Meet the Team at Mathnasium of Oak Ridges

Larry Martinek

More than thirty-five years ago, Larry Martinek was inspired to find a better way to teach children math. As a teacher-trainer and consultant in public and top private schools, and father to a mathematically gifted son, Larry possessed an incredibly comprehensive view of education. In his work with both stellar and struggling math programs, he clearly identified a common theme in mathematics instruction: a “serious disconnect between students’ basic skills training and the curriculum they are expected to master in the years to come.” Spurred by the challenges in math education, Larry Martinek decided to find an approach that would provide grade-school children with the strong mathematical foundation they need to succeed. Over the next three decades, Larry painstakingly developed and assembled a blend of methods and materials that proved highly effective for students of all ages. Instead of relying on traditional rote memorization and repetitive exercises, Larry’s work focused on helping children build deep mathematical understanding—number sense—by honing their math instincts and getting them to think like Mathematicians.