A-ha Moments in Math

"When I first began teaching at Mathnasium of Killarney in SW Calgary, I had no idea what I had stumbled upon. There was a ton of training and I was anxious about how I would be able to apply the Mathnasium Method. In the first couple of weeks, I had students who asked 'can I finish this next time?' with great excitment which to me meant, the method really is awesome for teaching math. Making math fun and easy to understand is just what these kids want and I love watching them reach those A-ha moments." - Salina

"Lightbulb!"

"A-ha!" 

"I got it!"

"It clicked!"

"Eureka!"

These are several of the words we hear from our students or what our team of math tutors uses to describe what they see in our students. "Aha!" moments indicate that the student understands a concept, sometimes after lots of effort.  Your child's face might light up, or you might even see a huge grin appear. With masks on, we can see "smiling eyes" too. Underneath, the brain is also celebrating and making physical changes. 

In a recent article from Medical News Today, we learn that the nucleus accumbens becomes particularly active in the basal forebrain, triggering a dopamine release. This process gives the student a feeling of intense joy and relief. For more on what happens to the brain while studying math, look here.

Math tutors agree that "A-ha!'' moments improve confidence, or self-belief, in your math student. And when self-confidence increases, so do results. To learn more, see a recent article from The Honor Society.  

Mathnasium of Killarey specializes in creating "A-ha" moments. Here's how:

• Guided practice! Our specialized math instructors teach for understanding! We expect our students to fully learn a concept, not just be able to repeat it back to us. At Mathnasium of Killarney, we take our time, we offer consistency, and we will give your student our best effort. 

• Persistence! We have a clear "no spoonfeeding" policy, which means that our Mathnasium instructors never give answers out. Rather, they help your student arrive to the answer. That way the student can feel their own success.        

The results of our Mathnasium Method are hard-won "A-ha!" moments, and a deeper understanding of math. Larry Martinek, the creator of the Mathnasium Method, sums it up like this:

“It's pretty easy to forget things you memorize and near impossible to forget things you understand.”

Parents are noticing too. 

"My son's confidence in his ability to do math continues to grow." - Karen

"My son has had a fantastic experience at Mathnasium. His grade in math has improved significantly and his confidence and motivation has soared." -A.S.