Mathnasium -- math tutoring

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have experience with this program. My 7th grade son is struggling in math and he needs support and help in filling some gaps. Any feedback would be appreciated.

[Anonymous]

There seems to be some inconsistency. We visited two centers and mostly saw "drill and kill" with worksheets. Other posters on another thread saw more varied activities and thought it was very helpful.

[Anonymous]

I'm interested in the Silver Spring center.

[Anonymous]

We live in Fairfax county. I now a several parents who have said it isgreat. One of my dd friends said that she was failing math last year, it has helped her and she said it was fun, she is a 6th grader.

[Anonymous]

Correction. I know several parents

[Anonymous]

i contacted them but they don't seem to follow 2.0

[Anonymous]

Our DD (now in HS) has done Mathnasium in the summers for about six summers now, mostly to keep her math skills up two times a week or so -- math is a muscle, my DH says, and needs some consistent exercise even when school's out. So we don't have the experience of using Mathnasium for trouble spots as much as for just practice; however, it works for our DD. Be aware that the model is not a one on one tutoring model. Instead, a student has a binder with his work in it, goes in and gets some pointers or new instruction from a tutor and starts work; then the tutor does not sit there next to that student the whole time but moves to another student, helps that kid or checks her work, etc., and returns to the first student when that kid's done with the assigned work, and tutor and first student go over that work. So one tutor may be moving between several kids but does answer each kid's questions, go over the work with each one, etc.

One thing we prefer about it: They do not send home homework. No sheets to do like Kumon sends home. But if your child needs nightly practice (and he might) you might want a program that does send things home, or a personal tutor.

Go in and have a meeting with the director of whichever Mathnasium center you're considering and be ready to talk in detail about what is giving your child trouble. Ask how the center would tailor work for your child, and ask how much one on one attention your child would get. If you feel your child needs a tutor who is working solely with him the entire time, then Mathnasium may not be for you or your kid, but check it out.

Don't forget, too, to ask your son's math teacher for recommendations for either programs or individual, private tutors. Sometimes teachers do know tutors in the community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DD (now in HS) has done Mathnasium in the summers for about six summers now, mostly to keep her math skills up two times a week or so -- math is a muscle, my DH says, and needs some consistent exercise even when school's out. So we don't have the experience of using Mathnasium for trouble spots as much as for just practice; however, it works for our DD. Be aware that the model is not a one on one tutoring model. Instead, a student has a binder with his work in it, goes in and gets some pointers or new instruction from a tutor and starts work; then the tutor does not sit there next to that student the whole time but moves to another student, helps that kid or checks her work, etc., and returns to the first student when that kid's done with the assigned work, and tutor and first student go over that work. So one tutor may be moving between several kids but does answer each kid's questions, go over the work with each one, etc.

One thing we prefer about it: They do not send home homework. No sheets to do like Kumon sends home. But if your child needs nightly practice (and he might) you might want a program that does send things home, or a personal tutor.

Go in and have a meeting with the director of whichever Mathnasium center you're considering and be ready to talk in detail about what is giving your child trouble. Ask how the center would tailor work for your child, and ask how much one on one attention your child would get. If you feel your child needs a tutor who is working solely with him the entire time, then Mathnasium may not be for you or your kid, but check it out.

Don't forget, too, to ask your son's math teacher for recommendations for either programs or individual, private tutors. Sometimes teachers do know tutors in the community.

This is good advice. My kids both enjoyed the tutors at Mathnasium North Bethesda. Talk to the director about what your child needs and how they can tailor a program for them.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Very good advice and feedback, thank you. Do you have a ball park figure on costs? There is no information on the website about fees. The tutor my DS has now is very good but extremely costly. Using him during the summer may become cost prohibitive. But, then I don't know how much Mathnasium's program cost.

[Anonymous]

Call and ask? We use Burke and love Rachel. The program helps strengthen the math base in which the rest is built. Seems like it was $275 a month or something like that. Depends on how you book it. My child liked it. We aren't going right now but would like to pick back up in the spring.