Teaching & Understanding

Mathnasium takes a new approach to learning – addressing the disconnect between skills and curriculum resulting in enhanced performance.

You may have seen it on Northcote Road, the red and black Mathnasium sign that heralds the arrival of a fresh approach to maths for the children of south-west London. Mathnasium is a learning centre which aims to fill the gaps in a student’s knowledge and build solid foundations; whether your child is preparing for an exam, finding maths difficult at school or enjoys maths and would like to do more of it, then this is the place to do it.

It’s an alternative to tutoring at home, but don’t let that fool you into thinking the approach is any less individual. Centre Director John Preston (a former City banker who knows a thing or two about numbers) explains: “Everything is bespoke for every child. The attention they receive is one to one and we have an extensive supply of materials that go up to GCSE.”

Children are assessed to find out where they are mathematically (it’s not determined by what year they’re in at school) and their customised learning plan is continually developed session by session through individualised instruction. “On arrival the children check in and get their folder. In it they’ll find their first task and the instructor will go through the first couple of questions with them,” Preston says. “Then the instructor will leave the student to answer the next couple of questions and check back. If they’ve made a mistake, they’ll ask them, how did you get to that? What made you get to that? This helps us understand how the child is thinking. Then, we can identify how to change the thought process to get the correct result.” The topics are changed regularly within the session to maintain focus.

The emphasis is on number sense – Mathnasium is not about rote learning, it’s about teaching for understanding and retention, providing mathematical dexterity and computational skills. Created by former teacher Larry Martinek over 40 years ago in America, the Mathnasium Method addresses the disconnect between students’ learning skills and the curriculum they are expected to master.

Mathnasium provides each student with a strong mathematical foundation, through developing a deep understanding of maths which is achieved via a combination of mental, visual, verbal, tactile and written exercises. Mathnasium has created an approach to maths that makes sense to children, and today it is a global community with over 1000 locations worldwide.

As we know from visiting the gym, if you work a muscle it’ll get stronger. You join Mathnasium on a monthly subscription and students are encouraged to visit a minimum of twice a week with each session lasting one hour. “Our goal is to enhance your child’s maths skills, understanding of maths concepts and overall school performance. At the same time, we build confidence and help families see measurable progress.