About our programs
Having helped hundreds of families since 2002, we've narrowed our programs to focus on two types of students.
Interactive Mathability Assessment - The goal of the interactive assessment is two fold: gently probe a child’s math foundation (2nd grade to current level) and gauge the child’s learning preferences. In most cases, parents are invited to stay in the same room with the child (but not on the same table to reduce test anxiety). The assessment is done in a dialogue format (such as, ‘ is 1/7 or 1/8 bigger? Can you show me why?’). Experimentally, we’ve found that the dialogue format is the least threatening way to go about finding the child’s math strengths and weaknesses.
Breakthrough Project Program - This program is for students who is having difficulty with math and may have tried other methods of math help and perhaps already have the mind set that they "can't do math". This is a 3 to 12 months program in which we go back with the student to the place in math where math difficulty had started and systematically rebuild the foundation. We then focus on test taking and study skills to retain the progress and cement new knowledge.
Math Guardian Program - This program is for students who have done relatively well in math so far and want to stay ahead when new math topics are introduced in school. This is a longer term program where we keep an eye on a student's math progress and alert the parents and fix any potential trouble spots before they become a problem.
SAT/ACT Program - Instead of blindly toss students into battle of sample tests, we help them to gain a bird's eye view on material needed for their test and where their foundation holes are first. Then we teach them systematically go about tackling the test to achieve maximum results.
Door-2-Math Methodology
The Door-2-Math methodology is shaped by my own experience in 4 areas:
- Personal struggle
I struggled in math as a youngster and had nearly given up on ever making sense out of mathematics if weren’t for a caring teacher who patiently helped me to discover and honor my unique learning style. With this experience, what I can give a child is patience and empathy. When a child says ‘this is confusing’ or ‘I just don’t get it’, I get it simply because I’ve been there before.
- 12 years of advanced mathematics training in specialty areas such as statistics, probability theory, advanced linear systems and stochastic theory.
Having conquered my own math fear and test anxieties, I was able to follow my interests in studying stars. Though my undergraduate degree was in Electrical Engineering, I completed my doctoral research in space telescope design at University of Arizona, one of the top schools for astronomy research. The training not only gave me the freedom to pursue my interests but also gave me an appreciation on how mathematical topics are interlinked. That give me the ability to pinpoint just what concepts are paramount for a child’s k-12 math education.
- Teaching and working with over a hundred students as a learning consultant and their private educator
Teaching is an art and learning is a process. Both art and learning take time, skill and patience to achieve final results. Having figured out what math topics are essential for a child’s k-12 math education, I spend most of my non-teaching hours reading and researching on how to deliver them to a child. They say that a smart person learns from his mistakes and a smarter person learns from other’s mistakes. I want to do both so Door-2-Math becomes the space where your child’s relationship to mathematics is forever transformed.
- Being a parent
No matter how much parenting books I devour, I still make mistakes with raising our two kids. Those mistakes then become a part of my reservoir in reaching a child who comes through Door-2-Math. The last big mistake? We ignored our family dentist’s advice on using sealant for our son’s baby back teeth, and now we have to deal with cavities. I sent out newsletters to family, friends and clients about ‘protecting molars with sealant’. Other collect jewelry, I collect mistakes – mine and anyone else’s.
If you like our approach so far, check out the reference letters and see, in your own opinion, what experience we have at Door-2-Math that would benefit your child. At this point I often get asked, “Will there be others teaching my child using Door-2-Math methodology?” The answer is: At Door-2-Math, it's one student, one math relationship at a time. Please consider these 4 essential questions when you’re looking for the place to meet your child’s math needs:
- Group or individual attention benefits your child better?
- Turning another assignment in or transforming how a child relate to math will serve your child’s future more?
- Multiple instructors for the program duration or single instructor will engage your child longer?
- Part-timer supplementing income or a dedicated professional will support your child more?
In the end, as parents, we all want to choose the paths that give our children the most chance to succeed and leave us with the least regrets. Door-2-Math is not the least expensive place in town to get your child to turn in another math assignment. It’s not designed to be. What we strive for is to be the place to transform your child’s relationship with math. Give us a call if you’re ready to have us as your partner in your child’s math education.
Please call (520) 909-9489 for more information.
“ I don’t know what you did with him, but he is still getting A’s in math this year at UA.”
- Joan M. , business owner and mother of a Salpointe Senior
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