Idaho Falls

18 IDAHO FALLS MAGAZINE AUGUST 2019 "What is 7% of 250?" Why didn't I learn this before? This was the constant question on my mind as I sat in the Idaho Falls Mathnasium and learned that "percent" means "per hundred." Doesn't sound ground-breaking? Believe me, it was. And not just for me, but also for the students who pass through the Mathnasium doors. Many of these students were originally intimidated by math. "The question I like to lead with when a student comes in is, 'Can you tell me how you feel about math in one word?' " said Brenda Barnard, the Mathnasium center director. "Usually that word is 'it sucks.' " But it often doesn't take long for that to shift. The intimidation disappears, and when their mothers come in to pick them up, they say, "Mom, I'm not done yet. Don't come yet; I'm not ready to go." "Mom's just like this —" Brenda raised her eyebrows. "That's a good moment." Mathnasium is an afterschool education program that teaches math from the kin- dergarten to twelfth-grade level. Its Idaho Falls location opened its doors last year due to a desire to give back to the community in a way that would leave a mark. "We're here to help build confidence in children's ability to do math," said Jeff Barnard, Idaho Falls Mathnasium owner. "I know how that feels both from being the individual student and being the parent watching your child going 'I'm not sure how to help." This location is part of a larger Mathnasium organization which, accord- ing to their website, utilizes "proprietary teaching materials and techniques, The Mathnasium Method™, to deliver a custom- Workout by the Numbers Mathnasium offers a new approach to math exercises BY MEGAN EDWARDS PHOTO COURTESY MATHNASIUM

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