Mathnasium Opens in New Hyde Park

Right in between Catalano Music and Moba Dance Academy on Jericho Turnpike is a new math learning center called Mathnasium; a place where owner Peter Abrams has faith kids will be able to discover and enhance their arithmetic skills and encompass a new understanding of math.

The Mathnasium center — walls, tables and floors — adorned in the colors black, white and red, held its official grand opening today beginning at 12 p.m. and welcomed children and adults to browse, play games such as math bingo and munch on black, white and red cupcakes, M n Ms and cookies.

“This is a franchise, so there are other Mathnasium’s in Roslyn; they’re opening one in Great Neck and there’s going to be one in Syosset and Bayside,” Abrams said. “It was a combination decision with me and my wife [to open a Mathnasium in New Hyde Park]…and there is a big need for it in New Hyde Park.”

Abrams’s wife Jamie Adams is the principal of the Floral Park-Bellerose School and her knowledge of the New Hyde Park area helped Abrams choose the “ideal location” for his math center.

“I know a lot of people who live around here…and it is the perfect place between Catalano and the dance studio and just from the people I know, it’s something that will probably be well-liked in the area,” Abrams said.

Abrams, who described himself as a “wiz” in math when he was younger, was formerly a CFO (Chief Financial Officer) of an architectural firm and decided to seek fulfillment in a new field.

“I had been looking at franchises for a long, long time and I never saw anything that would really hook me,” Abrams said. “But I looked at the curriculum for this and it was amazing and a reasonable cost…and I like to help people.”

Abrams’s ultimate goal is to have the kids achieve that “Ah-Ha!” moment; the moment that light bulb goes off and finally sticks.

“It’s just the best feeling in the world…it’s a very fulfilling feeling,” Abrams said. “I think once [kids] understand math, their understanding seeps over to all the other subjects. A lot of times they learn math, but they don’t know why. They get a good mark in class, but that doesn’t mean they know it, so we’re going to help show them why it’s important.”

Mathnasium serves as an after school program where kids from grades two to 12 meet in groups of three to four with an individual instructor who will help with any problems the kids are having in the subject.

“The [kids] raise their hands, they go over their work, the [instructor] comes over and they help them if they see they are struggling,” Abrams explained. “It’s actually called ‘Teach and Move On.’”

All instructors have to pass the highest math test possible and go through mock-teaching and training before officially becoming a Mathnasium instructor.

“I have a lot of faith in my instructors…I have faith that this will work out because it’s needed in the area,” Abrams said.

For more information on Mathnasium, you can call 516-616-MATH (6284) or visit www.mathnasium.com.