Family Connections
One of the major advantages of Smartick being available online is that we are accessible from anywhere in the world. We have faith in the future of South Africa that we decided to take on one of the problems prevalent in many countries: if you want to excel in the tech world, you need to develop children who aren’t afraid of math.
On the other hand, the downside of being an online method is that we don’t get to know our Smartick families as often as we’d like. We’re always curious to learn how families heard about Smartick, how they motivate their children, and much more. And sometimes, such as in this case, we find out there’s a grandfather at the other end of the email. We’re grateful that Edward Johnson, Teri’s grandfather, took the time to talk to us. Here’s what he had to say:
How did you find out about Smartick?
Smartick advertisements were playing on television around the same time I received Teri’s midterm exam results. I immediately enrolled her for the trial period.
Why did you think it would help her?
I thought it was a great idea for her to have extra maths sessions as she didn’t do too well during the June assessment.
How is she doing with Smartick?
She’s doing very well, working diligently every day, and she hasn’t missed a session yet. She does it by herself although she did have limited help in the beginning.
Have you seen any results so far?
She’s already improved a lot, obtaining a 4 during the September assessment compared to a 2 in June.
Does she have a daily routine? We always try to encourage kids to treat Smartick as an everyday activity like brushing their teeth or eating breakfast
She does it at more or less the same time from Monday to Thursday while she’s with her mom and Friday to Sunday the times varies due to other activities.
Math: Outside of the Classroom
Why do you think math is so important?
I think being fluent in maths from an early age is very important as you need to lay a solid foundation. Modern technology requires people with a knowledge of maths, so it’s important to give her the opportunity. (Great! He just said something that’s very important to us: not everybody will go on to study for a career in STEM, but the key is that maths gives them the opportunity to choose any career they wish).
Do people you know usually trust an online platform?
People I speak to agree that the online platform gives children the confidence to think and analyse the maths problems on their own. And the fact that it is affordable is another positive.
Are many of Teri’s friends doing extracurricular math?
There’s another girl, Cassidy, who is in the same grade as Teri, who is also enrolled in Smartick. There are also plenty of children in my area that are attending extra maths classes.
Smartick Team: Teri hasn’t missed a session of Smartick extra maths for the last 130 days in a row! We’re so proud of her… Keep working hard and you’ll master math very soon!
Learn More:
- “I Discovered Smartick While Looking for Online Afterschool Math”
- “I Chose Smartick to Reinforce Homework”
- Going Beyond Classroom Expectations
- Maths with the Smartick Method
- Maths Benefits at Your Fingertips
- “I really think it has given them that extra confidence” - 11/20/2019
- Prepare children and let math open doors - 10/23/2019
- What Makes Smartick Different from Mathletics? - 10/09/2019