In an interview with the school's director Leonid Madorsky, published in the American edition "Seagull", the features of the school's educational methodology are discussed. Although mathematics knows no national borders, there are various approaches to teaching it. Our school uses the Russian, or rather, Soviet program, which came to America indirectly. The foundation of the methodology is the concept of Soviet psychologist L. Vygotsky, developed by his students in the 1960s. It involves early algebra education and the development of a competitive spirit among students under the guidance of teachers. This methodology formed the basis of the Singapore program, recognized as the best in the world. I myself studied under a similar program at the Minsk Physics and Mathematics School. The Soviet system of teaching mathematics dominates in countries like China, India, Thailand, and the Philippines, and generally across Asia. As a result, more than half of American specialists in computer technology and engineering have Asian roots. In the USA, there is a shortage of American engineers, as many prefer to become doctors and lawyers. For admission to universities and colleges in America, two subjects are important, mathematics and English, which provide the majority of points on the SAT exam. A high score on this exam opens doors to universities and often ensures free education. However, how to achieve this if in the fourth or fifth grades students solve simple problems like five multiplied by nine? In our school, equations are solved as early as the first grade. Introducing algebra in the early grades helps overcome the fear of mathematics. The age of students ranges from five to eighteen years, and the program covers the entire school curriculum. We study for 36 weeks a year for two hours a week. Of course, we are not a star factory, and besides abilities, character and interests are important. For example, a girl may be passionate about ballet, while a boy may be into soccer, and mathematics may not interest them. There is a natural filtering process, but it is small. Sometimes children return to us after a break. The advantage of our school is that classes are formed by knowledge level, not by age. If something is not working out, additional classes can be taken, and with excellent success, one can move up to a higher class.
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