Why do children struggle with math?

Have you ever watched a foreign film without subtitles? You can usually get a good idea of what is going on, but do you really understand the point of the movie? If a student is missing key foundational math skills, it makes it very difficult to keep up in class. They feel confused and frustrated...much the same way you felt while watching that movie and not understanding the language.

Most schools treat kids the same because it is assumed that all kids learn the same way and at the same rate. The teachers are expected to cover vast amounts of material in a short period of time. If your child doesn't get a chance to master a skill for whatever reason – that's too bad. Teachers must move quickly to stay “on schedule". As a result, we see too many kids fall behind in math.

What happens next? The class moves on! Here come multiplication facts, fractions, percentages, decimals, mixed numbers, exponents, ratios, x=?, divisibility rules, algebra, geometry, equations. It never slows down so your child can catch up! They feel overwhelmed, embarrassed, and all alone! They begin to expect and accept failure as the "new normal" and think "I'm just not good in math!" They lose all confidence in themselves and all of their other grades begin to suffer. 

Is it any wonder why you have to fight with them to do their homework? With many kids, it is easier for them to fight you and not do the work than to put the effort into it only to see failure again. After a while, it just doesn't seem worth the effort for them.

Will a private one-on-one tutor work?

Unfortunately, in most cases a private tutor is a temporary fix for a long term problem. Private tutors only help children "survive" tonight's homework, but they don't address underlying issues. In most cases, private tutoring is not going to be a meaningful long term solution. Your child deserves to have that long-term impact in their math education!

How is Mathnasium different?

Great Question! The very first thing we do is give your child a skills assessment. We give them both a written and oral assessment so that we can get a deep understanding of not only what they know, but how they think!

We sit down with them, put them at ease, and give them an assessment that doesn't feel too easy or too hard. Most importantly, we find out HOW THEY LEARN! Then we build their trust by giving them a few ideas and strategies that they can use immediately. We then build a customized learning plan that targets skill gaps and quickly shows them success. In many cases “success” in math is something they have been craving!

Why is confidence in math important?

It's not just important, It's critical! Kids need to see that they can do the work so that they can feel confident! This fresh, new confidence will spill over to many other areas of your child's life. At this point you will start to see peace at home! You won't be having to fight with them to do homework. Not only will they have the confidence and the skills to attack it but they'll start bringing home better grades from school. How do we know this? Because we have seen it over and over again with hundreds of our students!

Are you doing one-on-one tutoring?

Another great question! Our instructors are not just average math tutors. We have brilliant, engaging, inspiring math experts that work one on one with your child long enough to get them started and make sure they understand what to do. Then the instructor steps back and lets your child work independently to give them the time to process this new information without the pressure and stress of being watched. It also prevents a "learned helplessness" where the student feels that they need the instructor sitting in front of them all the time in order to be successful.

Our instructors quickly come back after a minute or two in order to make sure they are doing the problems correctly, give them encouragement, and praise them for their efforts! If the student needs more help we simply teach the lesson again in a different way without judgment or ridicule until they "get it." This enables your child to become a "confident, independent learner."

My child already excels in math.  Will Mathnasium address their needs?

Absolutely.  Since Mathnasium is customized to the needs of each individual student, we can help advanced students stay engaged and stimulated by introducing them to more challenging math topics.  More importantly, we can also help your child to develop even stronger numeric fluency and critical thinking skills, which are essential for continued success in math.

If this is what you want for your child - It's easy to get started!

Call Now 905-940-6284 and Let's Get Started!