Should I send my kids to mathnasium?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kids literally have only one chance to experience childhood. Let your kids be kids. Please stop putting all this pressure on your kids to get ahead. It will backfire.

My kid would have a heck of a lot more time to be a kid if her school was a school, not a jail where she is locked up in a room and expected to discover her own knowledge while playing allegedly educational math video games and being pushed into ridiculous time-wasting group projects.

I'm not Asian, BTW, just bitter.

I'd love to see less groupwork. Well I'd love to see work come home and tests too. The lack of feedback is nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid would have a heck of a lot more time to be a kid if her school was a school, not a jail where she is locked up in a room and expected to discover her own knowledge while playing allegedly educational math video games and being pushed into ridiculous time-wasting group projects.

I'm not Asian, BTW, just bitter.

So much this! I send my kids to AoPS for math and language arts. The kids say that they learn so much more from their 3.5 hours of AoPS per week than they do in an entire FCPS school week. It makes no sense to me that FCPS AAP is so watered down compared to programs like AoPS. I'd prefer not having to send my kids to extra schooling, and that's why we're looking into private schools for next year.

[Anonymous]

I think there are many posts about the atrocious (and I most definitely mean that word!) FCPS educational system. If not for the high caliber parents living in Fairfax County, the schools in the system would have horrendous ratings. Ask any given parent, whether in AAP or GenEd, what their kid(s) is doing in school this week in Math or Science or LA, you'll hear them regurgitate the teacher's "weekly email," but they won't actually be able to tell you what they are DOING in class. I find it completely disturbing and whether you're in AAP or GenEd, it's just bad, period. The entire School Board needs to get wiped out from their seats, and parents need to raise this as an issue to the larger BoS to get the attention of the folks who need to be paying attention to this issue. We are only handicapping our kids if we keep implementing such a ridiculous "curriculum."

To the OP, while your child isn't the lowest in math, I totally understand where they are coming from--there's a culture of not wanting to be in the lowest group, especially among your peers. So it doesn't really matter that your kids are in LIV math, compared to their other LIV math peers, they feel they are at the bottom, and that is what concerns them. If they are asking for help, you should provide it to them. That may be in the form of Kumon/Mathnasium/RSM or private tutoring, or it could be a whole lot more parental involvement in homeschooling when they get home. Crack open an online math book and help your kid get through the current and upcoming content in math. You should be able to get that information from the teacher's weekly email. If kids are interested in math, there's no shame in providing the extra math work outside of school. There are a lot of naysayers on this board who are troubled by the outside coaching involved with kids in FCPS, but there's a reason why the highly educated crowd within the McLean or Langley (and other) pyramids do it--if the kids were being properly educated at FCPS (lower levels), most parents would let it be. It's too late to try and catch them up in middle or high school, when the basics at the elementary level are weak. The students who succeed (and not necessarily by getting into TJ, but succeed generally at McLean High or well rated high schools) are the ones who received the extra foundational help in elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Kumon is very different from Mathnasium.

Each are different from Russian school of math.

We have been please with Mathnasium for a short period now. Not sure if we will continue long term. For us it is both a fill the gaps thing and a confidence booster. Not to "get ahead."

Mathnasium in my opinion focuses on critical thinking and problem solving strategies.

Do the research to find out what you want if anything.

It depends on your goals and interests and time availability. Like anything. Like music, sports, or other extracurricular activities.

[Anonymous]

PP here. My parents were strong in math and always helped me learn new concepts.

We also had homework. And textbooks. We have none of that at our current FCPS. I pay someone to help my kids. Mathnasium is so worthwhile - for now - and they love it.

It is no different than "enrichment" of chess, music, or sports (which my kids also do). So I disagree with the poster who says it is. I am less concerned about getting ahead than the teaching quality in FCPS especially for math. We are not in a high stress pyramid tho.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, which school?

I'm finding it hard to believe that there's any school out there with nearly all of the kids doing math tutoring. I'm also finding it hard to believe that any FCPS school is departing from the regular AAP pacing guide so strongly. The exams are supposed to be standard across FCPS.

From the number of math tutoring centers (one per strip mall in my neck of the woods), plus private tutoring, plus the weekend Asian schools, plus parents at home with a workbook or an old textbook... Eh, maybe not nearly all, but a heck of a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m an immigrant and I supplement math because I don’t think it’s taught well. There is not enough reinforcement and Common Core is a joke and the curriculum is just subpar to the education in my native country.

I'm not an immigrant, or Asian, and I supplement math because I don't think it's taught well.

Mathnasium is wonderful, my children enjoy going because the work is organized with a clear progression, they can move at their own pace either fast or slow, it's quiet, there's always someone to help them the minute they raise their hands, and they get prizes for finishing a section successfully. They get help on their homework if they need it and are assessed regularly to show progress. I see kids there of all ages, from early elementary all to the way up to high school. We've used private tutors in the past but I prefer the center model because we can go on our own schedule.

