More than three decades ago, educator Larry Martinek set out to radically change how children learn math. Noting a "disconnect between students' basic skills training and the curriculum they [must] master in the years to come," he forsook traditional teaching methods. In their place, he created an approach he calls the cultivation of number sense, which strives to sharpen students’ math instincts, rather than drill them with repetitive exercises.

Soon after students began using Larry's method, their test scores began to rise. And in 2002, Larry's dream came true when two leaders in the education industry made his curriculum the driving force of Mathnasium.

Today, Mathnasium centers can be found throughout the world. Informed by Larry's visionary innovations, the program's tutors bolster critical thinking through written materials and mental math. They also focus on boosting students' enthusiasm for the subject, helping them overcome a lack of confidence in the classroom.