When my son Lyndon was just three years old, I noticed his fascination with numbers. I reached out to a local parent group looking for opportunities to nurture his interest, but was surprised by how much discouragement I received. Then Beatrice from Descartes reached out. Rather than dismissing his curiosity because of his age, she recognized it as something natural and worth encouraging. Although he was still too young to enroll, she shared ideas for introducing mathematical concepts through play and invited us to stay in touch. 

When Lyndon turned four, Descartes welcomed him into the program. At his first class: two instructors assessed him, adapting games and activities to his interests, abilities, and attention span to gauge his understanding of numbers. They did this without him even realizing he was learning. He left absolutely delighted, telling me how much fun he’d had and that he couldn’t wait to return. To him, math class felt like a play date.

A year later, that enthusiasm hasn’t faded. Lyndon has never once wanted to miss a class, and he even looks forward to completing his math workbook at home. His progress has been remarkable. At five years old, he’s working on double-digit addition, and we’re having conversations about fractions, decimals, number lines, and he especially loves discussing the concept of infinity. That enthusiasm has carried over into the kindergarten classroom, where he approaches his math homework with confidence and has even asked both us and his teacher for extra math homework.

What I appreciate most is that Descartes meets children where they are academically, rather than limiting them by their age. Students are grouped according to their assessed abilities, giving them opportunities to learn alongside children of different ages while developing confidence and social skills.

Descartes has been an exceptional investment in our son’s education, not simply because of the math skills he’s gained, but because the program has helped him develop a genuine love of learning. Beatrice and her instructors understand that young children are capable of exploring sophisticated ideas when they’re introduced in engaging, age-appropriate ways. 

As a Rosa Parks Elementary parent, I would be thrilled to see Descartes become part of our school community. I recommend this program to families looking to supplement the amazing Rosa Parks experience with a joyful, challenging, and individualized approach to mathematics after school.