I also agree there's way, way too much emphasis here on innate talent and "giftedness" and not enough on hard work. In FCPS, AAP should be open to any kid who can do the work, pay attention, and keep up in class. Period. The kids who can't should be sent back down to Gen Ed. Programming for GT should be separate and revert back to how they did it in the past, solely based on test scores. That's how these other countries everyone's referring to do it, right? Access to increasingly advanced levels of education are based on performance and test scores.

[Anonymous]

Lots of defensive parents. However you rationalize it. It is tutoring. If you think common core (from which VA standards are based) isn’t teaching math standards at fast enough rate, and you use that as an excuse to pay for classes that do, that’s tutoring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there are many posts about the atrocious (and I most definitely mean that word!) FCPS educational system. If not for the high caliber parents living in Fairfax County, the schools in the system would have horrendous ratings. Ask any given parent, whether in AAP or GenEd, what their kid(s) is doing in school this week in Math or Science or LA, you'll hear them regurgitate the teacher's "weekly email," but they won't actually be able to tell you what they are DOING in class. I find it completely disturbing and whether you're in AAP or GenEd, it's just bad, period. The entire School Board needs to get wiped out from their seats, and parents need to raise this as an issue to the larger BoS to get the attention of the folks who need to be paying attention to this issue. We are only handicapping our kids if we keep implementing such a ridiculous "curriculum."

To the OP, while your child isn't the lowest in math, I totally understand where they are coming from--there's a culture of not wanting to be in the lowest group, especially among your peers. So it doesn't really matter that your kids are in LIV math, compared to their other LIV math peers, they feel they are at the bottom, and that is what concerns them. If they are asking for help, you should provide it to them. That may be in the form of Kumon/Mathnasium/RSM or private tutoring, or it could be a whole lot more parental involvement in homeschooling when they get home. Crack open an online math book and help your kid get through the current and upcoming content in math. You should be able to get that information from the teacher's weekly email. If kids are interested in math, there's no shame in providing the extra math work outside of school. There are a lot of naysayers on this board who are troubled by the outside coaching involved with kids in FCPS, but there's a reason why the highly educated crowd within the McLean or Langley (and other) pyramids do it--if the kids were being properly educated at FCPS (lower levels), most parents would let it be. It's too late to try and catch them up in middle or high school, when the basics at the elementary level are weak. The students who succeed (and not necessarily by getting into TJ, but succeed generally at McLean High or well rated high schools) are the ones who received the extra foundational help in elementary school.

The highlighted above is simply not true. My DD who is in AAP at a McLean school has never had math tutoring of any kind. She has always received 4s in math.

[Anonymous]

Last year, in third grade, I noticed a serious change in DD's attitude towards math, for the worse. Her grades were fine, her attitude was negative. Instruction in general that year completely stank, with a lot of reliance (over 50%, from what I could count) on kids watching videos and then doing worksheets. Over the summer, we got Beast Academy, and worked through second and third grade material. Identified gaps in learning large enough to drive a truck through (in a child who was bringing home 4s in math on the report card). Worked the material, end to end.

It's been a complete turn around in attitude this year. Her grades continue to be good. She is less stressed. If she has questions about something, she looks it up on Beast, does the lessons, solves some problems, and is done. Her teacher once again describes math as 'an absolute strength' for her. The instruction is also much, much, better, but I would absolutely credit the work she did over the summer to how she overall feels towards math. The interesting thing is that her problem solving ability in general has improved, be they puzzles, or new math content she hasn't seen before.

Over the next summer, we will probably cover the fourth grade material in depth, and if time permits, get into fifth grade material. If there are once again knowledge gaps, that will get taken care of in the process.

OP: You do what works for your kids. If you feel that their attitude and confidence is suffering, then there is zero harm in giving them a boost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of defensive parents. However you rationalize it. It is tutoring. If you think common core (from which VA standards are based) isn’t teaching math standards at fast enough rate, and you use that as an excuse to pay for classes that do, that’s tutoring.

Okay, so it's tutoring. What's wrong with tutoring?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there are many posts about the atrocious (and I most definitely mean that word!) FCPS educational system. If not for the high caliber parents living in Fairfax County, the schools in the system would have horrendous ratings. Ask any given parent, whether in AAP or GenEd, what their kid(s) is doing in school this week in Math or Science or LA, you'll hear them regurgitate the teacher's "weekly email," but they won't actually be able to tell you what they are DOING in class. I find it completely disturbing and whether you're in AAP or GenEd, it's just bad, period. The entire School Board needs to get wiped out from their seats, and parents need to raise this as an issue to the larger BoS to get the attention of the folks who need to be paying attention to this issue. We are only handicapping our kids if we keep implementing such a ridiculous "curriculum."

