Both of them provide immediate feedback which accelerates the learning curve. Before digital cameras we had to wait hours between taking a picture and seeing the picture. If we were unhappy with the lighting, we wouldn’t know it until it was too late. Digital cameras changed that. Now we can take a picture, look at it, and get immediate feedback about the influence of using different strategies like f- stops, ISO speeds, and lighting techniques. Amateur photography improved dramatically with digital cameras.
Mathnasium brings the digital age to math instruction, but with a human touch. Our instructional model strikes the perfect balance between giving kids the chance to figure things out and giving immediate feedback.
When a child starts learning a new math concept, the child’s packet indicates to the student to stop working and raise their hand. An instructor comes by and explains the new concept and gives the student the opportunity to ask questions and work through some problems together. Then the instructor leaves and lets the student try it on their own. After completing one page practicing the skill the student puts the page in a holder indicating to the instructor to return (or if more than a couple of minutes have passed, the instructor comes back to check in - does the child have a question, are they doing the problems correctly, are they struggling too much?). If any errors were made, the instructor and the student fix them together. They also discuss questions that were answered correctly - what strategy did the child use, can they explain what they are doing, do they understand why the steps are what they are, etc.? Then the student gets the chance to work independently again.
This model gives the child the chance to become independent learners without going down the wrong path for very long. Most classrooms operate in a similar fashion, with one big difference. The instructor - student ratio is about 1 to 3 at Mathnasium rather than 1 to 30 in a typical classroom. That means kids are getting feedback and redirection at much more regular intervals. This greatly improves the learning curve of every child.
Come check out why students dramatically improve their math skills. We offer a free, one-hour, trial sesion! See how we work and experience our system directly!
This article was written by and owned by Cuttlefish Copywriting. It is copyright protected. Mathnasium of Littleton has permission to use it. Other Mathnasium locations should contact Heather at [email protected] before using it.
