
Mathnasium (also Mathnasium Learning Center) is an American education brand and supplemental math learning franchise consisting of over 1,000 learning centers around the world (mostly in the United States), that provides instruction to students in pre-kindergarten through high school. The curriculum employs the Mathnasium Method, a proprietary system developed primarily by co-founder Lawrence Martinek, based on his decades of experience in math education.
History
Larry Martinek, a Los Angeles-based mathematics educator, began writing his own supplemental materials to school curriculum. In 1985, Martinek published ''Math Tips for Parents,'' a guide for parents and teachers based on his own experiences and his work with his son.
[Math Help, Tutors, Learning Centers, Tutoring Programs and Services Mathnasium.com](_blank)
/ref> He argues that a student's dislike of math stems from the frustration and embarrassment of not understanding math the way it is taught, and that students build confidence and mastery in mathematics through successful encounter and interaction with carefully selected materials. He emphasized that an approach combining oral, visual, mental, tactile and written modalities helps children to develop number sense.
Mathnasium was founded in 2002 by Larry Martinek, David Ullendorff, and Peter Markovitz. The first center opened in Westwood, Los Angeles, California
Westwood is a commercial and residential neighborhood in the northern central portion of the Westside (Los Angeles County), Westside region of the city of Los Angeles, California. It is the home of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCL ...
, The first center remains company-owned, while the majority of locations operate as franchises. The company began franchising in 2003. By 2019, Mathnasium had grown to over 1,000 centers across five continents. In 2019, the franchise expanded to Australia.
Programs
The Mathnasium approach first revolves around an assessment to determine what a student does and does not know. Next, a learning program is made. Each student follows the program with the help of math instructors who provide instruction and encouragement. For proof of progress, Mathnasium relies on its assessments, as well as students' report cards, independent tests, and parent testimony to measure the speed and magnitude of improvement in math skills, numerical thinking, and attitude. Mathnasium separates levels of instruction into early education, elementary school, middle school, and high school. Students advance to a new level of study when they demonstrate mastery of the subject through completing mastery checks, where students have to answer a worksheet of problems correctly without help from instructors. Instructors work face-to-face with each student, and the ratio of instructors to students is typically up to 1:4. Students are encouraged to bring in homework and get help on it as well. To encourage students, work they complete counts towards prizes, and they also can have chances to be entered into drawings for bigger prizes, such as gift cards. Instructors also grade student work and make sure that each worksheet is correct, which reinforces the Mathnasium Method of focusing on getting the process correct.
Events
In 2011, Mathnasium hosted a national TriMathlon, a math competition held at 160 participating Mathnasium locations. Over 4000 students competed in three challenges: The Counting Game, Magic Squares, and the Mental Math Workout. Along with medals and prizes for local 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners, each participant received a certificate for achievement for their involvement. National TriMathlon winners were selected from the top three scores in each grade level from all participating Mathnasium locations. National TriMathlon winners received honors and more than $10,000 in cash prizes.
Awards
In 2019, Forbes ranked Mathnasium #2 in it
Best Franchises to Buy
low investment category. Entrepreneur ranked Mathnasium #17 on it
Best Franchises To Buy
between $100,000 and $500,000, and #27 on it
Fasting Growing Franchises
list. Mathnasium was also ranked #1 on th
Franchise Gator Top 100
List three consecutive times.
Earlier rankings:
In 2012, Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones.
An entreprene ...
ranked Mathnasium #112 in th
Franchise 500
in 2011, Mathnasium was ranked #138; in 2010, #176; in 2009, #173; and in 2008, #197. In 2012, Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones.
An entreprene ...
ranked Mathnasium #44 in their list of th
Fastest-Growing
franchises; in 2011, Mathnasium was ranked #79; and in 2010, #77. In 2012, Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones.
An entreprene ...
ranked Mathnasium #94 i
America's Top Global
franchises; in 2011, Mathnasium ranked #114; in 2010, #138; in 2009, #135; in 2008, #98; and in 2017, #170.
See also
*Storefront school
A storefront school is a school that uses rented space, typically originally intended for retail, instead of a dedicated, purpose-built school building. They are often used for continuing education and upgrading by mature students or other stud ...
References
External links
* {{official website, https://www.mathnasium.com
Education companies of the United States
Mathematics education
Franchises
Test preparation companies
American companies established in 2002
Education companies established in 2002
2002 establishments in California