they start them that young (as Kumon does) or do you have to be in elem. grades already? |
Anonymous
|
My son goes to Mathnasium in Bethesda owned by Barry Fausnaugh and we love it. My DS struggles with math and they have used manipulatives as well as kinesthetic and visual aids to assist with the more typical verbal instruction. He is making progress, so I would recommend it.
You may also want to look at Mclean School of Maryland's 4 week intensive math class. |