Mathanasium to Open Site in Forest Hills

The owner of a tutoring center that is expected to open within the next two months in Forest Hills said she intends to get local children excited about math.

Mathanasium, which has a chapter on Bell Boulevard in Bayside, will soon open its second Queens branch at 108-14 72nd Ave. in Forest Hills.

Kaitlin O’Neill, the owner of the branch, said she is waiting for Gymboree, which currently occupies the site, to move across the street and hopes to debut the tutoring center in early September.

“I know there are a lot of good schools in the area, but I also know how concentrated the area is with children,” O’Neill said. “There’s definitely a need for a tutoring center.”

Mathanasium debuted its Bayside site in July 2012 and plans are underway to open a branch in Astoria.

Forest Hills’ site will teach everything from counting numbers to calculus to students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

“When a parent calls us, we’ll have them come in for a quick conversation and assessment of their student,” O’Neill said. “We’ll figure out a lesson plan and curriculum. Some students will come in needing help, while others will come for enrichment. We’ll break it down to see where they are having trouble. In school, a teacher can’t hold back a lesson plan for one child. So, if a child is having trouble, they won’t understand the next concept if they didn’t get the previous ones.”

Mathanasium will have two to three teachers when it opens, but O’Neill said she intends to eventually bring on four to five instructors.

She said her goal is to not only help students improve their math skills, but also to instill a love for the subject.

“Instead of being intimidated by math, we want them to like it,” she said. “We want to change their minds from being terrified of going to math class to wanting to go.”

For more information, call 718-544-MATH or visit Forest Hills’ Mathanasium’s website.