CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Whether in elementary, middle or high school, math is a stressful endeavor for many students. This is where Mathnasium of St. George, a new math-only learning center with proven techniques for eliminating classroom and homework frustration, enters the picture.  

“Kids don’t hate math; they hate being frustrated and confused by math,” center director and owner Megan Thatcher said. “We try to show kids that math can be fun.” 

Mathnasium helps make the oft-dreaded subject a bright spot in every student’s school year. With the Mathnasium approach, kids understand math by learning in the way that makes the most sense to them. And when math makes sense, kids leap ahead, gaining confidence that they’ll carry with them through school and into life. 

Larry Martinek, creator of the Mathnasium Method, spent over 40 years designing, developing and refining this approach based on his extensive experience teaching math to kids. Mathnasium has transformed the way kids learn math for over a decade at more than 1,000 centers across the United States and Canada. Thatcher said parents report improvement in test scores in as few as 20 sessions – just a few months – with Mathnasium. 

Mathnasium of St. George opened its doors at the beginning of December. On Jan. 20 between 2-4 p.m., the community is invited to a ribbon-cutting and grand opening celebration. Enjoy catering from Port of Subs, tour the center and meet the friendly instructors dedicated to helping every student succeed. 

“We’re excited to serve the parents and students of the community,” Thatcher said. 

Mathnasium specializes in creating learning plans that are customized to each student. During their first visit, kids take a free assessment to identify their strengths and weaknesses in math. A Mathnasium instructor then builds a plan to help fill the gaps in their knowledge, which they’ll use in their trial sessions.

Thatcher said number sense doesn’t come naturally to most kids. However, any student can become proficient at math. It’s just a matter of finding the right way to learn. 

Often, math lessons rely so heavily on memorization and following a specific process that students just learn the steps without truly understanding what they’re doing and why it works that way. There’s a need for Mathnasium because it teaches the “why” of math, Thatcher said. 

With Mathnasium, kids learn how to manipulate numbers so they can solve problems using multiple methods. Mathnasium principles apply to all areas of math. 

Mathnasium is a year-round program offering flexible attendance and either three or 12-month memberships that can start at any time. The center welcomes students in kindergarten through 12th grade and also offers a math-focused ACT preparation program for high schoolers.

“With COVID interrupting school and many kids switching to online classes, we’ve seen a lot of students falling behind and a lot of test scores drop,” Thatcher said. “There is a need to fill those gaps.” 

Mathnasium can help kids get as far ahead in math as they want to be, Thatcher said. Students come to the center for hour-long sessions either two or three times a week, where they study in a small, focused group setting. Every student works on their own unique learning plan. 

Thatcher said Mathnasium’s 4:1 student-to-teacher ratio prevents kids from relying on their instructor to guide them through every lesson. Instead, they work on the material with guidance but ultimately master the concepts on their own, earning rewards for the pages they complete. 

Mathnasium instructors continually check progress along the way to make sure kids understand and retain the concepts they’re learning. Instructors also set aside time to provide homework assistance, helping kids understand their homework assignments so they feel better prepared to complete it themselves. 

Whether kids are starting out far behind, keeping up with the pack or already racing ahead in math, Mathnasium’s winning formula opens new doors. Experience an instructional approach that goes beyond traditional math tutoring to develop a deeper understanding of math and build a lifelong love for the subject.

Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.

• S P O N S O R E D   C O N T E N T • 

Resources

• Mathnasium of St. George | Address: 922 E. Brigham Road, Building 3, Suite B, St. George | Hours: Mon-Thu, 2:30-7:30 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Telephone: 435-767-0335 | Email: [email protected] | Website.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.