Advanced math students are misunderstood: parents frequently believe that their child doesn’t need much attention as far as “extra help” or tutoring goes. However, talented math students frequently benefit greatly from the individualized mathematics instruction that Mathnasium offers! Here are five ways Mathnasium can take your talented math student’s performance to the next level.
1) Challenge
M. Katherine Gavin, Ph. D., of the Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, discusses meaningful ways to meet the needs of talented math students. Dr. Gavin stresses the need for students to have access to math instruction that provides the opportunity for “complex mathematical reasoning,” and the ability to converse with peers and instructors with an advanced level of understanding with math. She says, “for it is within these conversations that ‘aha’ moments occur and understanding is stretched.” Challenge also ignites passion within advanced math students, and students can find that challenge working with an experienced Mathnasium instructor.
2) Customized instruction
In a typical classroom, your child’s math teacher does not customize lesson plans for individual students. Teachers determine lesson plans and pace well before the school year begins. Dr. Gavin of the Neag Center claims that differentiated learning could be beneficial for advanced students. Why? Often, the pace of a math class is too slow to keep the advanced students stimulated, so instruction should meet their needs in a more specialized manner. At Mathnasium, we assess gifted math students and provide them with instruction customized to their current individual academic needs.
3) Instructor matching
In the classroom, your math student doesn’t typically get to choose his or her teacher. At Mathnasium, we have lots of options for instructors to work with your child – they have a range of experiences and areas of expertise. An advanced math student must be able to build trust with his or her instructor. Gifted students have a hard time trusting inexperienced instructors, and they can be quite astute at picking up on a lack of experience! Mathnasium’s instructors possess many years of experience, and we can match your child with someone specifically able to meet your child at his or her advanced level.
4) Flexibility
We understand that advanced students, in particular, tend to have more commitments on their calendars. We offer a variety of options for instruction for your child, always with flexibility toward your schedule in mind. Our center is open Monday-Friday 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm and we work around individual needs and schedules all the time. In addition to flexibility for your student’s day-to-day schedule, we know that families have different preferences when it comes to studying long term. Advanced students’ needs may look different from those of a student in need of more basic help, and we consider that when making plans for your child.
5) Personal attention
Finally, Mathnasium provides your advanced math student with direct and personal attention. Classroom teachers manage students in need of more stimulation and challenge with extra busywork: “enrichment sheets” are popular. If students can complete an enrichment sheet independently, they show that they already have a mastery of the topic included on the enrichment sheet, and they’re not growing! During Mathnasium instruction, an instructor doesn’t need to “buy time” by giving students independent work to complete without providing the individual engagement necessary to grow and be challenged.
Overall, a Mathnasium experience provides advanced math students with the tools they need to continue to grow! Our instructors are experienced and knowledgeable, especially when it comes to meeting children at an elevated level of math study. Dr. Gavin of the Neag Center stresses that this elevated meeting of the minds has multiple benefits. Students can achieve a higher understanding of mathematic concepts while creating a passion for math generally. The result is that advanced students who study at Mathnasium can experience a “thrill of discovery” and gain a “lifelong love” of math. Call us at (832) 569-5073 to schedule an Enrollment and Assessment Appointment for your child at Mathnasium Friendswood.
(832) 569-5073
