by Elisa Baxt

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We first told you about Mathnasium of Buckingham at Peddler’s Village just before their grand opening celebration in September of 2015. Now, almost 10 months later, we’re checking in with Educational Director, Casey Bailey, to find out how it’s been going and to chat with two “Mathnasium Moms” who are discovering just how big of an impact the revolutionary learning center can have on their children.

One of the biggest draws to Mathnasium learning centers is their ability to unite children around the subject of math – to make learning math enjoyable for kids who think “Math just isn’t for me!” and for students who already enjoy the subject. “Mathnasium is not just for kids who are having a hard time,” Bailey begins. “We customize learning plans to meet each student where they are and propel them forward. They might come in two months behind, or two months ahead.” Students are varied in age, skill level, and interests; they range from first grade through High School Pre-Calculus.

Bailey reflects on a ninth grader who was struggling in Algebra 1. Mathnasium was able to quickly determine that he had missed some key skills and concepts along the way due to being in advanced classes. “Now he’s caught up and he’s still coming. He feels it is a safe place out of school that he can come and ask any question on his mind without feeling judged.”

“We are able to work with any student from any school system. Private school, public school, home school, they’re all here,” she explained. “We have a number of kids who were new to the area this school year, and we have helped them get caught up to the demands of their schools.”

The mothers of two avid Mathnasium students – Jerry, age 11, and Mike, age 12 – went on to share how the new Peddler's Village learning center have impacted their lives over the past year.

“Jerry is homeschooled and was already ahead when he came to us,”  Bailey explained. “After six months of membership time he’s still improving. An area of emphasis for Jerry has been improving the organization of his thinking processes and written work. He's made tremendous progress on those fronts.”

Jerry’s mom joined in, “My son’s so excited to come! Casey catered to our needs. They take the extra time in the beginning to figure the students out, and their needs. Jerry’s needs are not the average needs. My son thinks differently; They figured it out! I needed the extra security of knowing he wasn’t missing anything and that there are no holes since I am homeschooling.”

She added, “My son asks the same questions in a million ways. The instructors are willing and patient and that’s very important for us. The instructors are great. They always first greet my son on a personal level before jumping into talking about math. It makes a huge difference.”

Mike’s story is completely different. His mom shares, “We know another family from our private school whose son doesn’t need the help, but just comes here for a different way of thinking about math. Mike didn’t want to come at all. He hated math. Very quickly we got to a point where there were no complaints when he comes! I am starting to see that with his math homework. He’s not avoiding it…that he’s attacking it with more security.”

She continues, “We actually see a difference all across the board because he’s not carrying it with him all day long that he’s lagging in something. We had a difficult problem to solve a few weeks ago so we came in. He’s built up a trust here. Mike has been a member for about three months and is already up to speed with his grade and with his class.”

Then she added, “The evaluation was spot on too. When we first started, he had a one-on-one evaluation with Casey.”

“Agreed,” chimed in Jerry’s mom, “It was amazing how spot on his evaluation was.”

Custom assessments are one of the keys to Mathnasium’s proven system and methods. In initial assessments, Casey works one-on-one with each student assessing mastery of key math skills and concepts from a grade level perspective. Casey evaluates whether or not students have efficient and reliable ways of solving each problem and learning plans are then customized based on the exact needs of each student. After the assessment, parents receive an email summary report with details about their child’s strengths and deficiencies. Then, they meet with Casey before starting the program to gain greater insight about their child's assessment results and learn more about how the Mathnasium program works. Post assessments are administered when a student reaches the end of a learning plan (usually 4-8 months) or as needed. “We give progress updates when the parents need them, but it typically takes two to three months for progress to be measurable,” she explained.

“We don’t spend a great deal of session time on homework, because the highest value from the program is gained by focusing our time filling in skill gaps and developing number sense through the Mathnasium curriculum,” Casey informed us. “As students build up their math skills and their confidence, schoolwork becomes easier and easier.”

Mike’s mom can already see that with the dedicated staff and Mathnasium curriculum, kids can go from doing just okay to being gifted mathematicians.

“It’s a gift to send them here. They learn so much.”

Mathnasium's primary year-round offerings are six month and twelve month memberships with twice-a-week attendance. Students can also attend on a month to month basis, however, the program is most effective when students attend for over a period of at least six months.Mathnasium also offers a summer only membership geared towards families with students who will be in-and-out of town throughout the summer and need a membership option that is a bit more flexible.

And word is spreading. Locals are learning about Mathnasium through the grapevine, often upon visiting Peddler's Village. “We were actually at a festival in Peddler’s Village and Mathnasium was brand new at the time – that’s how we saw it.” Mike’s mom explained.

Parents are welcomed to stop in, call 215-302-6174, or email buckingham@mathnasium.com. Mathnasium is located in Peddler’s Village at store #163 just a few doors before Giggleberry Fair and Doylestown Dance.

And you have a good chance of seeing some of the Mathnasium folks throughout the spring and summer! Look for them all across Central Bucks as a participating sponsor at Community Festivals like the Fonthill Fourth of July Celebration along with Charity Runs like NOVA's “No Bullying Run” in Doylestown's Central Park. Mathnasium also hosts their own Math Fun Nights (aka Parents' night out!) and of course they will participate in events and festivals in Peddler’s Village. Follow Mathansium of Buckingham on Facebook to learn about all of their latest events.

–Sponsored–

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