Education
BY SARAH BRAGER
Former teacher Catherine Labuda never thought she’d hear a child beg to take another math test. Now, as a co-owner of three math tutoring centers across Cy-Fair, she said she hears this all the time. “With little kids, we’ll do a numerical uency test, and we play games with them,” she explained. “We make it fun so that they enjoy it.” How we got here Catherine Labuda and her husband, John, invested in their rst Mathnasium center—a math tutoring franchise—when they moved to Texas 15 years ago. The couple, who met in a university math class, knew they wanted to have a broader reach in Cy-Fair and opened two more locations by 2014. John Labuda said one of the most rewarding parts of the job is watching students grow into their con dence as their grades shift from Ds to As. “I have parents come up to me and say, ‘Not only have my son’s math grades improved, but all his grades have improved,’ just because of the con - dence,” he said. Mathnasium tutors teach second-grade math through precalculus, which students usually take their junior year of high school, with curriculum customized for each student. The Labudas said Mathnasium also focuses on creative incentivization, rewarding students with prizes when they take an assessment. The local impact The Labudas own Mathnasium centers in Cy-Fair, Copper eld and Lakewood, with about 250 students and 30 employees across the three locations. John Labuda said they’ve served almost 3,000 students since their rst center opened in 2010. Reecting on 15 years in the community, the couple said they’ve been able to grow alongside the students themselves. Some students, who John Labuda calls “lifers,” started going to the Cy-Fair center in elementary school and stayed through high school. A few of them have even applied to be tutors, he said, creating a true full-circle experience. “We’ve had a lot of instructors who have decided to become math teachers because of the positive experience they’ve had here,” he said. The future Catherine Labuda said she hopes to keep demon- strating that anyone can be a “math person.” Basic math sense is crucial in all aspects of life, the couple explained, noting that fewer kids in recent years are able to do simple calculations in their head. Mathnasium celebrates 15 years in Cy-Fair
Students sit at tables based on their math level, so ages vary across the classroom.
PHOTOS BY SARAH BRAGERCOMMUNITY IMPACT
A Mathnasium tutor works through a problem set on July 8 with the students at his table.
Each student uses a workbook that’s personalized to their math level.
Even as teaching becomes more digital, John Labuda said they will continue to have students write out their work because the physical process aids retention and comprehension. “It’s important to engage with the whole person,” Catherine Labuda said. “Parents want the children to have worksheets to do at home, and that’s not what my message is. They want time with [their parents], and if you play games with them, they’re going to be engaging with all their senses.”
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17310 FM 529, Ste. 102, Houston www.mathnasium.com
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CYFAIR JERSEY VILLAGE EDITION
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