Duo offers area math tutoring tailored to students’ needs
During their years of teaching math classes part-time at UNLV, student Chris Southworth and graduate Jessica Robinson have seen many freshman students struggle with basic equations. Math classes become so problematic that they’ve witnessed students resort to switching majors, completely altering their career paths and their lives.
To tackle the problem and help students succeed, the two Las Vegas natives opened Math Corner, 7240 W. Azure Drive, No. 160, to help students from sixth-grade math to calculus.
“At UNLV, Math 96 (Elementary Algebra) is the highest enrolled class,” Robinson said. “A lot of people aren’t prepared for college math because they haven’t practiced their skills enough. We’re hoping to catch them young before college, so they can understand the content instead of creating a snowball effect.”
Robinson has a master’s degree in math, and Southworth is taking his last semester at UNLV to receive his master’s degree in math.
The duo used their savings to open the center this month. They set up two private rooms for one-on-one tutoring and two group rooms to fit four students.
“We start by doing an assessment with the students to see their skill level,” Robinson said. “Then we can create a personalized session and build their skills to get at grade level or above.”
Sessions include what is called the homework center, offered at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. for 90 minutes Mondays through Thursdays at $25 a session.
Private tutoring is offered at $50 an hour, and a skill-building class is scheduled at 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sundays for $25 an hour.
To make classes more afforable, the owners added monthly packages for different combinations of private sessions and homework centers that offer savings from $20 to $100 depending on the number of sessions needed.
Robinson can also help students with online homework, which she said is often the source of frustration for many parents who are not used to technology.
“Most chain tutoring centers have a set of guidelines that students must follow,” Southworth said. “We understand that students need different options. Our goal is to personalize each session.”
In the summer, the duo plans to host math summer camp so that students can continue to practice their math skills.
Next month, Southworth said the center is scheduled to host family game nights once a month. The event will be open to children of any age. The first game night is set at 6 p.m. Feb. 8.
“It’s a stereotype that math is boring,” Southworth said. “That’s why we’re hosting these game nights. We want to show people the fun side of math.”
In order to introduce themselves to the neighborhood, the center also hosts parent information nights each month.
The next session is scheduled from 7 to 8 p.m. Jan. 25. Those interested in any upcoming events are asked to RSVP in advance through Facebook or by calling the business.
“In high school, everything is fed to you, but in college, students have to be really self-motivated,” Southworth said. “A lot of students don’t realize how much math can be involved in their major. Math is a life skill. Once you realize how to put the pieces together, you can solve anything.”
For more information, call 702-405-9900 or visit facebook.com/mathcornerlv.
Contact North View reporter Sandy Lopez at slopez@viewnews.com or 702-383-4686. Find her on Twitter: @JournalismSandy.
