Writer / Turner Edwards
Is your child struggling with math or trying to become the best in his or her class? Well, Mathnasium is the place for that student. Mathnasium is located in Fishers at 11789 Commercial Drive, right behind Target. At Mathnasium, they have customized learning plans to meet each student’s needs. They employ the Mathnasium Method™, which uses games to connect math with real-life scenarios. They offer homework help and fill in the gaps in a student’s knowledge. The program is available for second through twelfth graders. They also use the Mathnasium hour, where students will work on the math they need help in, then they do work in their workout book, which is fun math. Then they play games that involve math skills.
The program is not only for those who may struggle with math, but also for students who want to excel in math and improve their already high grades. I interviewed two students there: Payton, who signed up the very first day of enrollment, and Kristiana, who has been enrolled less than a month. When I asked how much improvement they had seen so far in their math performance, Payton said she had seen a lot of improvement in the few months since she joined, and Kristiana said she had seen a little bit of improvement after not even a month of working with the Mathnasium program. When asked how Mathnasium has helped them with math, they both said it makes sense, with games and fun story problems. When asked what their favorite part of the hour is, they both said playing fun games like Farkle. I then asked them how the instructors helped make the math understandable. Payton said that the instructors explained the subject thoroughly and pointed out the mistakes. Kristiana said they taught the math well and helped her when she needed help.
Mathnasium was founded by a teacher out of L.A., Larry Martinek, who has worked on improving his methods with his students for 30 years. He got trademark protection for the name, Mathnasium Method™. He was inspired by his son to create the method. The Fishers location currently has multiple students at the facility working one or two years ahead of their grade level. The tutoring is individualized and all the work is done at the center rather than homework done on their own at home. All work is checked and graded so the students can see what they did wrong. Mathnasium will also help with homework during the school year. All Mathnasium lessons are based on common core curriculum in the United States. Starting price differs by age group but ranges in the $200s and is like a gym membership: students can come in anytime through the week. To get started, students take an oral assessment to see what they need to work on.
If you need to stretch those math muscles, Mathnasium has the right brain exercises for you. Go in and take an assessment to see how they can help you. On my visit, I sat down with owner and operator Chris Lemieux. After our interview and after I had finished speaking with the students, Chris invited me to a game of Farkle. I had a lot of fun! They are open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, and they’re located just west of Target. Visit their website at mathnasium.com/fishers or call them at 317-288-4306.