To the OP, while your child isn't the lowest in math, I totally understand where they are coming from--there's a culture of not wanting to be in the lowest group, especially among your peers. So it doesn't really matter that your kids are in LIV math, compared to their other LIV math peers, they feel they are at the bottom, and that is what concerns them. If they are asking for help, you should provide it to them. That may be in the form of Kumon/Mathnasium/RSM or private tutoring, or it could be a whole lot more parental involvement in homeschooling when they get home. Crack open an online math book and help your kid get through the current and upcoming content in math. You should be able to get that information from the teacher's weekly email. If kids are interested in math, there's no shame in providing the extra math work outside of school. There are a lot of naysayers on this board who are troubled by the outside coaching involved with kids in FCPS, but there's a reason why the highly educated crowd within the McLean or Langley (and other) pyramids do it--if the kids were being properly educated at FCPS (lower levels), most parents would let it be. It's too late to try and catch them up in middle or high school, when the basics at the elementary level are weak. The students who succeed (and not necessarily by getting into TJ, but succeed generally at McLean High or well rated high schools) are the ones who received the extra foundational help in elementary school.

The highlighted above is simply not true. My DD who is in AAP at a McLean school has never had math tutoring of any kind. She has always received 4s in math.

Let us guess why your DD has always received 4s. Were you one of the room parents collecting gifts for the teacher? Were you sliding magic gift cards under the desk? Or your DD received tutoring from one of the school’s teachers (of course there’s conflict of interests)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m an immigrant and I supplement math because I don’t think it’s taught well. There is not enough reinforcement and Common Core is a joke and the curriculum is just subpar to the education in my native country.

I'm not an immigrant, or Asian, and I supplement math because I don't think it's taught well.

Mathnasium is wonderful, my children enjoy going because the work is organized with a clear progression, they can move at their own pace either fast or slow, it's quiet, there's always someone to help them the minute they raise their hands, and they get prizes for finishing a section successfully. They get help on their homework if they need it and are assessed regularly to show progress. I see kids there of all ages, from early elementary all to the way up to high school. We've used private tutors in the past but I prefer the center model because we can go on our own schedule.

I also agree there's way, way too much emphasis here on innate talent and "giftedness" and not enough on hard work. In FCPS, AAP should be open to any kid who can do the work, pay attention, and keep up in class. Period. The kids who can't should be sent back down to Gen Ed. Programming for GT should be separate and revert back to how they did it in the past, solely based on test scores. That's how these other countries everyone's referring to do it, right? Access to increasingly advanced levels of education are based on performance and test scores.

So much this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there are many posts about the atrocious (and I most definitely mean that word!) FCPS educational system. If not for the high caliber parents living in Fairfax County, the schools in the system would have horrendous ratings. Ask any given parent, whether in AAP or GenEd, what their kid(s) is doing in school this week in Math or Science or LA, you'll hear them regurgitate the teacher's "weekly email," but they won't actually be able to tell you what they are DOING in class. I find it completely disturbing and whether you're in AAP or GenEd, it's just bad, period. The entire School Board needs to get wiped out from their seats, and parents need to raise this as an issue to the larger BoS to get the attention of the folks who need to be paying attention to this issue. We are only handicapping our kids if we keep implementing such a ridiculous "curriculum."

To the OP, while your child isn't the lowest in math, I totally understand where they are coming from--there's a culture of not wanting to be in the lowest group, especially among your peers. So it doesn't really matter that your kids are in LIV math, compared to their other LIV math peers, they feel they are at the bottom, and that is what concerns them. If they are asking for help, you should provide it to them. That may be in the form of Kumon/Mathnasium/RSM or private tutoring, or it could be a whole lot more parental involvement in homeschooling when they get home. Crack open an online math book and help your kid get through the current and upcoming content in math. You should be able to get that information from the teacher's weekly email. If kids are interested in math, there's no shame in providing the extra math work outside of school. There are a lot of naysayers on this board who are troubled by the outside coaching involved with kids in FCPS, but there's a reason why the highly educated crowd within the McLean or Langley (and other) pyramids do it--if the kids were being properly educated at FCPS (lower levels), most parents would let it be. It's too late to try and catch them up in middle or high school, when the basics at the elementary level are weak. The students who succeed (and not necessarily by getting into TJ, but succeed generally at McLean High or well rated high schools) are the ones who received the extra foundational help in elementary school.

The highlighted above is simply not true. My DD who is in AAP at a McLean school has never had math tutoring of any kind. She has always received 4s in math.

You'll need to wait until middle or high school to speak ... that's the statement the prior poster is making--getting a 4 in elementary school doesn't equate to succeeding in a AP math curriculum! Sorry to say ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the most NoVa post I’ve ever seen.

Probably new Asian immigrants that fled their culture to bring it here