What is Mathnasium, and What is Their Tutoring Philosophy?
Mathnasium is a math tutoring center with nearly 1,000 locations nationwide that offer sessions under what they’ve trademarked as the Mathnasium Method. A prospective family brings their student to the center, they take a preliminary free assessment that includes both verbal and written components to pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses, and they’re provided a customized learning plan based on their assessment. On their website, they define their method as the following four-step process:
- Assessment
- Customized learning plans
- Teaching for understanding (rather than memorization)
- Goal achievement
In their sessions, they combine mental, visual, verbal, tactile, and written methods to encourage problem solving, catering toward whatever way the child learns best.
They Don’t Encourage Memorization
Mathnasium clarifies that their instructors don’t just encourage students to memorize, but to truly understand why the math works. As a math tutor at Learner, I know just how important it is that the student can understand the “why” so they can apply those concepts to a variety of problem-types.
There’s nothing quite like the joy of a student making a real-world connection, such as how ratios relate to their homemade Shirley Temple recipe, and how it doesn’t quite taste right when their ratio of grenadine is off compared to the amount of Sprite. Or possibly, making sure they have the right count of maraschino cherries on top.
Mathnasium, akin to Learner, wants to increase student confidence, build up student skills, and empower their students to thrive not just in math, but beyond.
What Does Mathnasium Cost?
Mathnasium’s FAQ at the bottom of their Contact Us page states that pricing varies by program and geographic area, although they claim the cost usually ends up being between $25 and $35 per session. They suggest calling a local center for more details.
Mathnasium recommends that students attend 2–3 times per week, which works out to roughly $200–$420 per month at $25–$35 per session.
What Else Affects the Cost?
Cost is not just the price of a singular session or even group of sessions. There can be other fees, such as enrollment costs, that a family needs to take into account when they’re looking for tutoring services. Other aspects, such as the price of gas to drive to a local learning center, should also be considered.
There can also be other variables affecting cost that a family may want to contemplate, such as weighing the price of being able to do multiple subjects at one location versus splitting subjects at different locations.
When discussing the value of tutoring, it could include something tangible, such as a higher grade in a math course or an increased test score, or something less tangible, such as a growing student’s confidence in a subject. The latter may be better measured with an increased smile rather than a letter grade on a test. In either case, we want to make sure the cost is worth the service we receive.
Is Mathnasium’s Price Point Comparable to Similar Tutoring Programs?
The between $25 and $35 per session that Mathnasium claims is the approximate cost in their FAQ is a comparable price point for tutoring, especially when compared to the cost of other tutoring programs. In fact, we state the following information in “How Much Does Tutoring Cost? Guide to Finding Affordable Tutors”:
“Generally, the range for private tutoring is $20 to $100 per hour. If you look for tutors in your hometown, you may find some high school or college students willing to tutor basic subject matter for a bit less. Even then, most tutors ask for at least $20 an hour for basic math, elementary writing, or simple science instruction.”
You’ll need to call your local learning center directly, or maybe even go in for the free assessment, to actually see what the plan costs and which one makes the most sense for your family. Whether the cost feels too low or too high will be completely individualized based on your previous experiences with tutoring programs, what you’re looking for, and what else is available in your area.
Cadence and Instruction Style
Sessions last between 60 and 90 minutes, depending on grade level and location. These sessions occur in a group setting, albeit there is 1-1 instruction within the group classes.
Do All Students Need 1-1 Support?
Tutoring is not one-size-fits-all, and there are absolutely students that thrive in small-group settings rather than being alone with a tutor. I’ve worked as a tutor in small group settings as well, and as long as the groups don’t get too large, I’ve had a lot of success with students. Sometimes the ability to bounce ideas off peers or not feel as though they have to be the only one answering is beneficial to the student.
What’s Included in the Cost of a Mathnasium Program?
For the cost of a Mathnasium program, you’ll receive weekly sessions that address the gaps identified in your child’s assessment, along with some portion of the class committed to homework help.
Mathnasium also notes that a goal is to address both anxiety and missing skills in order for students to eventually be able to work through assignments on their own.
There Is No Assigned Homework
Classes consist of small groups and they don’t assign homework for students to do outside of Mathnasium, as they believe it can lead to frustration or overload with the students. This contrasts greatly from tutoring centers who use outside homework as a core to their methodology, such as Kumon who encourages homework as a tool for self-learning.
Mathnasium Is Limited in the Subjects They Tutor
I think it’s important to note that Mathnasium only provides math help, so if you’re looking for a tutor that could possibly teach your child in multiple subjects, you won’t find that at Mathnasium.
What Does Mathnasium Require of Their Instructors?
Based on reviewing various job listings, I saw one location that required the applicant to just be at least a college Sophomore, while others mentioned college coursework was preferred or didn’t mention the requirement at all. This could vary between locations, and there may be differing requirements to degree-credentials or teaching/tutoring experience.
A successful tutor doesn’t need to have a degree or have direct classroom experience, and these qualifications don’t guarantee a good experience for a student. However, these can often be aspects that are important to families, and they may be something you want to ask about at your local learning center if they’re important to you.
What Are the Results?
Mathnasium states that 94% of parents report an improvement in their child's math skills and understanding, 93% of parents report an improved attitude towards math after attending Mathnasium, and 90% of students saw an improvement in their school grades. They assert they’re trusted by over 1,000,000 parents since 2002.
You can learn more about these results on Mathnasium’s results page, and you can also read through Learner’s positive reviews here. You can even watch some video reviews left by families who have children working with Learner tutors, allowing you to see and hear exactly what these families found beneficial.
Is Mathnasium the Right Price for You?
Each center operates with the same principles and core values to help students, but the cost, size of the classes, and specific protocols could vary between the centers. Mathnasium provides an estimated price range falling between $25-35 per session, but where exactly your price per class would fall will depend on the frequency of sessions and the plan you choose.
If there is a Mathnasium in your area and you’d like to know the exact cost for you, it’s best to give the local center a call or go in person to find out exactly what it would cost.
If you’d like to learn more about the differences between Mathnasium, Kumon, and Learner, you can read more in “Which Program is Best”.
Why Choose Learner
Learner is a tutoring company well-known for its flexible, individualized support, and you don’t need to be locked in for months at a time in order to get a better deal. Learner also makes it easy to move up or down a plan depending on the varying support needs of a child, and the prices can be easily viewed on the website: no fluctuating price points depending on where you live.
If a student needs to reschedule due to volleyball practice or a family emergency, you can easily do so directly with the tutor. Or, if a student needs an extra session during a week, that student can let their tutor know and arrange a time that works for everyone. If for some reason you want to do 30-minute sessions or 90-minute sessions instead of 60 minutes, you have the freedom to split the monthly hours as you please.
Additionally, all sessions are 1-1, so families never need to guess if their child is getting the support they need during their session.
