Raising IQ with I-Maths

By Helen Mcneil

Happiness and success are basic goals parents have in raising their children. Parents provide the tools, support and encouragement for their children to thrive. A solid education is essential, but, in today's competitive global environment, it seems that education alone is not enough to get ahead. Critical thiking, problem solving, imagination, creativity, logic and common sense are key qualities needed to provide the edge needed to succeed.

For two dads, Johnny Dadlani and Mike Kelly, finding a program that would help their young children develop such skills became a mission. Both grew up overseas in places like Hong Kong and Japan and traveled the world as adults competing for jobs with internationally savvy candidates. They came across a revolutionary program caught in India called I-Maths, which aims to foster creativity and lateral thinking abilities in young children. The partners were sufficiently impressed to obtain the rights to I-Maths and opened the India Education Methods teaching facility in the Kahala Mall Office building. Kelly and head teacher, Stephanie Kong, traveled to India for extensive training and certification.

Why India, you might ask? Among the privileged children that receive an education in India, students in math and science graduate among the most competent in the world. One third of engineers at NASA, Google, and Apple are from India. According to an article in The New York Times, the edge begins with a very demanding curriculum.

Three-year-olds are introduced to computers and 5-yearolds learn to multiply, solve math word problems and write one-page essays in English -- tasks most schools in the U.S. don't teach until at least second grade.

The I-Maths program, otherwise known as "intelligent mathematics," is more than a math program. It is rooted in the basic premise that fostering creativity and hands-on learning is essential to developing critical thinkers who can process and problem solve with confidence and ease. IMaths teaches a child how to deconstruct a problem using the whole brain. It gently pushes the envelope of their thinking skills and IQ.

Erica Kaolowi enrolled her 5-year-old son, Evan, in IMaths and has seen remarkable changes in his attitude and approach to problems. "Evan has been in the I-Maths program for six weeks. His ability to concentrate and problem solve without frustration is amazing. You can actually see the 'light bulb' go off when he is solving puzzles and complex grid games on the computer. He looks forward to his IMaths class with Miss Stephanie each week. He always comes out happy and eager to share all that he's learned with us."

The program is designed for students ages 3 1/2 to 8 years old and is divided into three development levels, each comprising a two-hour class per week for 45 weeks. The I-Maths teaching method begins with studentdirected, play-based learning. Teachers guide the students into a more structured activity, scaffolding up to greater abstraction and greater complexity. Students then demonstrate their understanding in a workbook activity. This completes the learning cycle. There is no homework because the child's learning process is wholly contained within the class time.

"I-Maths presents a variety of ways to approach a problem and a broad range of problems," says Dadlani.

"Students not only discover 'correct' answers, they also explain the logic of their reasoning in detail and articulate their problem-solving process. I-Maths does not replace the current math being taught in schools, but makes it easier to grasp. Your child will get more out of it and learning becomes more enjoyable."

For free trial classes and more information please call 408-498-7194 to reserve a space for your child. For more information, visit indiaeducationmethods.com.