The consequences of the pandemic are still with us, especially when it comes to children and academics. Studies show that math scores in particular have dropped dramatically, and although there has been a partial recovery, with students only making up about a third of what they lost, it’s not enough. Schools are doing their best, but additional help and tutoring cannot always be provided due to time and budgetary issues.
This is where Mathnasium, a tutoring franchise founded in 2002, can expertly assist with the recovery and advancement of skills. A study conducted in Washington, D.C., reveals that high-impact tutoring programs contribute to academic improvement and also lead to a significant reduction in absenteeism among students. As Hedy Chang, executive director of the nonprofit Attendance Works, explains, it makes sense that students come to school more often when they’re doing well and not struggling. “Part of why kids don’t show up is because they don’t feel successful in school.”
She adds, “I do think it’s an impact of high-dosage tutoring, not necessarily just tutoring.”
In Minnesota, parents can easily find a Mathnasium center that’s convenient. Bobby Tarnowski, a franchisee with 10 locations in the Twin Cities, enjoys sharing his love of math with others. A math major in college, he spent 25 years in engineering. When he came across Mathnasium, he appreciated that everyone involved had a great deal of passion for what they were doing.
“They put together an outstanding curriculum,” he says. “It makes math make sense to kids. We help them understand the math they’re doing and because they don’t just memorize it, their retention is much better and much longer lasting.”
Well-educated, personable and caring tutors accomplish this through the tried and true Mathnasium Method, which is a pencil and paper based proprietary curriculum that meets and even exceeds expectations. “I use the slogan ‘Catch Up, Keep Up, and Get Ahead,’” says James Cawthorne, Ph.D., center director at Mathnasium of St. Louis Park-Edina. “It stands for how Mathnasium works to help students ‘Catch Up’ on their existing math gaps when they come to Mathnasium. We work to help students be able to ‘Keep Up’ with math at their current grade level. Finally, we help students ‘Get Ahead’ in math enabling students to earn entry into higher-level math classes as well as being familiar with math topics before they are introduced in school.”
He relates the story of a student who came into Mathnasium a few years ago. His Minnesota MAP score was in the below-average (red) zone. After a year of tutoring, the student's math confidence and knowledge improved resulting in his MAP math test score moving into the average zone (yellow). But, after another year, his MAP score was above average (green) and the student was then able to move into an advanced math class in school.
When skills increase, not only do test scores increase, but so does confidence. “When they leave here, they know they’re smart, and it wasn’t a calculator or computer that solved the problem,” says Bobby. “They’ve worked it out and it’s impactful to their confidence to go through that process. When kids get that kind of confidence, you can see improvement in more than just their math class.”
Although high school GPAs have been on the rise for decades, even before the pandemic, standardized test scores started falling. In recent years, this has increased and some believe that this discrepancy is due to more lenient grading practices implemented during the pandemic as a way to lessen the pandemic’s impact on students by increasing students’ sense of well-being. Holding students to pre-pandemic standards, they say, would be unfair and demotivating.
Mathnasium accepts children from first through 12th graders, and various packages are available. The standard program is a monthly tuition, where parents can enroll their kids for up to 10 lessons per month, 15 lessons a month, or a package for every day. The majority of students attend twice a week.
After a thorough assessment, each student receives a custom learning plan that fits both their level and learning style. Most students receive individual instruction in a group setting and instructors work with up to four students at a time, although private instruction is also available. Small goals are also set so that they can learn to work independently on specific topics.
Along with learning, kids also have fun at the centers. As one parent shares, “Our daughter has been going for a year and never complains. She loves it and she has gained lots of confidence in her abilities. Her teacher sees improvements too.”
Another parent states, “We have been very impressed with the individual attention and instruction at Mathnasium, and the willingness to partner with our child's school.”
Says Bobby, “We really focus on the quality of what we do, from the instruction we give the kids to the attentiveness we give to the parents and the effort we put into working with their children’s teachers.
If your child needs to catch up, keep up and get ahead, visit Mathnasium.com.